1. The BBAC
Competitions Club
2. What is
Competition
Ballooning?
3. The Theory
4. The Tasks
5. The People

About Us

1. The BBAC Competitions Club

The Competitions Club exists as part of the UK’s governing body for ballooning, the British Balloon & Airship Club (BBAC), and our primary purpose is to organise and run competition events in the UK in order to find the best pilots to represent the country in World and European class championships.

Annually, the Competitions Club organises three weekend Grand Prix competitions held at different locations across the UK and a week-long British National Hot Air Balloon Championship.  The national ranking, produced by the Club based on the results from the Grand Prix events and the Nationals, is used to determine the British team at World and European championships.  The World championships are held every two years with the European championships taking place on the alternate years.

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2. What is competition ballooning?

The basic principle behind balloon competitions is flying with accuracy; using the wind at different heights to steer balloons to within centimetres of a goal.  It is also about ‘reinforcing friendship amongst aeronauts of all nations’, having fun, gaining achievement awards and improving flying skills.

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3. The theory

A skilled competition pilot uses the winds at different heights to steer to a goal or achieve a task with reasonable accuracy.  At different heights, the wind can be blowing at different speeds and in different directions and pilots use this to steer their balloon to where they want to go.  

A competition flight will consist of a number of tasks which tend to require pilots to demonstrate the[ir] ability to fly accurately.  Pilots are scored, in most instances, by attempting to drop a marker (weighted streamers made from balloon fabric) close to a goal or target.  Each task is scored separately and points awarded with the overall winner of the Grand Prix event or National Championship being the pilot who has amassed the most points at that event.  Each competition follows a set of rules published by the International Ballooning Commission.

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4. The Tasks

Flights might comprise of a mixture of the following tasks (this list is not comprehensive):

  1. Hare & Hounds: Competitors follow a hare balloon and attempt to drop a marker close to a target displayed upwind of the basket after landing.
  2. Elbow: Competitors attempt to achieve the greatest change of direction in flight.
  3. Land Run: Competitors attempt to achieve the greatest area of a triangle using three markers.
  4. Pilot Declared Goal: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to a goal selected and declared by them before flight.
  5. Judge Declared Goal: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to a goal set by the Competition Director.
  6. Hesitation Waltz: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to one of several goals set by the Competition Director.
  7. Fly In: Competitors find their own launch areas and attempt to drop a marker close to a set goal or target.
  8. Fly On: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to a goal selected and declared by them during flight.
  9. Minimum Distance: Competitors attempt to drop a marker close to the launch point after flying for a minimum set time.
  10. Maximum Distance Double Drop: Competitors attempt to drop two markers far apart in the scoring area(s).
  11. Gordon Bennett Memorial: A target is identified for this task which is outside of a scoring area. The pilot has to drop the marker as near as possible to the goal but inside the scoring area. Markers dropping outside the scoring area, even if closest to the target, do not score.

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5. The People

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in competition ballooning, whether you are a pilot or not:

  1. Hot air balloon pilots from both the UK and abroad are always welcome to attend and help is provided for pilots who haven’t competed previously (ask us about the incentives available for domestic pilots).
  2. Each pilot is required to provide an observer for each event.  Observers go out with different teams and bring back independent evidence of that pilot’s score.  The skills required are map reading, reasonable fitness and a friendly approach.
  3. Each pilot also needs crew to enable them to compete effectively.  Crews tend to play a vital role in setting the balloon up, transporting the observers to goals and targets, providing the pilot with wind readings and offering moral support to the pilot when it all goes wrong. 
  4. A small group of hard working officials organise the events and operate each competition.  A good knowledge of ballooning and competitions is necessary but there are occasionally opportunities for others to become directly involved.  Skills are organisation and a willingness to do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of the competition.
  5. The Competition Director is in charge of the event, sets the tasks and oversees the scoring.

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