Poor weather hits flights at Wisborough Green balloon festival

High winds caused the cancellation of a large number of flights at a Wisborough Green hot air balloon festival at the weekend.
Wisborough Green Balloon Festival SUS-190309-123856001Wisborough Green Balloon Festival SUS-190309-123856001
Wisborough Green Balloon Festival SUS-190309-123856001

A total of 40 flights were scheduled to take place in the 28th annual festival but poor weather conditions meant that three quarters of the flights were cancelled.

“It was very disappointing,” said Sada Ray, one of the event’s organisers. “After last year’s great success we decided to make it a two-day festival but the weather just wasn’t with us this year.”

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The festival was raising money for Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice and a fundraising campaign has now been launched to help boost the charity’s funds.

Wisborough Green Hot Air Balloon Festival 2019 SUS-190309-123835001Wisborough Green Hot Air Balloon Festival 2019 SUS-190309-123835001
Wisborough Green Hot Air Balloon Festival 2019 SUS-190309-123835001

Heidi Lang has organised the fundraiser and said: “We are hoping that people will find it in their hearts to donate some money to this worthy cause in recognition of the efforts that have been made to organise this event, all organised and staffed by volunteers, with all of the pilots giving their time free of charge.

“The festival is the brainchild of Wisborough Green residents, Brian and Cecilia Smith, central figures in the hot air ballooning community for over 40 years.”

She said they had raised more than £100,000 for charity since its inception in 1981.

See https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wisboroughgreenhotairballoonfestival?fbclid=IwAR1qXAsJ9S1JO5BPg8pfGU_qIZv8f4JiW3Vx1oxsZjxhO8SHOC_bH4HEAac