Balloon Museum

We at the #BritishBalloonMuseumandLibrary are thrilled to have received a grant from @HeritageFundUK to fund the archiving work and new website. It's #ThanksToYou the #NationalLottery players who made it all possible 🫰🙂

#DidYouKnow the 1st #femalepilot to participate in the Gordon Bennett Cup (world's oldest gas balloon race) was on this day in 1983? Dutch balloonist Nini Boesman placed 8th inspiring other woman to participate in races. 📷 1983 Gordon Bennett balloon race, Paris #YearOfTheWoman

Our new website is now live made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is very much work in progress as the trustees continue to photograph and catalogue the very many items in the collection. Enjoy our online museum and library . bbml.org.uk

'Look Up ! The story of hot air ballooning in Bristol.' Big new exhibition opens tomorrow until 1st September. at Aerospace Bristol. The BBM&L have helped with some of the exhibits. Tickets ... VisitBristol.co.uk

Today we celebrate national Ice Cream Day - always the third Sunday in July - and of course there are several special shape Ice Cream cone balloons around the world. The balloon we have in the BBM&L collection is G-ICES , an AX6-56 made by Thunder Balloons Ltd. in 1980.

One of the balloons in the BBM&L's collection is G-AXVU, an Omega 84 'Henry VIII' which on 14 July 1972 Julian Nott flew to 35,971 feet thus setting a new world altitude record. bbml.org.uk/?s=g-axvu #ballooning #lighterthanair #hotairballooning #juliannott #altituderecord

🎈Look out for Team Cameron & our classic demo balloons at these summer events! : 🔥 Dole, France with our Cameron Balloons France team (this weekend) 🔥 @SagrantinoCup (July 26th - Aug 4th) 🔥 @bristolballoon (Aug 9th - 11th) 🔥 Longleat Icons of the Sky (Sept 13th - 15th)

The BBM&L had a successful weekend at The Midlands Air Festival, taking our stall to introduce ballooning to the wider public. Thank you to everyone who came to see us, we appreciate your support, it was great to chat to you. Glorious weather and flying :-) #ballooning

On the 4 June 1783 the Montgolfier Brothers demonstrated their first hot air balloon inflation to a group of noblemen in Annonay , France. This event is re-enacted annually at a wonderful event in the region as you can see from the (Pictures courtesy Jean-Pierre Girard)

It's National Volunteers Week and we'd like to say thank you to our volunteers, helping to make our online museum possible. You wonderful people are helping us to preserve ballooning history for future generations. Thank you! ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️ #volunteers #ballooning

We're, up and running and looking forward to seeing you at the Midlands Air Festivel this weekend. #hotairballoons #aviation midlandsairfestival.com

Midlands Air Festival - 31st May - 2nd June 2024 Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire. B49 5NJ Once again, we are taking our stand to the Midlands Air Festival & G-MUSM will be ‘flying the flag’ for the BBM&L. Tickets >> midlandsairfestival.com See you there!

Happy International Museum Day! Today we celebrate museums all over the world in person establishments and those online. We'll soon be launching our new website highlighting our collection and more! With thanks again to @HeritageFundUK. #museums #InternationalMuseumDay #IMD2024

Happy Day of Light Day 2024. We would like to celebrate this special day by sharing a photo of an early special shape balloon, the Osram Lightbulb. G-BEWS. Cameron 56. First flight June 1977. #Unesco #lightday2024 #hotairballooning @gasballoon

We thought you might enjoy this photo taken by Robin Batchelor last weekend at the Pidley BBM&L Inflation Day...📷 #ballooning #hotairballoon #lighterthanair #dontforgetthematches #modelballoon

G-BIBZ known as Captain Pugwash, a Thunder AX3 -21 first flown in the Masai Mara in Kenya 8.1.81. Originally owned by Thunder Balloons and then taken over by balloonist Frank Barnes. #hotairballoons #heritage #aviation #BBMLInflationDay2024 @HeritageFundUK

And so it begins. So exciting seeing these wonderful old balloons again. The old CO- Day Cameron Balloon now carrying the @balloon_museum banner. #BBMLInflationDay2024 #hotairballoons @cameronballoons @robbailey @HeritageFundUK

We are delighted to say the 17th @balloon_museum Inflation Day is underway. Pilots are getting ready, laying out their balloons. #hotairballoons #lotteryfunding #balloonmuseum #pidley #huntingdon

We've been busy preparing for our 17th Inflation Day. Lot's of lovely balloons from our collection ready to show themselves off tomorrow. #hotairballooning #aviation #adventure @HeritageFundUK @gasballoon @itvanglia @cameronballoons

Alicia Hempleman-Adams, made a solo flight to break world records in the BX-03 hot-air airship class for altitude, distance and duration. She reached an altitude of 4,100ft (1250m), and travelling a distance of 20.5 km in just one hour and seven minutes. ( Photo PA MEDIA)