The Big Balloon Festival brings all things hot air ballooning to a place where it's never too windy - KZread.
With years of experience flying, building and filming ballooning, We hope to show you the many faces of hot air ballooning, both here in the UK where I fly and also across the world, both at events I attend and those which people send in to us for editing and uploading.
Find out more about Hot air balloons, RC balloons, Technology or join us on an adventure and learn about balloon flight
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have you ever been to the worcester balloon festival
@@GabeKing-u4i not yet, there are lots of small club meets and medium size festivals I do want to visit, I'll add it to the list - they fly from the racecourse? Right?
@@TheBigBalloonFestival yes they came over are village this year and one landed in our local field
Want to join join me on adventure of a life time? With more balloons than you can count kzread.info/dash/bejne/q5OescOtfcqyo8Y.htmlsi=ZwI0G678ZT7DLmSC I would like to thank, The Bristol Balloon Collectors, the British balloon museum and library, North west balloon club, rainbow balloon team, Bob garnet for supporting with extra photos, and of course all the teams and crew who helped make this possible
Fun fact: Matt joyce or in bristol known as mj ballooning owns the maxwell house and slick and a couple of overs like the orange.
@@Jacob45780 great guy, 👍 love his video challenge and growing collectionn of balloons. Very inspirational
there pretty balloons
may i ask what kind of cameras are you using to film please
So this is a combination of a gopro (low in the grass) my Mobile phone, and a lumix FZ1000 dslr on a fixed tripod. That pretty much covers the majority of my film work over the last 5 years, combining those 4 technologies in a variety of ways
@@TheBigBalloonFestival oh thinking of getting better caameras for my channel thank you very much
@@TheBigBalloonFestival also how do you edit you videos together from one shot to another
Always one of my favorites from Albuquerque' Balloon Fiesta.
by the way i have built a model balloon basket looks quite cosy to me but um do you know where i could find parts to make it rc for a cheap cost
could you connect your basket to his balloon and it would still fly
@@GabeKing-u4i yes they are interchangeable
@@TheBigBalloonFestival have you ever done that it would be cool and funny
That's the most creative way to stand up a balloon with no one on crownline
@@racing10 yeah I've learned to be patient since this was filmed, I've added a few ideas that help keep the mouth open, so the 1 crew can go to the crown when there are just 2 of us. Someone suggested tying the crown line to a spare tyre, a spare fuel cylinder or even a lump of wood, that then drags across the ground and slows the rotation down.
is it still airworthy
@@GabeKing-u4i yes as far as I know, still active and flying
@@TheBigBalloonFestival never seen it fly
@@TheBigBalloonFestival also have you ever been to bristol balloon fiesta
@@GabeKing-u4i yes many times over the years, always as a spectator not as crew or a pilot, it's amazing to sit on the embankments and look down into the arena watch it all kick off
@@TheBigBalloonFestival yes we might go tommorow
why didn't you upload this last year
we saw the top of it on the road hill
it still looks airworthy
@@GabeKing-u4i yes I don't think it had many hours when it was retired, but it maybe that the requirement of donation to the museum is that it can't be flown again.
@@TheBigBalloonFestival why does the museum not allow flying
@@GabeKing-u4i they have a couple that do fly, but if they carry corporate logos, the corporation may say no flying, once sent to the museum then you have to respect that, or the balloon may be lost.
wow this one is really cool
are you using your model balloon fan
Yep, it's a 3hp fan so massively powerful for model balloons, and slightly underpowered for hoppers 😆 resulting I some 'interesting inflations'
@@TheBigBalloonFestival are you going to get a bigger one
where are the others now?
All 3 owned in america by someone called eric i think, the older one of the 3 (G-PNUT) is currently owned by a museum in the US
Were 2 built by aerostar? I also found pictures of a Canadian registered one on Google, which looked fairly modern.
@@TheBigBalloonFestival i know there are four two built by cameron and the others i do not know
when did he go out of flying
@@GabeKing-u4i I'm not sure I understand your question? What year was the film shot, or when was the balloon active ? Or something else
@@TheBigBalloonFestival as in can he still fly or not
@@GabeKing-u4i no retired many years ago, one of the earliest generation of shapes, so it's great that it has survived to be tethered still 👏 👍
Big fan of hot air ballooning. Landing a balloon looks hard task. Wonder if anyone landed on shown landing spot. In video looks like some pilot missed the spot. Appreciate your video. It is beautiful. ❤
@@sunilghising4450 you can be a really good pilot and not fly this type of event, it has many complicated rules, but landing we all have to do, and so many competitions tasks were initially about practicing and developing that skill of landing, reading the sky and navigating to a good landing spot
DON'T FORGET we have loads of videos featuring Special Shape Balloons kzread.info/head/PL-FtZ8D04WMPxbUsclFyGT06efnAkPue9 will take you to THE BIG BALLOON FESTIVAL for all the BIGGEST, BEST, WIERDEST and CRAZYIEST special shapes
DON'T FORGET we have loads of videos featuring Special Shape Balloons kzread.info/head/PL-FtZ8D04WMPxbUsclFyGT06efnAkPue9 will take you to THE BIG BALLOON FESTIVAL for all the BIGGEST, BEST, WIERDEST and CRAZYIEST special shapes
DON'T FORGET we have loads of videos featuring Special Shape Balloons kzread.info/head/PL-FtZ8D04WMPxbUsclFyGT06efnAkPue9 will take you to THE BIG BALLOON FESTIVAL for all the BIGGEST, BEST, WIERDEST and CRAZYIEST special shapes
where did you get your nylon from please P.S. it's satisfying watching cut out the patterns in timelapse
I used to purchase from the manufacturer who made big balloons, and their supplier, I had to buy in 100m minimum each time, which was expensive, but you might be able to work out which balloons were built with my leftovers 😄 and which were from ordered fabrics
@@TheBigBalloonFestival oh
@@TheBigBalloonFestival do you know where i could get mine from please
have you ever been to bristol balloon fiesta
Yes on and off over many years, but not done it as a pilot always just to enjoy the spectacular launches from the crowd
this gave me a weird feeling
5:11 would you sell some of that material there
@@suzirawlins4686 unfortunately it's pretty heavy weight (hyper last) too heavy for model balloons, probably too heavy for a hopper, but I do have some ideas for it's use in the future, so not for sale sorry
@@TheBigBalloonFestival do you have any left from your model balloon making
can you go watch this without having a balloon
You have made some balloons havn't you? Maybe not this size but I'm sure I can get an invitation out to you, 😉
@@TheBigBalloonFestival thanks
1:04 was this in the morning or the evening
That was late evening, but it would look cool to do that before early morning briefing as people arrived
does thunder and colt still build model balloons?
Thunder and colt sadly failed from the ballooning scene back in the late 90's early 2000's so it's special to see these balloons living on 🙂
@@TheBigBalloonFestivalhow did they fail
1:00 is that your son made me laugh when he threw the glove in the air
@@GabeKing-u4i yeah he went and sat in the middle of the target as well, nearly got hit on the head 😆, grown taller than me now !
@@TheBigBalloonFestival aww just like my brother who is taller than my dad😂
E because there is a road right next to the field?
how do you get your camera that's in a balloon when hot inflating out?
That's a great question, sometimes I'm in the balloon, with camera shooting footage back at the burner, we then switch off the burner and I walk out, sometimes I'll set up a go pro and as the balloon stands up it will slide down the inside of the balloon and drop out on the grass 😀
@@TheBigBalloonFestival oh just like the other video with your models kzread.info/dash/bejne/da6TuKydfJC3kbg.htmlsi=u5JFqI9V-t4T6o-e
what if the propane exploded
Oof straight in there with the difficult question, we work very hard to keep a good safety record, managing and maintaining our equipment to prevent such a scenario, this is however one of the risk of the sport, thankfully fuel explosions are rare but can be catastrophic.
Walter tyak y ❤❤❤
how tall is the pattern do you think in meters
@@GabeKing-u4i from memory about 6 meters
@@TheBigBalloonFestival oh i just cheated and went on a model balloon pattern shop and traced over the pattern i wanted and now i have a 12 and a half feet long pattern
I want a model hot air balloon
We have 2 crown lines attached to the balloon I usually crew for. Helps in adverse weather conditions. If we don't need two, we just keep them attached together. Nice explanation,
That's a valid point, I've definitely picked up some extra tips, and that's a good one, I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, windy tether and the 2 guys on the crown went down wind one to the left one to the right, seemed to stabilise nicely.
andy how do you make your patterns they seem hard tried to make my own can't do it
Can you send me an email to [email protected] and yeah they are not easy, but remember you learn more by making mistakes than by coping someone else. I built 7 model balloons before I settled on a design I liked (and the first 5 didn't even look like normal hot air balloons) don't give up, take on the challenge and see where the adventure takes you
@@TheBigBalloonFestival ok and would you sell your patterns
who made Jane Austin's balloon please
Jane Austin
@@TheBigBalloonFestival yeah
@@TheBigBalloonFestival also just to let you know i am the same subscriber just different pfp
this is cool where was it
This is Sackville lodge Airfield, Bedfordshire
dear sir ... what does all cost and where can i get this please?
A balloon of this size, (31,000ft3) second hand made by a manufacturer like Cameron balloons would cost about £7 - 10k depending on how much use it has had. Brand new ? Best to speek to the local sales person (they are global)
I want saw a hot air balloon in Egypt, Xbox playing very late in the evening about 10pm. Is this normal?
? I'm not sure I understand your question, there are lots of balloons in Egypt mostly flying over and around luxor usually just after dawn.
I crew for a Dawn Patrol balloon evwry year at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and I hold the Crown Line often. Its a lot of fun !
Hard work I bet A) doing it in the dark but B) surrounded by so many people, do you hang lights off the crown line?
@@TheBigBalloonFestival We simply keep the line on the ground until inflation so the crowds can walk over it safely. And then we use our headlamps to illuminate the line and have several spotters along the line doing crowd control to make sure no one gets clotheslined or trips over our line. But I have seen some teams with rope lights or LEDs on the crown line.
Want to know more about how Hot air balloons work, GREAT NEWS we have a load of video's about that JUST CLICK HERE kzread.info/head/PL-FtZ8D04WMPYplNP0NMd7O-eEhxLbh-X
do you think you could do a video from start to finish on cutting templates to getting the fabric etc please. cheers from Gabes
where did you get the fabric from please
is it possible for the remote control hot air Ballon to throw a smoke tail with different colors to match the color of the balloons 🎈 🤔 💡 💸 💰
That sounds like a great 💡 idea, I like it, I fancy filling one with smoke to what happens 😀
For solo flying do you still have to have ground crew?
I know of a few people who have flown without a crew, and brought them selves back for their car, via e-bike, push bike and even taxi 😆, but yes I've always had at least 1 person crew and chase me as I fly
@@TheBigBalloonFestival thanks how would it be possible getting back home with a push bike with a hot air balloon equipment
@@noelbullard4676 oh you ride back to the launch site, leaving the balloon at the landing spot, then return for the balloon (hopefully no one flies it away why your gone) 😆
@@TheBigBalloonFestival cheers just wondering how would you get permission to land if on your own 😆
It's rare when flying (any size balloon) to get permission to land, before touching down, just occasionally you meet the farmer out in the field as you come low. But having a chase crew can allow them to begin the conversation 'we are chasing a balloon and we think it landed on your land' sometimes you just have deflate the balloon and to walk to the nearest building or road, and start from there.
Have you tried piloting a model from the basket of a full size balloon?
That does sound fun but no I've not tried it......yet, might be wise to tie it on a long rope to the big balloon so it doesn't find some random current and fly off in a completely different direction lol 😆
This seems like such a relaxing and rewarding hobby. So cool.
Yep the calmest morning and evenings make for the best model ballooning weather, find a big field and play, if the wind is faster than you can run ..... prepare for a good workout
Want to know more about rc model balloons? kzread.info/head/PL-FtZ8D04WMNvrIOLPmL9tb4WCtcGiJaK&si=tyb8wv1vItS4BA7n
yes I do I'm having a spot of bother with mine the balloon itself is coming together nicely but I can't say the same about the basket, let alone the burner, I don't have the money to buy one I'd like to make my own basket and burner, can you help me please? I don't mean in person, I mean in video