Jenny honoured for services to ballooning
image Liz Islse photography RAeC Awards
Amble resident and balloon aviator Jenni d’Alton has been presented with her third award this year!
Her most recent award was presented by Air Vice-Marshall Mark Flewin at Brooklands Museum in May on behalf of the Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom. (See photo above).
Jenni has been involved in hot air ballooning ever since she was introduced to the sport by her mother as a 21st birthday present.
“Hot air ballooning has been a large slice of my life for over half a century, and the bonus was marrying a brilliant hot-air balloon pilot, Richard”, she told The Ambler.
Her love of the sport led her to hold various roles within the British Balloon & Airship Club.
She and Richard took their balloon (and three children) all over the world flying for fun and adventures.
“I designed my first hot air balloon; later I got my husband into the sport. We flew a lot in France, we’ve flown over deserts, even over Chile.”
The British Balloon Museum and Library (BBM&L) was formed in 1979 with the purpose of trying to preserve as many items associated with the history of hot air and gas ballooning, and other forms of lighter than-air flight as possible.
Richard d’Alton has been the Chairman for the last 12 years. Jenni has been a Trustee of the BBM&L for over 40 years and edited its quarterly journal (Trailrope) since 1992. She is also their public relations and press officer.
In addition to all of this she organises the annual luncheons which are always excellent and well supported. In 2023, after a lot of hard work, the BBM&L committee (of which Jenni is a leading light) were successful in its application for a National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant to develop a website to create an online ballooning museum: bbml.org.uk
So far, Jenni has recorded 32 brilliant tales from record breakers, competition pilots, commercial pilots and balloon company owners.
For her many years in the background of ballooning, the BBAC nominated Jenni for a Royal Aero Club Certificate of Merit.
“I was staggered to get this award, and amazed that it was one of three in one year!”
The other two awards she received were, the Debbie Warley Trophy, and also a Diploma of Merit from the BBAC.
