Plane madness! Watch this documentary by Timothy Allan about our Trans-Atlantic expedition in 2017

If you haven't spotted it anyway on social media or youtube, then tune into this 20minute documentary filmed and edited by Timothy Allan (with a bit of my footage added).

Watching it brings back fond memories of an incredible journey and a huge gratefulness for having the privilege of visiting some of the world's most remote places.

Enjoy the film here:

Tim's PLANE MADNESS

Betty has passed her annual and is now hangaraged in Warwickshire

If you haven't seen it, enjoy this documentary about our Trans-Atlantic and Central America expedition!

Highlights of the Beech

We give special thanks to Claire Gaynor (music) and Sarah Metcalfe (edit) for offering their support to this 20mins production.

UPDATES on the whereabouts of the Beech: she has successfully passed her annual checks and is now hangered at a private location in Warwickshire. The aircraft is in very good condition and available for hire, sale or use in film projects.

Do get in touch with us via our website:

www.gonewiththewind.uk.com

or send us an email: balloonjourneys@alliedunnington.co.uk

+44 7776202731

phil@gonewiththewind.uk.com

+44 7785775624

The Beech has made it back to the UK!

The Beech is home!

Betty the Beech has finally reached the shores of Britain again after a challenging Trans-Atlantic crossing with Andrew Holman-West and Tim Darrah at the controls.

Andrew and Tim relaxing after their long sector from Wick to Southend

She is now undergoing her annual maintenance checks at Rochester. 

G-BKGM at Rochester waiting to be taken into the hangar

If you haven't seen our documentary about the expeditions that this aeroplane has done over the last 14 months, then please enjoy this 20mins film here:

On the Beech expedition

The Beech has reached Iceland after dodging severe storms around Greenland

From Greenland to Iceland

Two days ago the team managed to fly straight across the icecap from Greenland's capital Nuuk to the little airstrip at Kulusuk which we had also visited on our Trans-Atlantic tour last year.

Kulusuk Bay, Greenland  ( photo Allie, last year)

To me that was one of the most beautiful places that I had ever seen with icebergs floating in the tranquil waters, total silence wherever I walked to and wonderful views from our little hotel to the surrounding mountains.

Tim and Andrew had hoped to carry on straight to Iceland from there but they got caught in a rain storm and had to turn around, therefore spending a night in Kulusuk.

From here they dodged the weather the next day cruising up the eastern coastline of Greenland before crossing over to Iceland.

They reached Reykjavik yesterday evening after a long and challenging sector.

The next target will be the UK today, but whether the weather (!!) will allow any flying is still uncertain! Keep fingers crossed for the team! Remember to check the live tracking (see previous post and link)

finally in Iceland, Reykjavik

In Greenland!!

Arrival in Nuuk - Greenland!

Late evening arrival in Nuuk, Greenland

Tim and Andrew have made very good progress over the last few days and have reached the capital of Greenland- Nuuk - last night.

Flying over 'Bear island' heading for Iqaluit, Nanavut, Northern Canada

Arrival just before the weather closes down in Iqaluit, Canada

 Leaving the shores of northern Canada last night they had to load a big heavy drum of Avgas into the Beech as the next destination was unable to provide refuelling facilities. Luckily, the drum could just about be squeezed through the door! But what a struggle!

Loading of the Avgas drum into the  Beech

The team is hoping to cross Greenland today.  Depending on the weather they might either cross straight over the Icecap which will mean flying very high due to high terrain or going around the southern coast which is a long detour but allows a stop over in Narsarsuaq.

We are wishing Tim and Andrew the very best and safe flying on today's challenge and will be following them on the live tracker: Beechferryflight

Sunder Bay in Ontario to Kuujjuaq - Betty is back in Canada

Progress! The Beech is back in Canada!

In a long two sector flight passing US/Canadian immigration the team has entered northern Canada last night. They will be preparing to cross this vast country heading towards the north-eastern coastline at Kuujjuaq - if you can find it on your map! 

From here the plan is to head across to Greenland.

You can follow Tim and Andrew's flight on the live tracking system when they are in the air:

beech18ferryflight

 Remember that there is at least a 5-6 hours time difference.

We are wishing Tim and Andrew and Betty all the best for their next very challenging sectors!

Betty on her way home!!

The Beech is on her long and tough journey back home to the UK!

We wish the pilots Andrew Holman-West and Tim Darrah all the best and hope for favourable weather!

The team has reached northern Montana last night and will be heading to the Hudson Bay area today. A long and strenuous sector. 

Watch this short video taken by Joss the engineer of her taking off from Carson City, Nevada US.

NEW article in the August edition of FLYER!

Apologies, it's been a while since I last updated this blog but life has been extremely hectic.

Whilst I have been ballooning and instructing in Mongolia, Phil has been working hard on organizing the return of Betty to the UK.

We now have two pilots lined up to fly her back across the Atlantic but as aviation matters tend to go, nothing is straight forward and there are new hurdles to overcome day by day.

So keep fingers crossed and if things go according to plan, G-BKGM might reach the shores of this country by the 12th of August!

In the meantime, head out to your next magazine shop and get a copy of the latest FLYER magazine  which features a long article on our recent  Central American expedition. I hope you enjoy the read!

If you would like to be in touch with us, please contact us via our website:

www.gonewiththewind.uk.com
or send me an email to:
balloonjourneys@alliedunnington.co.uk

Best greetings and enjoy this marvellous summer!

Allie (and of course Phil!)

Watch this NEW exciting film with all highlights from our two expeditions!

Watch this exciting NEW film with highlights from both expeditions!

Highlights of the Beech expeditions

We give special thanks to Claire Gaynor (music) and Sarah Metcalfe (edit) for offering their support to this 20mins production.

The Beech is currently hangared in Carson City, Nevada/USA and may be available for hire, sale or use in film projects.

Do get in touch with us via our website:

www.gonewiththewind.uk.com

or send us an email: balloonjourneys@alliedunnington.co.uk

+44 7776202731

phil@gonewiththewind.uk.com

+44 7785775624

A great new article in 'Aeroplane' by Richard Paver

Don't miss out on this fantastic edition of AEROPLANE!

It's now on sale now with the latest edition for May and to be found in most magazine shops.  You will find great stories of great aeroplanes - including our Beech 18 G-BKGM!

Here is the article kindly written and edited by photographer Richard Paver! Thank you very much Richard for this great piece!

PS: I know you won't be able to read the script off this blog but it's intentionally as magazines quite rightly need to first sell...

Farewell to Betty and a summary of flight distance and hours

Farewell to Betty and a summary of flight distance and hours

Anne and John Herbert kindly sent this screen shot of our total tour over the last 4 weeks and Flippie calculated our flying hours including the Trans-Atlantic:

Bristol - via Iceland and Greenland - Toronto = 32.2 hours = 4830 NMs

Toronto -Bahamas = 19 hours = 2850 NMs

Bahamas - via Cuba to Panama - Carson city, USA = 38 hours = 5700 NMs

Total flying time: 89.2 hours

Total distance covered: 13,380 hours

 As you can see, we have covered more the half around the world in the good old sturdy Beech!

She has truly performed ever so well and hardly used any oil.

It’s been sad to say good-bye to her.

Keys were handed over to Steve as he will look after her during the next two months.

With a delicious home-cooked breakfast by Marilee and Phyllis, we left for Reno to check into an airport hotel ready for an very early 4am start tomorrow.

Once more thanks to our two great pilots John Herbert and Flippie Vermeulen for flying us safely around those incredible countries and places....

.... and to all you wonderful new friends and people that we met along the route!

You have been so kind and wonderful and we hope to stay in touch!

The first flight in Cuba!

There will always be a Gin and Tonic at our place in Kensington Villas! Come and visit us!

Our last flight in Betty the Beech! Grand Canyon via Las Vegas and Death Valley to Carson city!

Our last flight in Betty the Beech

Grand Canyon via Las Vegas and Death Valley to Carson city!

With the threat of 40kt gusting 60kt and already many of the local sightseeing planes being grounded, we rush back to the airport. Flippie is in touch with his good friend Steve Hamilton in Carson city and the two aviators decide that it should be possible for us to safely get across to Nevada.

After take off it’s a final stunning flight across the massive Grand Canyon! It is sooo immense and breath-taking!

can you spot the bridge and dam?

After an hour we approach the Hoover dam at Lake Mead. It’s one of the biggest dams in the world and one of the oldest constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression.

flying straight over Las Vegas international airport in the Beech

ATC then advises a routing straight over Las Vegas International! 

Fabulous views of big jets coming into land right below us whilst others zoom across at high altitude.

It’s unbelievable how many golf courses there are! Seems like every house has one…

Then we head for the mountains and the terrain gets rough and winds challenging.

 There are some severe bumps and I need to hold onto my seat – and certainly strap myself firmly in. Our speed drops to even less what you see here, right down to 71 miles per hour!

We climb to a record altitude of 13,500ft! It’s cold, it’s shaky and I get to my limits again…

Heading further out towards the North-West we now approach the desert of Death Valley. The wind certainly is blowing as we are surrounded by massive sand storms. Luckily we are so high, they don’t reach us.

The turbulence continues and I am struggling to keep upright.

Phil points out Mono Lake. Now that is a story of the Dunningtons: It goes back to our honeymoon in 2004 when we drove from Denver, Colorado via Santa Fe, route 66 and Death Valley to San Francisco. We had a small hot air balloon in the back of our hired vehicle and I wasn’t a pilot yet.

After 40 degrees heat in Death Valley we drive up to Mono Lake which was a white winter wonderland. It is lunch time, sunny and flat calm. Phil decides it’s so beautiful he would risk a balloon flight.

The two of us set the balloon up and Phil flies off. Into unknown territory. And I am left with a car, but no maps, no radio and no phone signal. The balloon quickly disappears behind a volcanic mountain and I have no idea on how to find him. Trying to drive down a little side track, the car gets bogged into the deep snow. I have to run 2 miles to the balloon.

With winds now being too strong we have to deflate and what follows is a 3 hours carry out through deep snow! It is – it was nearly divorce!!!

Anyway, this time it was not. In fact my mind goes back to the incredible experiences we had and the many wonderful people that we met. Despite the ups and downs I would not want to miss a single day!

flying into a snow storm

We are by now surrounded by high mountains and flying through a snow storm. But the final destination is in sight: Carson city!

At shortly before 1pm we touch down. Betty screams as she always does when the ground is near. Is it joy – is it sadness? I am filled with emotions. I am so relieved to be safely down but I shall miss this good old bird! She has taken us safely over high mountains, vast oceans, dense jungle, through snow- and sand storms, poor visibility, freezing cold and heat.

the welcome committee!

She is 66, but she still goes strong and performed brilliantly!

Then Flippie turns the engines off as we park up in front of her new home for the next months. Steve and Marilee Hamilton – good friends of Flippie and Vlooi – and their friends Phyllis and Rick, greet us and help to push the Beech into the hangar.

Sadly it’s all a bit of a sudden rush and no time for a final sunny picture in front of Betty. So once we offload everything, it’s time for a farewell photo.

from left: Steve, Rick, Phyllis, Flippie, Marilee, Phil

Phil, Allie, Flippie

The rest of the afternoon is spent at Steve and Marilee’s wonderful house and down at THE ‘bar’!!! Steve’s passion are vintage cars and he has painstakingly restored all of them himself. It’s a walk through history followed by gin tonics, whisky and a delicious salmon dinner.

The 'boys' at the bar

Thank you so much for having us here!!!

Steve at the controls!

Well, that’s the story for now. I will feel relieved not having the pressure of writing and sorting hundreds of photos each day anymore, but I will also miss being ‘On the Beech’ very much!

Betty the Beech in her new home!

Let’s see what the future brings and please keep checking the blog as there will for sure be more on it. We still have to calculate the total flying hours, miles spent in the air, sort videos and photos and will keep you posted on what’s going to happen next.

And don’t forget if you would like to get in touch with Flippie and Vlooi Vermeulen – or even better – join one of their outstanding African flight safaris, see their website here: http://www.springbokclassicair.co.za/page.php?4

And if you are interested in anything ballooning or further interest in the Beech 18 G-BKGM then find us through our website here: www.gonewiththewind.uk.com

And let’s not forget John and Anne Herbert who help out with charity work in Africa and who flew us safely across the Atlantic: https://www.mercyair.org

Thank you so much for following us!

PS: we will be flying back up to Toronto via Dallas on the 19^th and then overnight to London. Back finally in Bristol on the 20^th.