This evening our balloon flight launched from Werrington sports centre, Peterborough. The visibility was excellent, however the south westerly wind was still quite brisk. It was one of those flights that we thought may have to be abandoned due to excessive speed. So a phone call to our forecasters confirmed that the wind should be dropping to within safe operating parameters. All the passengers were as always comprehensively briefed and we prepared to balloon for inflation. The wind speed is crucial for the launch as any more than 10 knots of surface wind makes the balloons to much of a handful to sensibly get the passengers in the basket and action a steady and controlled take off.
At one hour and fifteen minutes to sunset the wind was down to 9 knots (Result) At 7.25 p.m we were airborne, climbing out to 1,200 feet the GPS told us we were travelling at 20 knots. With the visibility at about 40 miles. The balloon flew over Crowland and onto Whaplode Drove. What was an amazing sight, seemed to be every combine harvester in the county was at work, bringing in the wheat harvest. As we passed over the village of Gedney Hill to our front was a stubble field with the farmer baling straw. His tractor had stopped as he watched the balloon flying low over the field. We shouted down. ” May we land” – his reply was yes!! So our adventure came to an end as we touched down in Lincolnshire