Images from Bath Balloon Fiesta 2007
© All images Flycam BMSS Ltd
20th Annual Bath Balloon Fiesta
4th May 2007 – 7th May 2007
The 20th annual Bath Balloon Fiesta coincided with celebrations of the 25th Bath Flower Festival.
Based at the Recreation Ground, home of the Bath Rugby Club, the event commenced on the Friday evening with flights planned for each Morning and evening and ending with the planned Bank Holiday Monday morning flight.
By the time the first pilot briefing commenced a large proportion of the 24 expected balloon teams had already registered with the organising team. The Recreation Ground, was to be the main launch site but a launch or two from the Royal Crescent and a flight from a site at Newton St Loe had also been arranged.
Once again, the forecast of typical Bank Holiday mixed weather conditions seemed to be the expected norm. However Derek Maltby asked if anyone qualified to carry out annual certificate of airworthiness inspections was present he would appreciate it if they would inspect his balloon Cameron Z-105 G-CBHW. Tom Sage duly agreed and the inspection took place on the launch field after briefing.
With the met for the evening slot giving surface winds considered too high for a safe launch from the Recreation Ground but a slower wind speed of 020 degrees 5kts on the surface and a gradient wind of 360 degrees 10kts promised a better opportunity for the morning the inspection of Derek’s balloon was all that took place.
Fifteen teams attended the Saturday Morning briefing and launched from the Recreation Ground.
The afternoon briefing brought the unsurprising met report that despite the event being planned to continue until the Monday morning the flight following briefing was expected to be the last opportunity as Sunday and Monday was forecast to return to the expected Bank Holiday pattern of wet and windy weather. Pilots were invited to fly from either the Recreation Ground and some could fly from the prestigious Royal Crescent. On a show of hands pilots indicated which location they would fly from and by popular agreement the team of organisers cancelled the activity planned for the rest of the weekend.
Nonetheless a total of eleven balloons took off from the Recreation Ground with an additional twelve teams launching from the Royal Crescent.
For a full list of the images from this Event contact Flycam-Bmss.