Bristol Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 1998

[@youtube-arjan]

Thanks for sharing!! Was there too in 1998. Then Time wasn’t as digital as today so never expected to find it on KZbin. Thanks again!

[@allroundgoodguy853]

Lovely video and selection of incredible shaped balloons,action man is definitely one of my favourites 👍

[@Melvorgazh]

Some of them really look massive! Huge, like for 15 passengers +-

[@oliverwarren5110]

Brilliant video Rob 1998 probably the fiesta best ever year for shapes and the weather they had. I remember my mum and dad taking me to it that year might of even have been the same launch! Would love to see any other old fiesta videos you’ve got

[@REP-Ballooning]

Oliver Warren unfortunately this was the only year we went with a camcorder, we returned in 2004 when Ikea were the title sponsor. Flying Pictures had disappeared, Exclusive Ballooning had just started to gain momentum and VABC was the main supplier of special shapes. It was not a patch on 1998, that’s partially thanks to Foot&Mouth outbreak the previous year.

[@WarhammerWings]

We need these fiestas back! The sheer lack of flyable complex special shapes is disgraceful to me.

[@REP-Ballooning]

The Republic of Ustio. I totally agree with you! Problem is there’s no need to fight to be the best now not like here in 1998! Flying Pictures and Virgin Balloon and Airship Company we’re in a fierce competition to outdo the other! VABC is still in existence and they fly Stuart the minion!

[@marcusstanleyart9589]

This brings back great memories! I guess the lack of special shapes these days is due to health and safety!. Thanks for sharing this video

[@REP-Ballooning]

Marcus Stanley Art you’re welcome!! I believe that’s partly the reason but there are others like the foot and mouth outbreak in 2003, that decimated Flying Pictures to the point where they abandoned anything ballooning. The other factor is social media big businesses no longer had to pay £100-200,000 for a special shape balloon they just advertised on the internet sometimes for free or a set fee.

[@marcusstanleyart9589]

That’s very sad to hear, but I intend to visit Bristol balloon fiesta next year to get that feel of the good old days again. I had favourites such as Sonic the hedgehog, Rupert bear, Pete pilon, Cadbury bunny balloon and so on. Thanks for replying, very kind.

[@REP-Ballooning]

Marcus Stanley Art I’ve missed being at the fiesta greatly this year, did get to fly with a friend near the launchfield 3 weeks ago though so close as I could get to the fiesta.

[@marcusstanleyart9589]

That sounded great. Fingers crossed for next year.

[@bloonsfamguy]

Amazing

[@jonathankennedy]

😃 THOMAS!

[@blowtorchguyseries7493]

That’s the biggest Thomas the tank engine I’ve ever seen

[@michaelbonner4126]

Thomas the tank engine has been flying as a hot air balloon since 1998

[@ColeyZilla]

Whos here just for thomas the tank engine

[@deanslade9386]

When the fiesta was good!

[@REP-Ballooning]

Dean Slade partially down to Foot&Mouth and social media, there’s no need to compete for the biggest and best shape balloons :(

[@Melvorgazh]

They seem a bit too close to each other. Ain’t that dangerous? And I am also looking for tiny carabiners for me tissue paper balloon I am making. It’s about 4 cubic meters and I need something to attach the envelope to the basket. Cheers! 😽 Greetings from Belgium

[@nathancartoonplushstudios2728]

Thomas looks thick!

[@Melvorgazh]

Hence the expression: The Bristols aka boobs, right?

[@cuongton6444]

babybel

[@cuongton6444]

layword bank

[@cuongton6444]

unipart

[@sandrabunker5489]

You’re all over the place, RARELY focusing on any one balloon. So many of them you didn’t even capture. Thank you for the effort, but highly disappointed!!!

[@MrDannyDetail]

I'm sure when the uploader's dad was pointing his camcorder at these balloons a quarter of a century ago he didn't anticipate that his camera skills would being critiqued by a stranger on the internet a quarter of a century later...

[@Melvorgazh]

ps: @GeeBeeQueM Thanks a lot for sharing! :)

[@mjballooning]

Great video!

[@REP-Ballooning]

Thanks MJ :) do feel free to share on your blog anytime!

[@mjballooning]

@@REP-Ballooning Have to say it again, what an incredible watch; all those shapes in gusty conditions flying right over the city! Got to be the best BIBF video on YT and the best fiesta ever, 1998.

[@MrDannyDetail]

42:55 Probably the most bizarre thing to choose to comment on from the whole video, but that 'ten tips for food safety' van must have been handing out freebies as my parents still have the fridge magnets that match the font and graphic design of that van. Pretty sure my parents, sister and I went to this fiesta in 1998, and I'm even wondering if we were at the same launch, as from memory we were somewhere near Bertie and at one point he lurched alarmingly over to one side over the crowd, which it looks like would have been possible at this launch.

[@MrDannyDetail]

I've since been able to check my dad's original accounts books from the 90s and we were there on 8th August 1998. not 7th, so if you went back on the 8th and have any footage of that then my family and I could potentially show up in it. We were also there on one of the days in 1996 (dad annoyingly didn't note which date in his accounts book but it was the last entry for that week so Saturday or Sunday most probably) and on 8th August 1999.

[@terrytibbs6029]

Funny how it makes you fill sad 😢