Images from Tavistock Balloon Festival 2007
© All images Flycam BMSS Ltd
16th Annual Tavistock
West Country Balloon Festival
26th August 2007 – 27th August 2007
The Westcountry
Balloon Fiesta is organised by the Lions Club of
Tavistock and
Tavistock Round Table. The event is run entirely in aid of charity by a team of
dedicated volunteers. It has become firmly established in the Westcountry events
calendar and is featured heavily on television, radio and in the news media.
With the launch field located in the town together with the friendly atmosphere generated by the Organisers, the Devon countryside and superb views of Dartmoor mixed with the great Devon hospitably really makes this one of the best meets in the UK attracting up to 50 balloons each year.
Due to the forecast weather Saturday morning saw most of the balloons fly from the gliding club at Brent Tor on the northern outskirts of the town. With picturesque low mist some of the balloons hung low over Lydford Gorge yet by the time for the evening launch 42 balloons took to the air in glorious sunlight from the College Grounds with two flying from a farm near Brent Tor to drop the Somerfield Parachutists from 7,000ft. The choreographed glow in the evening was a great end to the first day.
Sunday morning saw some low cloud and stiff winds at first with little balloon activity although by 08.00 the sun was out and G-BURX flew. During the day the sun emerged once more and the evening flight saw 41 balloons take off with several flying a ‘box’ over the field.
During the event members of the Western Region attending the event took the opportunity to present the Western Region “Montgolfier Award” to their winner for 2006. Its presentation was delayed as the recipient did not live close to Bristol and being unable to invent a suitable "cover story", it was decided to make the presentation at the Westcountry Balloon Fiesta. The award is given to a person, or persons, who have contributed significantly to ballooning in general and to Western Region in particular in recent years.
The recipient, Arthur Street, has been taking care of Ballooning in the South
West for nearly 20 years. He has lead the Landowner Relations effort over many
years, both as his own "local LRO", and as a coordinator for the South West
area. He has consistently helped visiting balloonists to fly in his area, both
informally and at the long-standing and popular Westcountry Balloon Fiesta in
Tavistock. Whilst this is organised as a team effort, Arthur has had a central,
and often leading role, in the organisation and development of the event in
Tavistock, to the point where is it certainly in the top five of its kind in the
UK.
The other highlight of the event was Jonathan Dyer achieving his instructor rating, having checked out with Colin Wolstenholme during Saturday afternoon’s flight.
For a full list of the images from this Event contact Flycam-Bmss.