EP #21 - Tim Wilkinson - Experimental Balloonist

Aunty Monkey - The Balloon Podcast

Tim is the lead protagonist in the birth of the modern Annex 2 ballooning scene in the UK, more commonly known as experimental ballooning to the rest of the World. Tim is a force of nature when it comes to his passion for life and encouraging and training other people to get involved in building their own balloons.

Tim comes from a family of fixed wing pilots with his grandfather and father being pilots, his 4 daughters are also now pilots. Aviation runs in Tims veins but his primary career has been in agriculture, specifically targeted at pregnancy scanning in animals. At 40 Tim decided it was time to make a shift in career and set about becoming a commercial airline pilot and did this for the next 18 years.

Tim's family owns Sackville airfield in the UK and has dedicated himself to saving the local gliding club. Sackville also forms the base for his balloon building exploits and also hosts one of the biggest ballooning events in the UK. He has been the Chief Flying Instructor for the gliding club and is a true enthusiast in all senses of the word.