Affiliated Organisations

The BBAC has many affiliated organisations; these are either regional or interest-based.

Once you become a member, we advise you locate and join your nearest regional club, as this will allow you to meet up with other pilots and attend any social events they hold.

Interest-based clubs:

  • British Balloon Museum and Library
    • The British Balloon Museum and Library is the official museum of the British Balloon and Airship Club and was formed in 1979 by a small group of balloonists. The purpose was to preserve the many different items associated with, and used in hot air and gas ballooning. The museum is run entirely by volunteers, not all balloonists, and is funded by three main ways, private and corporate donations and annual subscription to the “Friends”.
  • Competitions Club
    • The Comps Club is open to all balloonists, both pilots and non-pilots, who would like to get involved in competition ballooning. We aim to cover a range of competitive levels, from light-hearted up to world-class.
  • Commercial Ballooning Association
    • The CBA (formally BABO) is a trade organisation representing Commercial Operators and Pilots, and Display Operators in the UK, and provides information via the web site, emails and a WhatsApp group.

Regional clubs:

  • 3-4-40 Region
    • The 3-4-40 Region is named after the three motorways that pass through it. It covers Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, the eastern part of Salisbury Plain and much of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. With regular fly outs throughout the season as well as social meetings throughout the year. We have a Facebook Group and our newsletter Flying Wires is published on a regular basis.
  • Black Horse Region
    • Based at the Black Horse pub in Great Missendon, it has around 50 members and holds a social evening on the third Thursday if the month at the Black Horse. Its newsletter is called Quick Release and it distributed monthly to all members.
  • Chiltern Region
    • Northants, Bedfordshire and North Bucks. We meet on the last Tuesday of the month at the Green Man, Lavendon, other than flying evenings in the summer. Membership runs from the 1st April annually.
  • East Midlands Balloon Group
    • East Midlands Balloon Group (EMBG) was founded in 1988 to co-ordinate the activities of balloons flying in the East Midlands area, to which we still have many of the original members in our club today. The region covers – Leicestershire , Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Rutland. Our members are pilots, crew and enthusiasts, not just from our region but from all over the UK.
  • Eastern Region
    • Eastern Region covers Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, with regular meets bring held at Stonham Barns complex in Suffolk, as well as around the region. Members are sent regular email updates, and details can also be found on the website.
  • London Region
    • The London Region Club meets in the Alan Baxter Shared Workspace, 75 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EL. Details of meetings and speakers, along with interesting stories, are published monthly in our online newsletter Hot Gossip.
  • Mid Hants Balloon Club
    • The club was formed in 1990 with the aim of uniting the balloonists in Hampshire and the surrounding area. This club covers Hampshire, Southern Berkshire and West Surrey.
  • North West Region BBAC
    • The NWBC meets on the first Sunday morning and the third Tuesday evening of the month. Sunday venues are held around the region, winter Tuesdays at the Canberra Club, Lancashire. See the website for flying arrangements and other information, including rallies.
  • Oswestry Balloon Club
    • OBC has risen from the ashes and reformed in 2017. They meet on the second Thursday of the month at Mile End Golf Club. Event information can be found on their Facebook page and website.
  • Pennine Region Balloon Association
    • The PRBA, founded in 1978, covers the area east of the Pennines from Northumberland to North Lincolnshire. It is a thriving club of around 100 members, with monthly meets between the end of January and beginning of December. Details of meets, social events, etc can be found on their website or Facebook page.
  • Surrey and Sussex Balloon Group
    • SSBG members meet, often with a guest speaker, sometime during 3rd week of winter months at various pubs/locations around the region. For information on next meeting email Ian Wadey.
  • Western Region BBAC
    • Western Region caters mainly for balloonists in the Bristol and Bath area, but has members from Cornwall to South Wales and Gloucestershire. Monthly meetings are arranged in the Bristol and Bath area, indoors from October to April and as flying events from May to September. There is a bi-monthly newsletter called Hotline.
  • West Midlands Balloon Club
    • West Midlands region has around 70 members who together for local meets and organise a social calendar. Meetings are publicised in the bi-monthly newsletter, Basket Cases. Monthly meetings are held during the winter months, whilst group flying and social events are organised from time to time during the summer.