The evenings are now getting shorter with sunset at 7.00 pm. However the weather this autumn is outstanding with clean crisp air and UN limited visibilities. We greeted our Norfolk Balloon Flight passengers at Mattishall Golf Club and were airborne at 5.00 p.m. Our balloon flight today was the first time no family and friends came out to watch due to the earlier meet times and being midweek many people are now still at work. The balloon ascended up to 3,000 feet. We contacted Norwich air traffic control to confirm our launch and direction. They could see us even though we were some fifteen miles to there southwest. We soon drifted toward the town of Wymondham with its magnificent Abbey, always the topic of conversation. It really is worth a trip to see. Starting life as a Benedictine monastery in 1107 with the grand tower being constructed in 1447. What probably saved this beautiful medieval structure during the dissolution of the monasteries was that the monks surrendered the `abbey to the king in 1538 and signed the ‘oath of supremacy' to the crown. Other abbeys such as Langham, Wendling and Sturston were not so fortunate. After an hour in the air we descend our hot air balloon over spooner Row and gently land in a stubble field in the parish of Bunwell.

This afternoon we greeted our passengers in the village of Newborough and launched from the well-manicured grass paddocks at Clarkes Garage campsite. A large number of family and friends had arrived to watch their loved ones enjoy the balloon flight. The wind was a very light breeze coming from the northwest. Simply a beautiful balmy autumnal afternoon ideal for hot air ballooning. With great excitement the younger members of our on lookers enthusiastically helped our crew prepare the balloon for flight. We were aloft at 4.10 p.m. amongst excited cheers and shouts. There was plenty to see as we climbed up to 7,000 feet and the wind was gently taking us towards Thorney. The city of Peterborough was in clear view as was Rutland Water and Stamford. Kings Lynn and the Norfolk coast were in view to our east. We start a gentle decent and the lower we fly the wind turns us more towards Wisbech. To our front we could see our retrieve vehicle and crew along with the families who had followed. A low pass so everyone on the ground could get some good photos. The sun was behind us casting artistic shadows of the balloon and trees on the ground below. We continued our flight and landed in a ‘roughly' ploughed field in the village of Murrow.

Our hot air balloon ride today took place from our base at Wendling. Our passengers were local and this seemed like the most convenient place to assemble. The wind was a gentle westerly with good visibility and UN broken skies. The balloon was airborne at 17.00 hrs and we climbed out to 3,500 feet. The coast was in clear view from Kings Lynn and the wash to Braydon Water and Great Yarmouth. At either end of the county we could see the sugar beet factories at Wissington in west and Cantley to the east. Quite a view all of Norfolk in fact all 2,000 square miles, it does not get much better than this. We gently pass over the market town of Dereham and start our descent. The stunning Elizabethan Manor of Frog Hall come into view with its beautiful gardens and moat. No time to pop in Simon Danns excellent ice cream parlour at North Tuddenham, which is now 1,500 feet beneath us, made from is own dairy cows on the farm, excellent stuff. With the livestock behind us we finally descend and land on the parish boundary of Lyng. We have soon packed the balloon away and celebrate our balloon ride adventure with a class of chilled champagne.

Our balloon flight passengers today were all local to west Norfolk so we decided to take off from our base in the village of Wending. The weather has continued to hold and the month of September has provided us with some stunning ballooning. The wind today was a very gentle 5 M.P.H. coming from the west. Once aloft the visibility was good. To our west the wind farm at North Pickenham with its eight 80 metre high turbines gently rotated in the evening breeze. On every flight they do generate a wide range of opinions from our passengers, some love them many do not. However there is no taking the reality away that these eight turbines will generate some 35 million Kwh (Kilo watt hours) annually with just the wind to drive them saving 28,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, apparently. One of our passengers was extremely knowledgeable, when it came down to reducing our carbon footprints! Any way on and upward. We cross the A47 and head over the village of scarning and south of the busy market town of Dereham. As we pass over the town the busy commuter traffic look chaotic, such a joy to watch in the balloon in peace and calm. After an hour in the air we landed in a stubble field in the village of Mattishall.

This afternoon we had arranged for the hot air balloon to launch from Mattishall golf club. Our passengers were in good spirits looking forward to the flight bathed in the autumn sunshine. A large number of family and friends had also arrived to watch and there was no shortage of help for our crew with help preparing the balloon for its inflation. We were airborne at 17.10 Hrs and ascended to 2,500 feet to savour the view. To our north the coast was in clear view as was the city of Norwich just eight miles to the west. We flew over Welboune common then over the picturesque village of Runhall. As we drift over Hardingham the grand mediaeval church of St Andrew in Hingham is quite a landmark that has dominated the countryside since the 14^th century. A more recent landmark to our south was the disused wartime airfield of Deopham Green. From February 1944 to April 1945 this sleepy Norfolk village was transformed with the arrival of the 452^nd Bomb Group. Equipped with the B17 flying fortress. During this short time 250 missions were flown with the loss of 110 aircraft and many lives. We had been the air for over an hour and adjacent to the airfield an ideal stubble field was spotted. The balloon landed gently, a big thank you to Mr Phoenix the landowner for allowing family members and local children onto his field to enjoy meeting our passengers. With the balloon ride at an end we toasted our flight with a class of champagne.

This afternoon we launched this balloon flight from Clarkes garage camp site in the village of Newborough located adjacent to the busy city of Peterborough. It was a perfect day with a light wind and good visibility. We were aloft at 5.00 p.m. and climbed up to 3,500 feet. Peterborough was in good view as was Rutland water and the busy market town of Stamford. At height we started a gentle drift towards Thorney and descended to 500 feet so all the family members who were following our retrieve crew could take some quality photos as we passed over them. At low level the wind was almost calm, so we ascended to 5,000 feet to regain some speed. At this altitude we were now travelling at 12 M.P.H. this rewarded us with panoramic views of the East Anglian landscape. Once clear of Thorney we started our decent and landed very gently in a stubble field south of Thorney Toll. We were soon to be greeted by the passengers family which included some very excited children who were soon helping our ground crew packing up the balloon. The autumn sunset was stunning, another wonderful end to the day.