| Our trip to Thailand had been long awaited, | | | | problems. He has been pouring millions of Baht of |
| originally planned for the winter of 94/95. My wife | | | | his own money into what is basically an impossible |
| Karin had bought the maps and books and even | | | | task. He has also been doing all sorts of stunts to |
| packed; we were off. The balloon was ready at | | | | show the people that he is trying to remedy the |
| Thunder and Colt with a heavy duty basket tailor | | | | situation.We were asked to fly him over Bangkok |
| made for hard use overseas. And then they went | | | | to observe the traffic from the air, this being in |
| bust. The delay meant that we missed the | | | | their words, a low cost solution. Permissions |
| relatively short window available for flying in | | | | obviously had to be sought. We were summoned |
| Thailand. So it was rainy old England for most of | | | | for our first meeting with the CAA on Christmas |
| the winter and a rethink of the plan for us. I had | | | | Day, at 10 O'clock, everybody apparently finding it |
| been asked to go out there by Jon Nunns having | | | | amusing that I was missing my Christmas day. On |
| previously worked for him in South Africa flying | | | | arriving it transpired that they didn't really want us |
| passenger ride balloons.Jon's interest in Thailand | | | | to fly as it is a military state and they didn't want |
| comes from several commercial tours he's | | | | me to see anything I shouldn't. The Kings Palace is |
| probably had the most experience of flying in | | | | a no no to fly over as you should never have |
| Thailand. Sky balloons agent in Thailand managed | | | | your head higher than his! However the civilian run |
| to sell one of the first balloons to roll off the | | | | Prime ministers office had put big pressure on and |
| production line to a pair of business men who | | | | they felt they had to relent and by the way, |
| wanted to learn to fly and fly advertising banners | | | | what could we tell them about the other balloon |
| in I come again, this time to train and point them | | | | and airship in Chaing Mai ( are you getting the |
| the right way.So after a fantastic summer | | | | picture that this is a warning). It transpired that |
| passenger flying in England, it was off on a | | | | we held the winning hand but they really had to |
| Quantas Jumbo from a snowy December | | | | tell us they did not like it first. There one and only |
| Heathrow. We caught a connecting flight from | | | | request was that I didn't fly higher than 500'. Now |
| Bangkok to Chaing Mai, a city in the North which | | | | what! a pleasure. Royal helicopters fly at 800' so |
| was hosting the South East Asia Games, ( SEA | | | | that was that. I walked away on Christmas days |
| games ) our first port of call. Jon, returning from | | | | with a piece of paper that ordered me to fly not |
| SAGA, was there for three days to ease us into | | | | above 500 AGL wherever I liked! A trip then to |
| things.Our hosts had managed to find sponsor's a | | | | the tower at Bangkok International to let them |
| cell phone company and we had a busy schedule | | | | know what was happening and pick up an air |
| ahead. The city was humming with activity related | | | | chart. They already knew all about us and |
| to the games and it was great fun to be there. | | | | wouldn't give me an air chart: military secrets and |
| We generally flew across the city in the mornings | | | | all that. If I'd known I could have brought them in |
| and over the main stadium in the evenings.The | | | | England before we left!Thus it came to pass that |
| stadium itself was about 10km from the centre | | | | I was doing balloon traffic reports over the city |
| of the city and lay under an east facing slope | | | | of Bangkok with the deputy Prime Minister on |
| which of course moved into shade in the evening | | | | board and a film crew and five TV crews |
| allowing us to fly over the stadium and away into | | | | following through the traffic. We flew two days |
| open countryside, the mornings had the ability to | | | | doing four flights. The flights themselves were |
| take us up the slope and away to the west which | | | | pretty exciting to the point that I wouldn't rush to |
| was not a good idea as there was about 50km | | | | do them again. The tallest building is getting on for |
| of forest and national park before the next | | | | 1000' and we flew right between a bunch of them |
| road.It was always fairly calm and finding places | | | | of course stopping all the traffic as we went. For |
| to land was not a problem. We were not alone in | | | | those that know we launched from just above |
| the air a Carlsburg balloon had been shipped in | | | | Siam Square and flew across generally towards |
| from Europe and a Cameron Gas airship from | | | | the Queen Siriket Convention centre and then |
| America. Strangely neither thought to visit or call | | | | over the river. The 500' level became a real pain |
| the international airport 8km south of the stadium. | | | | in the afternoons as the OAT was some 37C and |
| This caused some amount of trouble as Thai's | | | | thermals were popping off all over the place I |
| love complicated permissions to fly and neither | | | | may or may not actually flown quite a bit higher |
| had any. As we did have permission we were | | | | at the beginning of these flights and came down |
| contactable and received some amount of flack | | | | when it cooled down, but perhaps I'd set the |
| from their CAA. We smoothed the path quite well | | | | altimeter incorrectly!So after all the fun and |
| for them, prison was mentioned on more than | | | | games it was off to train three people in total: our |
| one occasion!The airship did a fantastic job | | | | agent and the two business men. To start with |
| seemingly never out of the air and carrying a TV | | | | we went off to Rayong a Province to the SE of |
| camera beaming live pictures from the stadium. | | | | Bangkok renowned for it's beach resort Pattaya. |
| During the evening we tethered next to the | | | | The guys for some reason where keen to train |
| stadium and the airship still plodded around | | | | there. Unfortunately it proved too coastal and the |
| dropping leaflets.Thai's are football fanatics and the | | | | sea breeze knocked out the evening flights and |
| Asian cup was also held during the games in the | | | | the land breeze in the mornings. Our permission |
| evening. Our tethers coincided with all the home | | | | was only for a 25 km square so we couldn't go |
| team games. As Thailand progressed through the | | | | any further inland.Not a problem as one of the |
| ranks tickets sold out and it started to get ugly at | | | | guys had relatives with a farm near Kanchanaburi, |
| the gates. For the semi final the fans burnt down | | | | home of the bridge over the river Kwai in the |
| the ticket tents in protest and several thousand | | | | west of the country. It was here that most of |
| extra tried to get in causing an outbreak of police | | | | the training was done. It was an ideal area for |
| brutality.We tethered high allowing us to see the | | | | ballooning, being generally flat with occasional |
| matches and carried PR people, they tended to | | | | 5-600 foot hills popping up like islands. The fields |
| want to stay up a while as we had the best view | | | | are mainly of Sugar Cane roughly three quarters |
| in the house!On the first and last day of the | | | | and the rest are rice paddies. Everything went |
| games we flew into the stadium itself, the first | | | | fine and after three return trips to Bangkok on |
| flight by Jon, with me on board and the last by | | | | business the guys where ready. They will be |
| myself. What a fantastic feeling when you drop | | | | travelling to England to take their PPL's shortly.One |
| over the edge of the stadium roof and come to | | | | more surprise lay in store. Seeing as the flying |
| a dead stop amid all that noise and then pile out | | | | into the stadium in Chaing Mai had gone so well I |
| again, really good fun, it comes highly | | | | was asked to fly into another with a football to |
| recommended!The flights over the city were also | | | | start The Thai football league. Not such a big deal |
| commendable. The airport required us to stay | | | | but the stadium as 500 metres from the sea with |
| below 1000' and if we required to fly higher then | | | | houses all the way to it. Luck was on our side |
| we had to call them on VHF. It worked well and | | | | once more and after two days of strong |
| of course flying across temples at low level was | | | | monsoon winds on the day in question it was |
| fascinating. Chaing Mai old city lies within a square | | | | calm. We inflated behind a five story building which |
| canel and contains some 300 temples in total. It | | | | was right next to the stadium and bang on for |
| was here that we aimed to overfly every day. | | | | the wind direction. The signal for us to launch was |
| The River Ping winds it's way to the east of the | | | | a series of fireworks the ninth being our go. At |
| old city and was very handy for big direction | | | | the practices which we couldn't fly into because |
| changes. As a rule most wind directions could be | | | | of the wind we made sure that the marching |
| found and staying over the city centre for an | | | | bands had left and we had a clear stage. You |
| hour or so and then climbing and departing was | | | | know whats coming next.1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Go, |
| fairly easy.I have to say that Northern Thai's | | | | we rose from behind the building to see that |
| seemed more fun loving than their Southern | | | | everybody was still stood there,down between |
| countrymen. To this end they enjoy letting off | | | | them all I came our official hopped out with the |
| fireworks and tissue balloons carrying balls of | | | | football and handed it to the President of Yamaha |
| burning rag to keep them aloft. Not uncommon to | | | | and we quickly deflated the balloon,! no way was I |
| see 10 or so cross the night sky glowing red | | | | going to fly out of that one!So thats briefly it, I |
| when drinking a beer. They climb quite high as well | | | | haven't touched on the really infuriating stuff, the |
| I flew with some at 3000'. On a couple of | | | | stuff thats supposed to add character |
| occasions, on landing villagers let off tissue balloons | | | | afterwards. I'll let you find out all those bits for |
| in our honour. They also flew bigger ones with | | | | yourselves.If you are interested in going out there |
| strings of fireworks blasting away underneath. All | | | | then the man to contact In fact the head man of |
| good stuff for balloonists to watch. The last night | | | | the brand new Balloon Club Of Thailand |
| of the games saw the launch of in excess of | | | | is:-YUTAKIT WANICHANOND |
| 1000 of these balloons in about 10 minutes from | | | | 125/135 CHANGWATANA ROAD |
| all around the stadium, and as it was a calm night | | | | PAKRET |
| it was the prettiest balloon thing I've ever seen.So | | | | NONTABURI |
| once that was all over it was off to Bangkok | | | | 11120 |
| eight hours South by road. Unbeknown to myself | | | | THAILAND |
| we had come to the notice of the Prime Ministers | | | | FAX 584 0042To update the story in June 04, |
| office and were sought out for a job!The deputy | | | | the deputy Prime Minister became the Prime |
| Prime Minister, Thakasin Shinawat, had said on | | | | Minister and is poised to buy a share of Liverpool |
| coming into office early in 1995, that by the | | | | Football club in the UK. I have since flown in |
| middle of January 1996 (or 2539 as it is over | | | | Australia, Kenya and am now back in South Africa |
| there) he would sort out Bangkoks traffic | | | | with my own ride business. |