Hi all,

A very rare event this morning as the continued high pressure weather system over the UK pretty much meant that there would be Hot Air Balloon action at the 2023 edition of the Sky Safari at Longleat. So with Bill Pill in tow, we set off down the A34, A303 and A36 towards Warminster and parked up near to Heaven’s Gate which allows for decent views over the Longleat Estate. Good to see Andy Drinkwater there too – he must be mad for it as he was there yesterday too!

This mornings launch was one of the calmest I have seen in a very long time as a result of no wind being around and a lot of the Balloons didn’t even manage to leave the large Estate grounds. The ones that managed a bit of a flight were those that went for a bit of height. I don’t claim to have logged all of those that launched as it got pretty tricky at one point with so many bunched together and going nowhere fast.

Weather looks OK (random Thunderstorms apart) for the rest of the weekend if you fancy seeing some of the below….randomly Sherwood Ranger G-WHAA took off from Longleat Estate once the main launch had finished and it flew around the Balloons for a bit.

D-OFVP, Balony Kubicek BB 26E Hot Air Balloon (2049)
G-BRGD, Cameron O-84 Hot Air Balloon (2043)
G-BXUW, Colt 90A Hot Air Balloon (4317)
G-BZKU, Cameron Z-105 Hot Air Balloon (4931)
G-CBIM, Lindstrand LBL.90A Hot Air Balloon (817)
G-CCBB, Cameron N-90 Hot Air Balloon (10085)
G-CCLO, Ultramagic H-77 Hot Air Balloon (77/244)
G-CCVZ, Cameron O-120 Hot Air Balloon (10586)
G-CDGN, Cameron C-90 Hot Air Balloon (10641)
G-CDOB, Cameron C-90 Hot Air Balloon (10756)
G-CDXW, Cameron 120 SS Hot Air Balloon Orange (2947)
G-CDYL, Lindstrand LBL.77A Hot Air Balloon (1098)
G-CDYX, Lindstrand LBL.77B Hot Air Balloon (1094)
G-CFEB, Cameron C-80 Hot Air Balloon (11174)
G-CFUX, Cameron C-80 Hot Air Balloon (11282)
G-CFXP, Lindstrand LBL.105A Hot Air Balloon (1168)
G-CGFY, Lindstrand LBL.105A Hot Air Balloon (1179)
G-CHAU, Cameron C-80 Hot Air Balloon (11614)
G-CHXS, Cameron C-90 Hot Air Balloon (11754)
G-CIAY, Cameron C-70 Hot Air Balloon (11786)

G-CIDH, Cameron C-80 Hot Air Balloon (11804)
G-CIDU, Balony Kubicek BB 22E Hot Air Balloon (1058)
G-CIUA, Ultramagic B-70 Hot Air Balloon (70/12)
G-CIXR, Cameron Z-77 Hot Air Balloon (11982)
G-CJEI, Ultramagic M-77 Hot Air Balloon (77/398)
G-CJIH, Lindstrand Technologies LTL Series 1-105 Hot Air Balloon (016)
G-CJKI, Ultramagic S-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/158)
G-CJLT, Cameron O-84 Hot Air Balloon (12044)
G-CJRO, Cameron Z-105 Hot Air Balloon (12055)
G-CKXG, Cameron C-70 Hot Air Balloon (12213)
G-CKZJ, Balony Kubicek BB 26E Hot Air Balloon (1483)
G-CLBK, Ultramagic H-77 Hot Air Balloon (77/420)
G-CLCC, Cameron Sport 90 Hot Air Balloon (12234)
G-CLDJ, Lindstrand Technologies LTL Racer 60 (098)
G-CLHS, Ultramagic M-65C Hot Air Balloon (65/228)
G-CLMM, Cameron Sport 70 Hot Air Balloon (12345)
G-CLPC, Cameron Sport 70 Hot Air Balloon (12407)
G-CMBJ, Ultramagic H-77 Hot Air Balloon (77/433)
G-CMBU, Cameron Z-90 Hot Air Balloon (12476)
G-CMBW, Cameron Sport 60 Hot Air Balloon (12470)

G-CMEX, Ultramagic M-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/213)
G-CMNN, Ultramagic N-180 Hot Air Balloon (180/165)
G-CRBV, Balony Kubicek BB 26 Hot Air Balloon (373)
G-CRZE, Ultramagic M-105 Hot Air Balloon (105/195)
G-DAAY, Ultramagic B-70 Hot Air Balloon (70/25)
G-DANJ, Cameron TR-65 Hot Air Balloon (12324)
G-EDAM, Ultramagic M-77C Hot Air Balloon (77/427)
G-FFAB, Cameron N-105 Hot Air Balloon (4067)
G-FWJR, Ultramagic M-56 Hot Air Balloon (56/50)
G-GABS, Cameron TR-70 Hot Air Balloon (10937)
G-GAGE, Cameron Z-105 Hot Air Balloon (12038)
G-GBGB, Ultramagic M-105 Hot Air Balloon (105/126)
G-GNJR, Balony Kubicek BB 26E Hot Air Balloon (1996)
G-GUIN, Ultramagic B-70 Hot Air Balloon (70/30)
G-ICOR, Lindstrand Technologies LTL Series 2-60 Hot Air Balloon (068)
G-IFOS, Ultramagic M-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/135)
G-IPEN, Ultramagic M-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/134)
G-ITVM, Lindstrand LBL.105A Hot Air Balloon (1017)
G-JEMS, Ultramagic S-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/143)
G-JIMA, Cameron Z-105 Hot Air Balloon (12321)

G-KAYI, Cameron Z-90 Hot Air Balloon (10710)
G-LEAT, Ultramagic B-70 Hot Air Balloon (70/13)
G-LULA, Cameron C-90 Hot Air Balloon (10833)
G-OALT, Diamond Hot Air Balloons S77 Hot Air Balloon (DB-SN-014)
G-OCGD, Cameron O-26 Hot Air Balloon (12130)
G-OETS, Ultramagic M-105 Hot Air Balloon (105/243)
G-OEWE, Cameron Sport 80 Hot Air Balloon Sheep (12340)
G-OFAA, Cameron Z-105 Hot Air Balloon (10886)
G-OINT, Balony Kubicek BB 20XR Hot Air Balloon (993)
G-OKEW, Ultramagic M-65C Hot Air Balloon (65/184)
G-OMIB, Diamond Hot Air Balloons Character-48 Hot Air Balloon (DB-SN-005)
G-OOEY, Balony Kubicek BB 22Z Hot Air Balloon (767)
G-OSAT, Cameron Z-105 Hot Air Balloon (10564)
G-OWLL, Ultramagic M-105 Hot Air Balloon (105/214)
G-PAID, Ultramagic M-65C Hot Air Balloon (65/237)
G-PAWW, Ultramagic M-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/187)
G-PURP, Lindstrand LBL.90A Hot Air Balloon (1387)
G-REGO, Diamond Hot Air Balloons S90 Hot Air Balloon (DB-SN-019)
G-SAWS, Ultramagic M-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/210)
G-SCFC, Ultramagic S-90 Hot Air Balloon (90/148)

G-SMIL, Lindstrand LBL.105A Hot Air Balloon (1425)
G-STAC, Lindstrand Technologies LTL Series 1-105 Hot Air Balloon (005)
G-WESS, Lindstrand Technologies LTL Series 1-90 Hot Air Balloon Wolf (051)
G-WHAA, The Light Aircraft Company Sherwood Ranger (TLAC-1-004)
G-WINZ, Lindstrand Technologies LTL Series Special Shape Penguin (050)
G-WJAC, Cameron TR-70 Hot Air Balloon (10694)

Photo credits: Grant Robinson

Kind regards,

Grant Robinson