All good things!

There is little that compares to a golden September morning in England, though quite possibly a balloon flight is the ultimate way to enjoy it.

After seven postponements over a period of 13 months, client services and guest (well you have to look after the studio manager) finally met up in a meadow behind the Squirrel Inn on Hurtmore Common, Surrey.

Shortly before 8 am our hosts for the morning, Tony and Sarah arrived with our hot air balloon on a large flatbed trailer towed by a 10 seat Land Rover, and of course not forgetting Tasha their dog.

Sarah provided the role call; Liz, Gerry, Gemma, Mandi, Karen, Andy, Nick and David were all present and we then were introduced to Tony our pilot for this particular sortie.

Now if it was not enough that the morning was already glorious and we were about to embark on a balloon flight, it was all eclipsed by a man who’s own appearance was truly one of a pioneering aeronaut, complete with the most impressive WWII pilot style moustache you could ever hope to encounter, and so the scene is set.

After a clear safety brief in the basket and an explanation of the difference between a stand up landing and a bump landing, we all disembarked again and it was all hands to the balloons unpacking and inflation. The kit was surprisingly heavy as we laid out the enormous envelope. A large petrol engine powered fan was used to literally blow up the balloon with great effect and it was not long before Tony fired up the burners to complete the inflation of our blue and green balloon.

With final checks and clearance from Farnborough ATC our balloon was untethered from the Land Rover and we rose swiftly and effortlessly in to the big blue sky leaving below us the long shadows of the morning as we felt the warming sun on our faces.

Rising steadily we viewed the elegant Charterhouse School sat in her 200 acres of beautifully manicured grounds in which includes, the magnificent chapel designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (of Red Telephone Box fame) as a memorial to the 700 ex pupils (Carthusians) who lost their lives during the Great War. What a great privilege it must be to be educated there amongst the inspiring architecture.

To the startling roar and heat of the burners we ascended, descended and rotated. Tony’s expert handling of the balloon was apparent as he manoeuvred so we faced the sun, allowing the remote controlled, boom mounted camera to get that otherwise impossible shot of the contents of the basket - us.

We passed over farms, impressive country homes and numerous private swimming pools. Dog walkers and children waved from the ground as we spotted various livestock, the eagle eyed amongst us picking out wild deer in fields and copses. The Isle of Wight, South Downs and the English Channel all are visible from this lofty perch.

At two thousand five hundred feet we drifted South East at some 13 knots towards the former RAF Dunsfold, now home to the Surrey Air Ambulance, BBC’s Top Gear and the Hawker aircraft company which produced such famous aircraft as the Hurricane, Hunter and the hovering Harrier who’s maiden flight was here.

Dropping down into slower moving air we felt a breeze and Andy impressed with his knowledge of Anabatic winds. Tony asked us to spot any hazards such as pylons, telegraph poles, cables and the like as he started to prepare for a perfect stand up landing in a friendly farmers field near to Cranleigh in Surrey, where Sarah and Tasha were already waiting for us with the Land Rover.

A good team effort saw the Aerostat repacked and stowed on the trailer in no time at all and we headed back to The Squirrel Inn for an entirely appropriate Bucks Fizz and a de brief. September days don’t get much better than this and it was well worth the wait.

Our thanks to Sarah and Tony of “Reach for the Sky” also to our own Andy and Mrs O for organising an unforgettable day.