Civilian Aviation

normally if somebody told me to get up at 4.30am to be out by 5.15 I would rather impolitely tell them where to go but this morning was an exception. For almost 2 years I have been the frustrated holder of a pair of tickets for a hot air balloon flight and after 15 failed attempts due to weather conditions I finally got to use them along with my brother who I took along as a 60th birthday present (for him, not me).
Originally the 2nd was for my wife bought to supplement the first which I bought in a blind auction at a charity event but she succumbed to a fear of heights when only supported by hot air so agreed that I could take my brother instead. So at 5.30am we arrived at the launch field in mid Essex in very early morning sunshine and less wind than a sparrow's f*rt to prepare, the wind was very light and in the hour long flight we only travelled about 9 miles but at least the basket didn't tip over on landing this time due to the light wind (I passed a bit of light wind as a relief!).
Enough waffle , here are the pics....

the inflation and prep for take off
6437 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

another balloon was also flying which gave the opportunity of some air to air pics later, here are both being prepared looking like the field has a pair ofa size 200D s
6463 G-VBFX & G-LLGE by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

applying some heat..
6468 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

the gynae view, straight up the inside...
6488 flipped by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

the other balloon inflating..
6477 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

and still inflating as we took off..
6501 G-LLGE by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

come on, what's keeping you...
6523 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

and air to air..
6578 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

air to ground, me and my shadow:
6619 shadow by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

oh, deer! we saw quite a few as we travelled above them
6568 deer by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

Felsted private school which takes up most of the village of Felsted!#
6541 felsted school by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

deflating after the landing, very quick getting the air out!
6705 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

hope they are interesting, C&C welcome

andy

Lovely shots Andy, can I just say that you are a lucky git?

Mike wrote:Lovely shots Andy, can I just say that you are a lucky git?

thanks - but I haven't been to St Maarten you lucky git

Nice set Andy, glad you finally got to use the tickets - don't think you could have asked for a better morning either!!

Well worth the early alarm call!!

Dan

Thanks Dan

it was a cracking morning but a shame we went that direction, once we passed Hartford End the scenery was a bit boring, mostly just fields. going east would have been perfect - right over my home village! Still can't have it all ways.

Great record of the event. Love the me and my shadow shot.

very nice but not for me, you would not get me up in that basket

I love the shot of the shadow that is very nice, some great shots from your long awaited day

Very very nice Andy ! I had a flight in the Virgin balloon from Norwich some time ago , a friend won a ticket for two in a raffle, he couldn't find an attractive female to join him, so he chose me ????? I just couldn't believe how stable and controllable the thing was ??? It was an early evening launch and my camera would only focus on the haze !!! It's something I would recommend everyone should try ... It's so stable and so safe .... A WoW experience !!!

Keith

Nice photos, especially like the shadow photo!

Lovely shots. Best type of flying I had experienced so far. Was lucky to fly an early morning flight out of Old Buckenham in a private balloon.

Love the shadow shot

Mike B

Nice set of photos, of an extremely pleasant way to travel. I like the shadow shot. Thanks for sharing

thanks everybody for your kind comments.

I'm surprised nobody has picked up something a bit odd about one of the photos though - who can be the first to see what it is?

andygolfer wrote:thanks everybody for your kind comments.

I'm surprised nobody has picked up something a bit odd about one of the photos though - who can be the first to see what it is?

I have looked gone away and looked again but still not sure, the only thing i can spot is that the air to air shot looks like it was taken on a different day, weather in most look fine and clear and that one looks very overcast and hazy

no all taken the same day, same flight but I played with the editing on one of them!

andygolfer wrote:no all taken the same day, same flight but I played with the editing on one of them!

I think it's 'flipped', or should it be mirrored ? lol

I think I'm expecting the Virgin title and the reg to be 'backwards' on an inside shot ?

MarkL wrote:

andygolfer wrote:no all taken the same day, same flight but I played with the editing on one of them!

I think it's 'flipped', or should it be mirrored ? lol

I think I'm expecting the Virgin title and the reg to be 'backwards' on an inside shot ?

I think you could be right the virgin is flipped to show the right way inside the balloon

that's right, well spotted

now there's a theme for a topic, 'what has been altered in the photo?'