Balloon boss Simon Forse

The world of aerospace moves fast. It uses the highest of high technology to propel people at dizzying velocities. But the roots of aerospace are slower and come from the tranquil, almost sedate drift of a hot-air balloon.

However, even here, technology moves on. Back in 1783, the Montgolfier Brothers’ waxed-paper construction was held aloft by burning straw; today’s balloons are made from technical fabrics and inflated with propane. And the role of the engineer is as crucial here as anywhere else in the aviation industry.

Simon Forse, chief engineer and managing director of Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons, said: ‘We’re one of the very few aircraft manufacturers left in this country to hold full manufacture and design approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency. We design and build standard balloons and special shapes for promotional purposes, and those are essentially one-off aircraft with all the type approval and data that entails.’