'On the Beech' - around the world by vintage aeroplane and balloon: September 2017

Hi everybody,

sorry that it's been a while since I last updated this blog but we haven't been just sitting around doing nothing. In contrary the team as been busy flying and - in Phil's part - organizing the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta mid August which was a success with around 130 balloons taking off during four slots from Bristol's Ashton Court.

Allie at the controls of a gyrocopter in Mongolia

Then Allie took G-CEFS on an expedition trip to Mongolia with her ballon G-CEFS and exploring new corners of this wonderful upcoming country, whilst Phil took to the skies with his mate Pete Bish to fly up north to Abbots Bromley in G-BIAP (a Piper PA 16 clipper) and to attend the LAA fly-in at Sywell early September.

We are now reunited for a short time before Allie heads out to Burma on the 28th of Sept for work as a balloon pilot during the winter. Phil will join her mid Oct for a period of time.

In the meantime though the team has been working hard to organize the second sector of the 'On the Beech' round-the-world tour linking up once more with vintage air rally organizer Sam Rutherford. Sam's new plans include a crazy Ushuaia2USA tour starting in March including several vintage aircraft from all over the world and covering most of South-and Central America finishing in Miami!

Please see his website at: Vintage air rally 2018

We hope to be part of this incredible journey - so watch this space!

In the meantime Mark Albery (pilot with Rogier in the RV) has published a great article about our joint Trans-Atlantic Tour in the 'Flyer' Magazine. Check it out here and even better get yourself a copy of the magazine in the shops right now before it's sold out:

Who knows, but maybe next year you might be able to read another story about the Beech and the balloon making history in countries such as Ecuador, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Cuba and finally the USA?

Last but not least, I cannot refrain from posting some photos from Mongolia. It's a beautiful country with wonderful people and great for flying balloons, aeroplanes and gyrocopters, so come and join me there next year!