It's was the second year of the Longleat Estate running a hot air balloon fiesta and the local press was reporting it as being the largest in th UK, above the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. So, with good weather forecast on the Saturday morning I thought that I would find a suitable vantage point and take a look.
With a northerly wind blowing I headed down to the Longbridge Deverill area and awaited the first balloon to get a decent idea of their track and thereby a good location. One of the lead balloons, a Penguin special shape, landed in a field adjacent a local lane and it appeared all the others were tasked with dropping streamers as close as they could - looked like great fun and meant almost every balloon came within a few feet of my vantage point and just a few feet off the ground before rising again and heading over the Deverill hills towards Mere.
A few from the Saturday AM mass launch of 119 balloons.
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Longleat Balloon Safari by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Sunday evening was the next flyable window, Friday and Saturday PM launches were abandoned because of thunder storms!!! This time I found a location alongside a valley running up from the estate and hoped they would stay low, my hunch paid off but with a smaller launch of about 40 balloons.
20170917-180017-Longleat-2 by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
20170917-181736-Longleat-2 by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
Daily Mail Headline - "Shocking moment giant penguin nearly impaled by miniature Swissair Airbus!! - Exclusive"
20170917-180220-Longleat by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
20170917-181903-Longleat by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
20170917-181708-Longleat by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
20170917-181235-Longleat by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
20170917-180442-Longleat by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
20170917-180248-Longleat by Neil D. Brant, on Flickr
A really fun couple of hours out in beautiful country side.
Neil
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Longleat Balloon Safari 2017
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Re: Longleat Balloon Safari 2017
WoW ! What superb photography and some wonderful balloon designs ... great imagination used in some of the balloons !
Keith
Keith
Re: Longleat Balloon Safari 2017
Excellent shot's Neil !
Re: Longleat Balloon Safari 2017
Great set... there is something very graceful about Hot Air Balloons...
Bet the one with no basket etc went up rather quick!
Dan
Bet the one with no basket etc went up rather quick!
Dan
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