Midlands Air Festival Special Shape Hot Air Balloons

Special Shapes at Midlands Air Festival 2018-2021

Held in May, the Midlands Air Festival began in 2018 at Ragley Hall in Alcester and in 2019 took place at Arbury Hall in Nuneaton. These huge special shapes are the main attraction along with the air display.

The public first heard about this event in early 2018 when Yoda, Angry Bird and Iwi the Kiwi were announced as attending. It was big news for UK hot air ballooning - these were very well-known special shapes but nobody thought they would ever see them on UK shores. Action Man, Babybel, the Piper, Michelin Man, both Bertie Bassetts, the Superbike and plenty more followed making it an absolutely staggering line up. Perfect weather greeted us at Ragley Hall all the way until Sunday night allowing 5/5 launches and one of the best ballooning weekends ever. Seeing the Superbike take to the skies for the first time was very special and also seeing Berties, smoking upon inflation after years in storage.

The number of balloons increased in 2019 at new venue Arbury Hall and although the weather wasn’t as perfect, light winds allowed for 46 special shapes to come out the bag. Taking centre stage were all 4 Budwesier cans from the 1990s, the BBM&L’s IKEA and Lloyds TSB, Ordnance Survey, Peg Leg Pete the Parrot and everyone’s favourite Rupert Bear, plus a huge range of others old and new.

After the 2020 event was forced to be cancelled due to the pandemic, 12 months later organisers welcomed balloon teams from all around the UK for the first large balloon gathering for two years. Sadly overseas teams couldn't attend, but 29 British special shapes were flown and inflated in some great weather over the weekend; highlights being both Hyla and Zaba frogs flying simultaneously, FT newspaper tether and shapes in the centre of the night glow.

Discover all the special shapes to attend below. Which one is your favourite? There’s a lot to choose from!

Ragley Hall, 2021

View all special shapes that attended the Midlands Air Festival in 2021 below. All photos copyright MJ Ballooning.

Freddie the Fox
G-SLYY
2019
Ultramagic Balloons
Jeff Lawton

Buddy
G-WLVE
2006
Cameron Balloons

Adelaide the Koala
G-DAAY
2018
Ultramagic Balloons
Exclusive Ballooning

Mr Wonderfuel
G-BLKU
1984
Colt Balloons
BBM&L

UP
G-UPOI
2009
Cameron Balloons
Cameron Balloons

Simbaloo the Lion
G-LEAT
2016
Ultramagic Balloons
Exclusive Ballooning

Busby
G-POMP
2017
Cameron Balloons

Maxwell House
G-BVBK
1993
Thunder & Colt
Jamie Edwards

Guinea Pig
G-GPIG
2019
Lindstrand Technologies
Craig Thompson

Creme Egg
G-OEGG
1989
Cameron Balloons
Daniel Wade

Hyla the Frog
G-HYLA
2016
Kubicek Balloons
John Viner

Master Zaba
G-ZABA
2020
Kubicek Balloons
John Viner

Light Bulb
G-LAMP
2000
Cameron Balloons
Paul Wade, Ian Grove, Sam Grove

Dyno
G-DYNO
2021
Cameron Balloons
Chris Monk

Barrel
G-PINT
1982
Cameron Balloons
BBM&L

Wes the Wolf
G-WESS
2017
Lindstrand Technologies
Ashley Moore

Dolly the Sheep
G-OEWE
2020
Cameron Balloons
Neil Edmunds

Tall Steve
G-WINZ
2017
Lindstrand Technologies
Exclusive Ballooning

Satzenbrau Bottle
G-BIRE
1981
Colt Balloons
Bristol Balloon Collectors

Black Knight
G-BNMI
1986
Thunder & Colt
Mobberley Balloon Collection

Old Parr
G-PARR
1991
Thunder & Colt
BBM&L

Agfa
G-OHDC
1994
Thunder & Colt

Agfa
G-PHOT
1998
Thunder & Colt
BBM&L

Roger the Panther
G-PAWW
2018
Ultramagic Balloons
Steve Thomas

Rocket
G-EDAM
2020
Ultramagic Balloons
Exclusive Ballooning

Saucepan
G-BHRK
1980
Colt Balloons
Damian Busby

FT Newspaper
G-ETFT
1990
Thunder & Colt

Auto Bild
D-OBWG
Cameron Balloons
Bristol Balloon Collectors

Buster the Dog
G-OPAW
2018
Cameron Balloons

Arbury Hall, 2019

View all special shapes that attended the Midlands Air Festival in 2019 below. All photos copyright MJ Ballooning.

Horse
OO-BQH
1993
Cameron Balloons
Old Balloon Collectors

Maxwell House Coffee Jar
G-BVBJ
1993
Thunder and Colt
BBM&L

Polaroid Joycam Lips
G-LIPS
2000
Cameron Balloons
Private

Barclays House
G-BWZP
1997
Cameron Balloons
Andrew Kaye

Creme Egg
G-OEGG
1989
Cameron Balloons
Mobberley Balloon Collection

Hyla the Frog
G-HYLA
2016
Kubicek Balloons
John Viner

Ricoh Cube
G-RCOH
2012
Cameron Balloons
Exclusive Ballooning

Stairs
PH-MAD
2008
Cameron Balloons
Mees van Dijk

Iwi the Kiwi
N-1888K
2011
Cameron Balloons
Rick Walczak

Policeman
HB-BZZ
1994
Raven
Old Balloon Collectors

Saucepan
G-BHRK
1980
Colt Balloons
Damian Busby

Pigs
G-BWBV & G-BXVW
1995 & 1998
Thunder and Colt & Cameron Balloons
Old Balloon Collectors

Budweiser Can
G-BXHN
1997
Lindstrand Balloons
Private

Budweiser Can
G-BVIO
1994
Thunder & Colt
Private

Budweiser Can
G-BUET
1992
Thunder & Colt
Private

Budweiser Can
G-BPFJ
1988
Cameron Balloons
Private

Lorry
G-DERV
1988
Cameron Balloons
Jeffrey Percival

Satzenbrau Bottle
G-BIRE
1981
Colt Balloons
Paul Coman

Roger the Panther
G-PAWW
2018
Ultramagic Balloons
Steve Thomas

Orange
G-CDXW
1993
Cameron Balloons
Andrew Kaye

Rupert Bear
G-BTML
1991
Cameron Balloons
Steve Kinsey

Coca Cola Bottle
G-BYIX
1999
Cameron Balloons
Achim Schneider

Cat
D-OCAT
Unknown
Schroeder Fire Balloons
Klaus Weisgerber

Otti the Ottifant
G-OTTI
1995
Cameron Balloons
Paul Spellward

Owl
G-OWLL
2016
Ultramagic Balloons
Jeff Lawton

Samsung Monitor
G-SEUK
1996
Cameron Balloons
Mobberley Balloon Collection

IKEA
G-IKEA
2004
Cameron Balloons
BBM&L

Wes the Wolf
G-WESS
2017
Lindstrand Technologies
Ashley Moore

Adelaide the Koala
G-DAAY
2018
Ultramagic Balloons
Exclusive Ballooning

Simbaloo the Lion
G-LEAT
2016
Ultramagic Balloons
Exclusive Ballooning

Emoji
G-MOJI
2018
Lindstrand Technologies
Lee Hooper

Slick the Dragon
G-PNAD
2010
Lindstrand Balloons
Nick, Phil, Allie Dunnington

Dragon Fish
G-BMUJ
1986
Thunder & Colt
Mobberley Balloon Collection

UFO
G-BMUK
1986
Thunder & Colt
Mobberley Balloon Collection

Black Knight
G-BNMI
1986
Thunder & Colt
Mobberley Balloon Collection

Children's Moon
G-BMUL
1986
Thunder & Colt
Mobberley Balloon Collection

G-RNIE
1990
Cameron Balloons
Nicholas Bland

Fox
OE-ZOX
2002
Kubicek Balloons
Rudi Hoefer

Panasonic Battery
G-OKCP
1999
Lindstrand Balloons
Private

Superbike
PH-GJV
2010
Lindstrand Balloons
Herman Kleinsmit

Peg Leg Pete the Pirate Parrot
N-805PP
2012
RVB Balloons

Buster the Dog
G-OPAW
2018
Cameron Balloons

Snow White
G-BVDF
1993
Cameron Balloons
Karl Gruenauer, Andrew Kaye

Elephant
G-BMKX
1986
Cameron Balloons
Mobberley Balloon Collection

Elephant
G-BPRC
1989
Cameron Balloons
Achim Schneider

UP
G-UPOI
2009
Cameron Balloons
Cameron Balloons

Aston martin
G-OAML
1997
Cameron Balloons
Andrew Kaye

Mr Gas
G-BGOO
1979
Colt Balloons
BBM&L

Furness House
G-BSIO
1990
Cameron Balloons
Balloon Retirement Home

G-SATL
1992
Cameron Balloons
Mark Stelling

G-SATI
1989
Cameron Balloons
Mark Stelling

Swatch Watch
G-BMJJ
1985
Cameron Balloons
Damian Busby

Guinness Can
G-PURE
1989
Cameron Balloons
Mobberley Balloon Collection

Mr Wonderfuel
G-BLKU
1984
Colt Balloons
BBM&L

Lloyds TSB
G-LTSB
1998
Cameron Balloons
BBM&L

Ronald McDonald
G-CKWH
1997
Cameron Balloons
David Bovington, Lorraine Bingley

Ordnance Survey
G-MAPS
1998
Sky Balloons
Private

Ragley Hall, 2018

View all special shapes that attended the Midlands Air Festival in 2018 below. G-CGIS and G-PNEU copyright Ballooning Pictures UK. All other photos copyright MJ Ballooning.