There are a 30 balloons based at the Black Horse Ballooning Club 20 of them seen regularly launching from the field next to the pub in Mobwell.
Below are some details of the balloons and Pilots that you may encounter at the Black Horse when the flying season is in full swing.
G-IWON
Pilot Dave Jenks
First flown 1991
Manufacturer Cameron Balloons
Size 77,000 Cu Ft
Shape Viva
Passenger spaces 3
How lucky can you be?
Well in Dave Jenks case very lucky indeed. In 1991 the biggeset manufacturer of hot air balloons in the UK,Cameron Balloons, was celebrating 21 years in business having been set up by the legendary Don Cameron in 1970. To mark the occasion they built a special balloon. Very pretty and with all the latest technology of the time. The took the balloon on a road trip flying it at dozens of balloon meets up and down the country. They invited everybody they met on their travels to guess how many miles the balloon will have flown in the promotional road trip and whoever made the most accurate guess was presented with the balloon to keep and fly. Dave provided the
Dave has flown all over Europe and his favourite place to fly (apart from our fantastic base at the Black Horse) is Italy
G-Roni
Pilot Richard Simpson
First flown 1990
Manufacturer Cameron Balloons
Size 77,000 Cu Ft
Shape Viva
Passenger spaces 3
The ultimate in personalised number plates.
Registered as G-RONI The Balloon is also called Roni, named after the Crew chief Veronica Simpson, who is known to everybody as Roni. Like many ballooning teams this is a family activity with Felicity Simpson advanced in her Flying training and Danny Simpson embarking on the journey this year both haveing served their apprenticeships as crew.
Roni and Richard first flew in Bristol with Bristol Balloons and having used some trees to slow down came in for an exciting drag landing on Landsdown Racecourse in Bath. Having survived their first landing they were hooked and visited Cameron Balloons in Bristol shortly afterwards where they designed the colour scheme of their new balloon, which is based on the pastle shades of the houses in Bermuda.
The balloon has never been to bermuda but has seen a bit of the world having flown in Thailand and Europe. G-Roni will be off to the Italian Balloon festiva in July in Montefalco in Umbria.
G-CIJB
Well It all started with Peter many years ago!
One of the most experienced pilots in the country. Peter is responsible for the fact that ballooning takes place from The Black Horse pub today after landing in the field next to the pub back in August 1980, and hitting it off with Dave Kinsey the landlord of the pub who was ex Royal Airforce and mad keen on all types of flying. Peter asked Dave Kinsey if it would be OK to launch his balloon from the field he had just landed in and Dave said he would be delighted. So that was the start of balloons launching from the field behind the pub.
Peter has traveled the worled flying balloons and is a passes on his experrience of flying as a certified Balloon Instructor for the BBAC.