Wells Somerset - Balloon launch 30th August 2010

This year 16 hot air balloons launched from the Palace Fields adjacent to the Bishops Palace in Wells, Somerset on the evening of Bank Holiday Monday 30th August 2010.

The balloons took off from approx 6.20pm and floated south towards Glastonbury. Among them were

G-POLY Cameron N-77 c/n 428 - this was the oldest balloon present built back in 1978 and features Pollywallets titles and a large pink elephant and some far out man colours. This balloon has spent its life registered to owners in the Bristol area and was transferred on to new owners in July 2010.

G-ULTR Cameron A-105 c/n 4100 has Ultrafilter titles and has been registered to the same Bristol based owner since built in 1997.

G-BOOZ Cameron N-77 c/n 904 was among the last few to depart - this balloon was built in 1983 and was originally based in North Yorkshire until 1989 when sold to the current owners in Wiltshire - this balloon had flown over 430 flight hours by 12.09.

G-FOWS Cameron N-105 c/n 3995 was built in 1996 and wears the titles of its original owners the Fowlers motorcycles dealership in Bristol, since sold on to private owners in the Bristol area.

G-CDWD Cameron Z-105 c/n 10827, this large balloon was built recently in 2006 and wears the colours of the University of Bristol Hot Air Ballooning Society.

G-BXVP is a Sky 31-24 c/n 056 one man balloon with Sky Balloons titles built in Wales - no basket just a chair frame for the pilot - real seat of the pants flying.  G-BXVP was built in 1998 - the current owner is based just down the road from Wells in Cheddar.

G-CCTS Cameron Z-120 c/n 10570 was built in 2004 and wears Snap Surveys titles - the balloon is based in the Bristol area.

G-CBLO Lindstrand LBL 42A c/n 854 is another example of a one man balloon - I would imagine that the sensation of flight must be fantastic with such a balloon. This balloon was built in 2002 and took on a new owner in 5.10 based in the Bath area.

G-CFEK Cameron Z-105 c/n 11176 is only just over 2 years old having been first registered in June 2008 and wears the titles of Penny Plant Hire and Demolition - I've seen this balloon float past Wells several times as it is locally based near Radstock.

Steve in Wells

Henstridge Fly In - 28th August 2010

Fair weather brought plenty of Fly In visitors although a strong cross wind proved tricky at times.

Escapade G-MCUB did well in the gusty wind - this Escapade is painted in typical Piper Cub colours and is marked "Mini Cub" on the tail.

Jodel D120 G-BHXS arrived from Plymouth - this aircraft was built in 1958 by Wassmer and has flown in excess of 6500 flight hours by 12.09.

G-BMWF ARV Super 2 c/n 013 was built in 1986 at Sandown on the Isle of Wight, UK  - the original two stroke Hewland engine has been replaced on this example by a Rotax 912 ULS. Approx 30 aircraft were built in the UK before production ceased in the 1980s. There are plans to build the aircraft as a LSA aircraft known as the Opus in the USA.

The visiting aircraft park was opened to spectators after lunch - shown here is G-CBIF a Jabiru UL-450 designed in Australia and was kit built in 2002 by a builder in Suffolk, UK. Today this aircraft is owned and based in Somerset and has flown over 300 flight hours by 12.09

Late arrival mid afternoon was Fournier RF-4D G-BXLN c/n 4022 - this single seat motor glider was designed by Rene Fournier and built by Sportavia Putzer GMBH in Germany in 1967. Approx 150 examples of the RF-4D were built. This aircraft is based at Seighford, Staffordshire and was visiting Henstridge en route back home after a weekend trip down to Lands End & the Scilly Isles via several other airfields.

G-BYBR Rans S6-116 Coyote II c/n PFA 204A-13081 taking off after the event  - this microlight aircraft was built in 1999 from a factory supplied kit by the original owner in Lancashire, UK. In 2007 the aircraft moved south after it was sold to a pilot in Devon, UK. 


External Link to official RANS website 

Another RANS S6 Coyote II was G-WZOY c/n PFA 204-14735 - this S6-ES aircraft features a tail wheel rather than a nose wheel. The aircraft is based at Westonzoyland airfield in Somerset - hence registration "WZOY". This aircraft was built in 2008.


Todate RANS have produced approx 2,000 examples of the S6 since production began in 1989.




Steve