Civilian Aviation

Hello again

The fifth Midlands Air Festival was held in the grounds of Ragley Hall near Stratford-Upon-Avon from Friday 2nd June which is an afternoon and evening event and on Saturday 3rd and 4th June which are more normal daytime airshows. This is the third time I have been to the Festival and as usual, I attended on Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, strong gusty winds prevented the mass balloon launches on Friday and Saturday evening although they did launch 112 at dawn on Saturday.

It is taking me so long to get through my pictures (I might get them done by the next one, perhaps ) that I have decided to use a selection from the last three years to give an impression of what the Festival is like. As already mentioned Friday is a late afternoon and evening event which includes a nightglow for the balloons and finishes around 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday are normal airshows which start with mass balloon launches at dawn. The mass balloon launches are a big favourite with me as some 100 balloons lift off in a very short time and if you are lucky drift over you at surprisingly low attitudes. As with most shows nowadays the aircraft are kept quite some distance from the crowd whilst displaying so much so that when the commentator said that the Bearcat didn't normally display away from Duxford it might as well have still been doing that , but we all know why this is so.

I should comment on the commentator for the balloon events he's very good with a nice sense of humour but a little historically inaccurate Louis XVI was the King of France when the Montgolfier brothers demonstrated their balloon and not Louis XIV as he states , Louis XVI would lose his head during the Revolution. The other mistake was that the Hindenburg disaster was in 1937 and 1939 as he states but I will forgive him these as he is an amusing and insightful commentator .

Anyway enough about the event here are some pictures

From 2021

Kubicek BB20GP HAB G-CHXN overflying me at the Midlands Air Festival
Kubicek BB20GP HAB G-CHXN by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Cameron Z-31 HAB G-CJRK & Cameron V-77 HAB G-BVFF at the Midlands Air Festival. Note that G-CJRK is just a chair whilst G-BVFF has the traditional wicker basket.
Cameron Z-31 HAB G-CJRK & Cameron V-77 HAB G-BVFF by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Pitts S-2SE G-JPIT displaying at the Midlands Air Festival
Pitts S-2SE G-JPIT by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Schweitzer 269C N7505B 'Otto the Helicopter' at the Midlands Air Festival 2021
Schweitzer 269C N7505B Twilight Display by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Balloon Night Glow or Night Fire as they call it at the Midlands Air Festival 2021
Balloon Night Glow by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

From 2022

Very low-level flying by Druine D.31 Turbulent G-APVZ at the Midlands Air Festival 2022
Druine Turbulent G-APVZ by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

De Havilland DH.82 Queen Bee G-BLUZ painted as LF858 about to land at the Midland Air Festival 2022
DH.82 Queen Bee 'LF858' by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Lindstrand LBL.35A Cloudhopper G-CFAW hiding in the trees at the Midland Air Festival 2022
Lindstrand Cloudhopper G-CFAW hiding in the trees by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Air Fly Balonisimo AF-SS-68 Baby Dinosaur Shaped Balloon PP-XOH during the Mass Hot Air Balloon Ascent at the Midlands Air Festival
Baby Dinosaur Shaped Balloon PP-XOH by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

From 2023

AeroSuperBatics Boeing Stearman G-IIIY and Wingwalker taking off to display at the Midlands Air Festival 2023
AeroSuperBatics Stearman G-IIIY by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Some 'Heavy Metal' was provided by RAF Typhoon ZJ914 displaying at the Midlands Air Festival 2023
RAF Typhoon ZJ914 by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

RAF Lancaster and Typhoon during their interesting display at Ragley for the Midlands Air Festival 2023
Lancaster & Typhoon by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Gazelle Squadron Display Team at the Midlands Air Festival 2023. They are from top to bottom Westland/Aerospatiale Gazelle HT.2 G-CLGO marked as XZ939, Gazelle HT.3 G-CBSI marked as XZ934, Gazelle HT.2 G-CFTS and Gazelle HT.2 G-ZZLE marked as XX436.
Gazelle Squadron Display Team by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

The 6 Vans RV-8 of Team Raven giving a sprightly display at the Midland Air Festival 2023
Team Raven Display by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

Diamond Hot Air Balloons Character-48 G-OMIB which really was blown about by the gusty wind at the Midland Air Festival 2023
G-OMIB by Craig S Martin, on Flickr

All in all a very good event well worth attending, one tip pay for premium parking which gets you close to the entrance, very handy if visiting on Friday night or after a long hot day in the sun!

I hope you like them I have more on Flickr but I should put up more

Regards
Craig

Nice images.

One of the balloons inflated for Friday's night glow was marked "G-REGO" (yellow and white standard shape, full size i.e. not a model, sponsorted by Avanti Gas) which is not listed on the CAA G-INFO register ebsite. Any idea of the true identity of this balloon?

Great shot of the four Gazelles. The Brazilian balloon is a long way from home. Did it float its way over?!

Hi Roger4

We had a lightning strike nearby last night (Sunday) just before 7 pm which knocked out the Internet for the local area, we live near a hospital but no reports of damage there thankfully. The Internet connection was repaired late this afternoon (about 3.30 pm) hence my late response, sorry for that

I have seen pictures of this yellow and white standard shape Balloon with Avanti Gas titles from the event but I have not been able to identify it yet it also flew on Saturday morning but I was not there. I'll keep looking to see if I can identify it for you if I do I'll add it as a reply on this thread.

Regards
Craig

Thanks Craig, glad the lightning strikes didn't do more damage.

Avanti Gas's website gives quite a lot of publicity to their sponsorship of both their emplyee Steve Chatfield, who owns and operates the balloon, and to their supply of LPG to balloon events, but without ever showing a picture of their balloon!

And the G-INFO site has no aircraft of any sort registered to anyone with Chatfield as their name.

All a bit of a mystery. Likewise, if I find the identity, I will share it as a reply to this thread.

Edit: LAAS's e-Group includes a log of balloons that lifted Saturday morning and G-REGO isn't on their list.

Hi roger4

G-REGO is the correct registration but its not official registered yet! Perhaps more accurately its not on G-INFO but G-REGO is the correct registration according to the G-DASH - UK Balloon Register and it has pretty good coverage, the next ABN should have confirmation.

Edit its now on G-INFO appeared today the 14th

In my attempts to solve this puzzle I was checking all the Balloons registrations I had a list for against pictures of them and then I stumbled upon the above website which was much so much easier.

Regards
Craig