What happens when hot air balloons land in private fields ?
Posted by Stunning_Buyer_64@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 74 comments
Just watched a hot air balloon land in a farmer’s field near my house .
This is the 1st time I’ve seen this happen in this area . The 4x4 with the trailer following the balloon managed to get access to the field and the ballon was packed away within about 30 mins . How do they get access so quickly and what would happen if access was denied somewhere.
Murka-Lurka@reddit
I’ve never been on one but a friend who has told me the pilot had a map with annotations including things like ‘farmer had a shotgun’.
Daveddozey@reddit
Map must be filled with that. Everyone round here’s packing.
theandydane@reddit
Like who?
Lopsided-Watch2700@reddit
Farmers Mums
gt500rr@reddit
Always like a good Hot Fuzz reference 😊
ScotForWhat@reddit
Farmers
hampshirebrony@reddit
Farmers.
RecentTwo544@reddit
That's wild because hot air balloon landing in a field is not a reason for a farmer to go waving a shotgun around.
They are allowed to shoot out of control dogs attacking their livestock, but even vaguely threatening people with firearms, farmer and legally held firearms or not, is still a serious crime and the police would haul him over the coals.
PeaIcy760@reddit
This was a wild learning curve for me aged 13. We had a corn (wheat, maize idk) field at the end our our street and realised if you made it to the middle and flattened down an area you could sit on a blanket and be invisible to the whole world for whatever teenage antics you felt like
One day however we must have been spotted making route to the flat patch and ten minutes later a screaming farmer with two dogs on chains was waiving a shot gun in out faces and escorted us off the land. Naturally as kids we were under the impression we were about to be summarily executed so did what he said. Two days later the police arrived at my parents a i was like oh shit this is it boys. Life in jail for trespass. Turns out one of the girls I was with had broken down in tears as soon as she got home and they wanted a statement about his behaviour with the shotgun. From what I understand he was never allowed to own firearms again. We have some stupid laws here but we also have some pretty darn good ones
RecentTwo544@reddit
Yep, I'm very very much in favour of farmers and farmer's rights, but "threaten children with guns" is quite rightly treated no differently in the middle of a field to doing it in a city centre when it comes to police involvement.
Obviously less immediate action and police presence when a farmer goes full "this is my land!" compared to someone spotted waving an airsoft gun in central London, but the end result in court will still be "you threatened people, children at that, with a gun and dogs, you're fucked."
Revoking his firearms licence/shotgun certificate was probably the least of it, I'd hope anyway - he should have got a suspended prison sentence on hardship grounds, as in "I accept my prison sentence but if you give me suspended I won't do it again."
ThoseAreMyFeet@reddit
Some stories get better every time they are told.
No_Refrigerator7911@reddit
When i went on a hot air balloon ride. We got told its classed as a downed aircraft and the farmer or whoever can't stop it. But the pilot said they aim for a field that is empty and has no crops, so not to destroy anything or scare cattle. And he was constantly on the radio to the guy in the land rover. Plus the farmer got a bottle of whisky for his trouble. We helped pack the balloon away and got a lift back to the carpark. Was a nice morning over Cheshire
GiGoVX@reddit
On the flights I have done, this was considered the 'norm' farmer gets whiskey, they are normally happy with that 😂
parsuval@reddit
How does it feel?
I'm terrified of heights. I don't like cable cars at all, but I forced myself to do it in Singapore and Hong Kong and am glad I did it.
I think I'd be cowering in fear the whole flight, but also, it looks and sounds like an amazing thing to do.
GiGoVX@reddit
On the flights I have done, this was considered the 'norm' farmer gets whiskey, they are normally happy with that 😂
Arbdew@reddit
You don't really feel anything as you are travelling at the same speed as the wind, so there's not the feeling of wind behind you. It's an amazIng feeling. The landing can be a little rough but it really is a lovely way to see things.
alrighttreacle11@reddit
What if you need the toilet?
Curious-Term9483@reddit
This would be my number 1 concern (pun absolutely intended) even above my intense fear of heights.
I did a zip line recently basically because work was paying and I wasn't going to be the one who chickened out (turns out I am more stubborn than I am scared of heights! Who knew!) but definitely didn't enjoy the experience. I would worry that me constantly panicking sat down in the middle of the basket so I couldn't see the view/drop would marr anyone else's enjoyment. And then I would need a wee.....
Frankyvander@reddit
look out below!
ambadawn@reddit
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vAUFM5KjLcQ&pp
V65Pilot@reddit
Who's gonna know.........?
audigex@reddit
I suspect people would notice it dripping out of the bottom of the basket
ExcitementKooky418@reddit
This, but also have to point out that the sound of the burner is quite loud and might not be good if you're already nervous
mronion82@reddit
'Darling, look over there, I can see the cathedral! This is so romanKKKKKKKKKKRRRRTTTTTT'
maurycannon@reddit
Worth wearing a hat if you are bald as radiant heat from burner is quite large.
Locksmithbloke@reddit
They have a "cow burner" for that, as well as ear defenders available.
RealLongwayround@reddit
Heights scare the bejesus out of me: I had to get helped down from Go Ape. However, for some strange reason, the best thrill I have ever had came when I had a tandem paragliding flight.
jimicus@reddit
Remarkably peaceful. When the burner isn't going, it's practically silent.
No_Refrigerator7911@reddit
It was fine to be honest. Gentle going up, just kinda floated for a bit. Watching the ground get tiny was cool, the car just got smaller and smaller. But the landing was the worst bit, an even then that wasn't bad. But if you do go, wear a hat as it gets hot by the burner
messyhead86@reddit
It’s a very slow climb up that you feel it less than you would in a slow lift in a building. I expected there to be some sort of feeling similar to when you’re in a rollercoaster, but it’s instead very gentle and well worth doing.
Atomlad360@reddit
I struggle with heights as well.
But something about the ballooning experience is so slow, so gentle, so simple (in terms of the physics/engineering) I found it far less scary than I had expected.
PipBin@reddit
I was going to say the bottle of whisky was the standard payment to the farmer.
Enignon77@reddit
Very similar for gliders, most, if not all glider pilots carry a bottled beverage and a picnic with them as a thank you/apology to whomevers field they land in.
Broad-Raspberry1805@reddit
That sounds exactly like the ride I had over the southern Cheshire plains and Shropshire. Probably the same company.
V65Pilot@reddit
Sounds like an interesting flight I had in a single engine Cessna once..... The pilot was unusually calm about the whole thing, like having the engine quit was a daily thing.
Hey, waitaminute...
No_Refrigerator7911@reddit
Yeah it could be, I was doubting myself about Shropshire. I think we started off by a lake or a big pond. It was a lovely spring morning, could see for miles
nanasnuggets@reddit
We've had two, at different times land in our orchard. Our German Shepherd was never the same after the first one.
OmegaPoint6@reddit
They're supposed to only land in places with prior permission from the land owner, except in an emergency or if they become "becalmed". The flight path should be planned in advance, based on weather forcasts, rather than just "winging" (or ballooning) it on the day
Hopeful_Salad_7464@reddit
they don't know the flight path or landing area when they go up, just a direction.
Fellowes321@reddit
Mark Thomas, the comedian activist found that Menwith Hill the secure NSA listening station in the UK didn’t have a no flight zone so decided to fly a balloon over it for a laugh. He then made phone calls with words likely to interest security services.
He got quite anxious when it looked like he’d land inside it. The police were waiting when he landed just outside but as he hadn’t committed any crime they shrugged and drove off.
aweaselonwheels@reddit
iirc there was a frantic flight restriction put in place after that, partly because Mark wanted to run balloon tours over it :)
Fellowes321@reddit
I miss people like Mark.
aweaselonwheels@reddit
His life in Serious Organised Crime is a classic : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndyto3HJsdg
acidic_tab@reddit
Thank you for this recommendation! Watching this has genuinely ripped me out of one of the worst depressive spirals I've had in a long time, I needed a good laugh like this.
aweaselonwheels@reddit
This made my day :) Other things that should give you a giggle and is a comfortable series you can settle in to : Cabin Pressure by John Finnemore with Benedict Cumbercucumber, Roger Allum and Stephanie Cole :) the adventures of a small charter airline which is criminally overlooked : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp6MA_iBkkQ and anything written by John Finnemore he has a sketch series too :)
Key_Seaworthiness827@reddit
He's not dead!
Fellowes321@reddit
No but there’s no-one on telly who is like him. Provoking stupid laws in a funny way which is what I meant.
Complex_Adagio7058@reddit
Very much not - saw him doing stand-up in Milton Keynes a couple of weeks ago, still a class act.
Locksmithbloke@reddit
That's not correct. He wasn't allowed to fly over, but the law says that, because a hot air balloon can't steer, they get an exemption from some of the rules. So he set it up to float over. Which the CAA were probably furious about, but they could only take his pilots license off him. Which he didn't care about.
itchyeejit@reddit
We got a virgin sky ballon voucher and they just picked a random field to set off in, which just happened to have a silage crop growing in it. They didn’t care but the farmer showed up going mental. They just gave him some free vouchers for a ballon ride and took off. We landed in an old woman’s field next to her house and she got vouchers too tho she didn’t mind as much. There was a land rover following our path with a walkie talkie
Illustrious-Air-7777@reddit
We had one try and land in our field several years ago, they were coming in too low to see what was on the other side of the embankment. First thing my horses and I knew was this fucking great big thing appeared at about twenty feet in the air and then the crew all started yelling about horses and started burning to get some height. It makes a hell of a noise. I don’t remember much more because my horse lost his shit, and then I was unconscious on the ground. Apparently they landed in the beet field next door. No-one came to see if I was alive or not. They’d all fucked off by the time I was in any fit state to see what was happening.
OpziO@reddit
Years ago on a balloon ride we seemed to get in bother with unanticipated wind speed and/ or direction, leading us over a town called Chard in SW UK. I think we were aiming for a playing field, came in low but overshot. Then we were practically skimming rooftops. Residents were literally calling up “bit low arnt you?” and we were just chatting back. A lad kicked a football high and we could have easily grabbed it. Quite terrifying really. The pilot was downplaying it all but I could see him panicking a bit. By sheer chance, we seemed to avoid Chards few higher structures (the top of church spires were easily above us) then barrelled into a field on side of hill. We all braced to crash and the basket hit and dragged, tipping on the side. As we all jumped out the wind caught and lifted it again and the last few people fell out from a few meters up but miraculously were uninjured.
A few years later my brother did one, but his flight gently ascended, went straight up, sat in the air for 40 odd minutes then slowly came down literally with a few meters of the take off spot. He said it was boring lol.
darybrain@reddit
Finder keepers including anyone onboard. You work for me now. The balloon material is turned into bloomers for all farmhands.
BarryTownCouncil@reddit
Pilot takes a few bottles of champagne just in case.
They also have map with black out areas on it so they avoid that pricks fields at any physical cost.
highrouleur@reddit
I'm sure when I've seen this before the balloon operators carry a bottle of something to appease the landowners
stonemason81@reddit
This is true, and when one landed in our field last year, they gave us a bottle of champagne. We decided to leave it for a month as we had a small celebration coming up, only for the champagne to be 'corked'. It was rancid and was poured down the sink!
Red9zero@reddit
The balloons from our local balloon fiesta do that. Most farmers are ok, apart from one who has forbidden them from landing on his property.
Flyboy345@reddit
Used to be part of a balloon team/did a bit of balloon pilot training. We used to have maps where fields were marked if landowners didn't want you landing there. Also areas marked for animals etc so you had some idea before attempting a landing. Apart from that you pick a field and land there. You can pre plan to an extent where you are heading but you wont know exactly where you are going as the winds will differ at different heights. The support/chase team then usually attempts to find the farmer/land owner (unless there has been prior agreement with a farmer) and ask for permission to go on the land, usually giving them a bottle of wine for their troubles. Sometimes you will have an occasion where the farmer isn't happy or there is no way to access the field and you end up having to carry everything out (if you land a long way in this isn't fun 😂).
No_Constant_1026@reddit
Ideally the pilot puts it down right near an open gate. Or keeps it upright, and retrivers can walk it over, but that needs low wind.
We had farmers who would let us launch from their Fields too, as long as they got the odd free ride.
unofficialed@reddit
My family own a farm and one day years ago a hot air balloon landed in one of the fields. My parents made a deal that they could use a field to take off from if the family could go up it there was space. I went up 6 times and once landed on my school's rugby pitch.
lungbong@reddit
I live near a big field with a locked gate, a balloon landed in it and the support vehicle was there about 2 minutes later but they couldn't get down to the balloon. They packed everything up, drove the passengers away and left the pilot sat in the basket until they could get someone with a key to let them down.
gaydadoftwo@reddit
Flew on the Tattinger balloon last year. They carried a bottle of champagne to give to the land owner, who was very interested in the whole thing and chatted for ages. The pilot chose the field to land in, based on terrain, obstacles, crops, animals and access to the road for the support vehicle.
Physical-Bear2156@reddit
We had one land in our garden once. As a kid, I was amazed at the level of control. He kept it about 2ft above the lawn until over the drive, then dropped it down.
They sort of had permission to land inasmuch as they yelled to my mother, "Do you mind if we land", to which she replied "Do we have any choice?"🙂
The van and support crew arrived 3 or 4 mins later and the whole thing was bundled in the back in a few minutes.
As they were leaving one of the crew mentioned that the pilot used to be the British champion.
DEADB33F@reddit
They usually try to pack up & sneak off quickly.
If 'caught' they'll usually try to give you a voucher for a free balloon flight.
NB. We had one land in a field outside our house once. I guess they assumed it was our field as they gave us a free flight (it wasn't ours but we took the voucher anyway).
Delilahs_Ruin@reddit
One of the best experience I’ve ever done! They send the team ahead in the direction of travel and the ground team give recommendation of areas to land.
They also have a bottle of something as a thank you and apologies for the inconvenience. We landed at 7.30 in the morning!
In the southwest Bristol so we also have one the largest UK balloon fiestas it’s a very common sight and an expectation for field owners in the surrounding areas!
When you get a mass ascent 70-100 balloon all heading in the same direction there will be an owner getting a lot of bottles!
Flyboy345@reddit
Was lucky enough to fly out of the fiesta a few times, was a great experience. Also got to be im charge of the burner on our balloon for the night glow.
One of the coolest flights out of there, we were told in the briefing the wond direction would send us in the direction of Bristol airport. We had 2 options either land before we got there or fly up and over the airspace. We chose the 2nd and it was pretty surreal seeing aircraft flying below you heading into land.
grepusman@reddit
Just run to the door, knock, and say "I've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty”.
Scumbaggio1845@reddit
Farmer runs out at the speed of Usain Bolt and tells you can’t park there
JeffSergeant@reddit
The code of conduct is here. https://bbac.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Code-of-Conduct-July-2014.pdf in summary, the farmer should be reimbursed for any damage (and the balloonist should be insured to that effect), if they can't get hold of the farmer, they're supposed to leave their contact details stapled to the nearest gate.
buy_me_a_pint@reddit
We nearly had a hot air balloon land in the back garden a few years
but landed in a field instead
Specialist_Emu7274@reddit
We had one land on our field as a kid. My parents didn't give permission or anything; it's just the countryside with a load of fields. The people on the balloon just called the company to come and collect it. I was about 8, so it was very exciting for me, but it never happened again. The sheep were slightly baffled (there were only 6 of them in a big field, so they weren't harmed). I think most landowners would want the balloon gone so wouldn't deny entry, not sure what they would do if they couldn't get hold of the owner though.
Lordhartley@reddit
I went on one about 20plus years ago, the pilot had a few spots he aimed for, as we landed the support vehicle was already there. I would recommend a trip in one, taking off is surreal, just rising with no noise
Equal_Cod_177@reddit
Live in the southwest where we see a lot of balloons. They have a vague idea of the flight path and land owners where they can land are generally known to them. The thatchers balloons give the land owners a basket of cider to say thank you.
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