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