Thread: Unexpected visitors

Originally Posted by chris_mack

dunt the operators normally give u a bottle of champagne or something?

Down here they do if they land somewhere unplanned. At the model aircraft club I used to belong to we got a couple of bottles one summer.

Originally Posted by chris_mack

dunt the operators normally give u a bottle of champagne or something?

When we lived on 52 acres near Bowning, we had a balloon land in our paddock just on dusk. However, unlike our neighbours when they had the same thing happen, we missed out on the champagne. It wasn't a flight with passengers. It was a prospective pilot being tested for his ballooning licence.

They missed Christmas Island then?

My mate has just returned from a holiday in India, they charge tourists for everything.

Originally Posted by Stuuu

What was Alfred's reaction?

There was a hot air balloon at Gapuwiyak several months ago, so it's not new to him. It was very early in the morning, so we didn't bother waking him up.
We could have all done with a bit of a sleep in yesterday morning in preparation for NYE. We had a very late, but extremely enjoyable NYE in the city.

It was quite funny when the balloon pick up crew came, they were towing a car trailer with a mini-bus on it as they had to take the 10 Indian people back to their place (it had been a 3.45am pick up). When the mini bus was unloaded, the balloon operator again asked for help to "pack up" (the balloon etc) The older Indian chap must has mis-understood and thought he had said "back-up" so he promptly got into the drivers seat of the mini bus and started reversing down the driveway...much to the alarm of the operators.

They managed to get themselves organised and were gone 15 minutes later.

Originally Posted by dmdigital

A pleasant surprise. I'd be asking for a free ballon flight

No thanks Sheila doesn't like heights and I'm not too sure if I would like being at the mercy of the wind.

We often get them coming low over here but this is the first time one has actually landed on our place. The horses nextdoor went crazy when the gas burners went on. Cougar didn't quite know what to make of it all, but was quite happy to get "pats all round" from the Indian kids

Originally Posted by vnx205

When we lived on 52 acres near Bowning, we had a balloon land in our paddock just on dusk. However, unlike our neighbours when they had the same thing happen, we missed out on the champagne. It wasn't a flight with passengers. It was a prospective pilot being tested for his ballooning licence.

No one offered us anything....