speaker profile
Rob Bayly
BBC Producer and Balloon Pilot
Rob Bayly is a very experienced cruise ship speaker since his BBC retirement in 2012, enthusing others on his passions of broadcasting and ballooning. Rob regularly attracts repeat full houses for his entertaining and informative talks.
Rob has flown balloons in every continent and at the world’s largest and most colourful balloon meetings. Among his record-breaking flights he has flown the Atlantic by balloon. In parallel Rob was a member of BBC staff for 33 years, starting as a TV producer on ‘Tomorrow’s World’ and finishing his career on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ – so traveling from the future to the past!
Rob grew up near Liverpool in the 1960s inspired by the Merseybeat bands and music of pirate ships such as Radio Caroline. In the 70’s he joined BBC Radio as a Studio Manager, engineering programmes on BBC World Service and Radio 1. Moving to BBC TV, Rob was a producer for BBC Science including ‘Tomorrow’s World’, ‘QED’ and ‘Horizon’. Rob went on to produce and direct the dramatic reconstruction series ‘999’ and other factual programmes including Bargain Hunt, and finally as outside broadcast director on Antiques Roadshow with Fiona Bruce.
Rob gained his hot air balloon pilot’s license in 1987, and five years later he flew the Atlantic as co-pilot of the British entry in the only Transatlantic balloon race. Rob has flown the English Channel three times and has three times been winner of the Great British Long Jump distance competition. Extreme flights include the Norwegian Arctic, Austrian Alps, Sri Lankan jungle and New Mexico desert. Rob holds a number of records and has flown in countries including Russia, USA, Australia, Malaysia and UAE Dubai.
In retirement Rob enjoys voluntary work on local radio in Bristol and Bath, training new young broadcasters and presenting his own music radio shows. Rob also volunteers as a guide in Bristol’s ‘M Shed’ Industrial Heritage museum.
BALLOONING TALKS:
THE TRANSATLANTIC BALLOON RACE
In 1992 the British balloon in this unique international contest was co-piloted by Rob Bayly. His personal story shares video of life on board and actual race communication to capture the emotional highs and lows. Five had died in previous Atlantic attempts and now five teams were racing each other to dry land. Not all would make it…
BALLOONING FOR FUN
The colourful and exciting sport of hot air ballooning. Rob Bayly has been a pilot for 30 years flying at the world’s biggest balloon meetings. Experience an impressive ‘night glow’ and admire ‘special shapes’ like the flying dinosaur! Rob explains how balloons fly and surprisingly how they can steer. Vividly illustrated including stunning time-lapse video photography.
BALLOONATICS!!
Extreme international adventures in ballooning including ‘armchair’ flying under a cluster of toy balloons, a floating orchestra and even underground cave ballooning. Pilot Rob Bayly shares uplifting stories of his own stunts from 30 years ballooning illustrated with gripping video such as daring tightrope walking between balloons. Rob also reveals what happens if things go wrong…
CROSS LONDON BY BALLOON
Take a stunning flight over the Capital’s magnificent landmarks. Pilot Rob Bayly has over-flown London in all five special permission mass balloon ascents and he takes you with him sightseeing while dodging low flying jets. Magnificent aerial photography and time-lapse video convey the appeal of flying amongst the high-rise towers, with nowhere to land.
BROADCASTING/BBC TALKS:
INSIDE ‘ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’ & BBC TV
From the past in ‘Antiques Roadshow’ to the future in ‘Tomorrow’s World’, Rob Bayly was a producer on many of BBC’s most popular factual TV programmes. Rob shares many ‘behind the scenes’ stories not least working with the Roadshow team of antiques specialists and presenter Fiona Bruce. Plus the funniest TV ‘out-takes’ when things don’t go perfectly.
INSIDE BBC ‘ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’
Go ‘behind the scenes’ on the world’s best loved antiques show, still immensely popular after 40 years. Rob Bayly, retired producer and director on Antiques Roadshow, shares its trade secrets plus stories working with presenters Fiona Bruce and Michael Aspel. Hear the private ‘talkback’ to the BBC crew, meet the specialists and witness the highest ever valuation.
BEHIND THE SCENES of BBC TV DRAMA
Before the slick productions of today’s TV drama, everything was performed live from a studio. Specially shot interviews with actors such as Brian Blessed of ‘Z-Cars’ explain the challenges. Rob Bayly was a TV drama director on the high-rating BBC ‘999’ rescue reconstruction series. He reveals unlikely tricks of the trade used to tell those life and death stories. Plus go on location with Dr. Who!
BEHIND THE BBC SCENES
From ‘Tomorrow’s World’ to ‘Antiques Roadshow’, Rob Bayly was a producer on many of BBC’s most popular factual TV programmes. Rob shares memories of the Roadshow team of antiques specialists and presenter Fiona Bruce. Plus trade secrets of dramatic ‘999’ rescues, on location with Dr. Who, news ‘Autocue’, ‘Green Screen’ special effects, and the funniest ‘out-takes’ caught on camera.
RADIO CAROLINE & THE 1960s POP PIRATES
Dozens of offshore pop music stations ruled the radio waves and ‘rocked the boat’ of the 1960’s government. Rob Bayly has broadcast on Radio Caroline and still regularly DJs on the radio. Disc jockeys such as Johnnie Walker and John Peel plus the ‘fab’ music, jingles and adverts of the 1960’s revolutionised UK pop radio. But the ships were eventually sunk after real piracy and even murder…
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