The morning sky over Chatteris may soon be filled parachutists and skydivers leaping out of hot air balloons – if the Skydive Chatteris Club has a planning application accepted.

The club, which operates from the Chatteris Airfield, is hoping to work around the restrictions that Fenland District Council has in place by having daredevils jump from hot air balloons instead of planes during the night-time and mornings.

Currently, council restrictions state that there shall be “no flying of power driven aircraft by the Parachute Centre between the hours of 8pm and 9am” because of concerns over noise levels.

However, J&J Design, on behalf of Skydive Chatteris, is proposing to extend the opportunities for parachuting and skydiving by the use of a hot air balloon, which they say are operated with “minimal noise.”

Their application says the proposal will be “acceptable” with regards to noise as balloons would not be launched within 400 metres of nearby homes – the distance the balloon’s burners is “barely perceptible” at, according to a Noise Assessment.

The balloons would be launched from within Chatteris Airfield during still weather conditions, but would move to previously agreed remote sites in the case of light winds.

Skydive Chatteris currently has two planes and offers skydiving and parachuting sessions between February and December each year.