This evening our balloon flight over Norfolk would take place from Mattishall golf club. The conditions were good with a very gentle sea breeze coming in from the northeast. The decision to go to site was slightly tricky this evening as the met office was forecasting the posibilty of light and variable winds. This is were in the centre of a high pressure system there can be little to no flow, so the last thing you want to be doing is hovering over the launch site and going no where. However due to the close proximity of the coast on many occasions you can get a convection flow as the hot inland air draws in the cool air from the sea, but we would only know this once we were on site, no pressure then especially as we had some passengers who had had a number of attempts to get airborne already, yup that’s you Chris S. We had a chat with Norwich airport and air traffic control confirmed the condition were indeed perfect. Thirty plus miles visibility and a gentle 6-knot flow coming from 060 degrees. The inflation was gentle affair and was soon aloft to cheers and waives from our passengers family and friends who would be following our hot air balloon over the Norfolk landscape. At 1,000 feet we had a good view of the city and the north Norfolk coast and our overall track was taking us gently above Thruxton. As we climbed pass 1300 feet we stopped this was the height of the ‘sea breeze profile’ Descend under 1,200 feet off we go again, in fact the lower we go the faster we get. As we approach Reymerston an ideal stubble field is spotted the crew have already got permission from the farmer to land as the field has almost been harvested. The landing was very gentle affair touching down in the village of Shipdam.
Dear Robert & Team
A wonderful well organised evening, well worth waiting for the perfect day
Pam and Goff Mayhew