Hello and welcome to our latest blog! This time we’re taking a look back at an incredible weekend spent at the 2026 Bath Summer Festival. This was held on the 18th of July. Organised by the Bath Balloon Club. Like many events throughout the ballooning calendar, this wasn’t simply about flying balloons. It was about catching up with friends, preserving ballooning history, and enjoying the unique community that makes ballooning special.
Although the weather throughout the weekend proved to be breezy and, at times, challenging, it always remained within safe operating limits. As every balloonist knows, safety always comes first and the conditions simply required a little extra patience, teamwork and careful decision-making. For example, not jumping over an active tether line to take a photograph (if you know, you know!) Thankfully no one was hurt and everyone involved worked together brilliantly meaning the weekend was packed with memorable moments.
After arriving on Friday and setting up camp, our first stop was to meet up with the Iris Balloon Team.
The team is run by up-and-coming pilot Liam Whitlock alongside his other group The Bristol Balloon Collectors. Iris Balloon Team currently has three balloons in their fleet. G-CCJH “Iris” a beautiful multi-coloured Lindstrand 90a. G-BOEK “Secret Leader” a vintage Cameron V-77 and new addition G-CMLH “Probe 1” a Diamond Balloons P90 made with lightweight fabric.
The plan for the evening was to join Liam for a flight in G-CMLH. Before long, we were preparing the “Probe 1” for flight. As above the balloon is a Diamond Balloons Lightweight 90. Lightweight balloons have become increasingly popular over recent years thanks to their lower overall weight and impressive fuel efficiency.
“Probe 1” is on loan to the Iris Team from the “Fly Alien” brand who have a fleet of alien balloons. Despite the unsettled forecast, the flight went off without a hitch and was an excellent start to the weekend. Liam landed “Probe 1” behind the nearby Flourish Garden Centre much to the delight of the local children and families.
Flying around the skies of Bath and Bristol is always something special. With Cameron Balloons based just down the road in Bristol, the region has the richest ballooning background in the UK. It’s not unusual to see numerous balloons sharing the skies whenever the weather allows.
Saturday morning brought another fantastic opportunity. We had the privilege of flying G-OZOE, a Lindstrand Special Shape Cornetto balloon, on behalf of MJ Ballooning. Special shape balloons are always crowd favourites and the Cornetto is no exception. Instantly recognisable, this is one of the newer additions to the MJ Ballooning fleet.
This flight was particularly significant as it marked only the balloon’s second flight in the United Kingdom. Considering its age, it flew well and was a real pleasure to pilot. It is always wonderful to see classic balloons continuing to fly after so many years. It demonstrates the quality of their original construction and the care they have received throughout their lives. This is a big testament to groups like MJ Ballooning. They invest a lot of time and money ensuring these fantastic creations can be enjoyed for years to come.
Following the flight, there was little time to relax before heading straight to the Bath Balloon Festival. Our first task was to tether Cornetto, giving visitors the opportunity to get up close for some photos and videos. Tethering and demonstrating at events is always rewarding. It allows members of the public to experience ballooning from ground level while chatting with pilots and crews about how everything works. We were only able to keep Cornetto inflated for a short period of time due to the gusts as the mouth of the balloon is very narrow due to its shape. Its never worth causing damage to these balloons as they are very expensive to repair.
Next came one of the most memorable moments of the entire weekend. On behalf of our friends at the British Balloon Museum and Library, we tethered G-BVBJ Maxwell House, positioning it alongside its sister balloon, G-BVBK, now owned by MJ Ballooning and previously owned by ourselves. This was an incredibly special occasion, as it was the first time the two balloons had stood side by side in over thirty years. For those who know the history of these balloons, it was a truly remarkable moment and one that has been over a year in the making. Seeing these two classic balloons reunited served as a reminder of just how important it is to preserve Britain’s rich ballooning heritage.
The BBML and other groups continue to do fantastic work preserving the history of hot air ballooning in the UK. Many of today’s balloons will eventually become museum or collection pieces, making the work carried out by these groups invaluable. Their efforts ensure future generations can continue to enjoy and learn about the incredible designs, sponsors and stories that have shaped British ballooning over the decades. It was a privilege to play a small part in supporting their work during the weekend and over the last year since we first took on G-BVBJ.
Our team also inflated G-VALZ a Cameron N-120 for local balloon enthusiast Cameron Tovey and his wonderful team. This one was certainly a hit with the kids. As well as this we also provided training for Cameron and his team. We also helped out other teams moving kit or packing up balloons. One of the best things about ballooning is the willingness of everyone to help each other. It doesn’t matter whose balloon it is; crews regularly move from one inflation to the next, offering assistance wherever it is needed.
Visitors to the festival were treated to an incredible variety of balloons throughout the day on Saturday. Among those on display were several from MJ Ballooning, including Cornetto, Maxwell House, Ohoo Dips, Washcat and Jesus. The Bristol Balloon Collectors also inflated several classic advertising balloons including the Lloyds TSB Sign, Samsung Monitor and the ever-popular Michelin Man. Meanwhile, Jonathan Harris inflated the impressive Argonaut envelope on behalf of the British Balloon Museum and Library, adding yet another fascinating piece of ballooning history to an already spectacular line-up.
Those were only a handful of the balloons present. Numerous other balloons new and old were inflated throughout the day including a wonderful array of model balloons. This wasn’t all, visitors were also treated to a stunning airshow, live music and a bird display. There was also very reasonably price food and drink on offer and free cold water which was a very nice touch. A spectacular nightglow finished off the event but sadly we had to travel back before this. This made for one of the most well organised events we have been to this year! There was plenty to see and do even without the balloons meaning visitors enjoyed excellent value for money on their tickets.
Looking back, it is difficult to choose a single highlight. Flying with Liam and the Iris team, piloting the Cornetto, reuniting the Maxwell House balloons after more than three decades, helping fellow balloonists and catching up with so many friends made it a truly unforgettable weekend.
Events like this remind us that ballooning is about much more than simply flying. It is about friendships, teamwork, preserving history and sharing our passion with the many people who come along to enjoy these spectacular events.
A huge thank you goes to everyone who made us feel welcome throughout the weekend. Special thanks to MJ Ballooning, the Iris Balloon Team / Bristol Balloon Collectors, the British Balloon Museum and Library, Cameron and his team and the organisers of the Bath Balloon Festival. Not to mention the hard work of our own brilliant and enthusiastic crew.
If you’d like to learn more about the groups and teams featured in this blog, please visit them on the following links –
MJ Ballooning – https://www.mjballooning.com/
British Balloon Museum and Library – https://www.bbml.org.uk/
Bristol Balloon Collectors – https://www.bristolballooncollectors.co.uk/
Iris Balloon Team – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553421922067
Bath Balloon Club – https://bathhotairballoonclub.uk/
Thank you once again for taking the time to read our latest blog. If you enjoyed this one, don’t forget to keep an eye on the Molly Mae Ballooning website and follow us on social media, where we’ll continue sharing stories from our adventures.
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