Attempts to lure whistle blowing Serengeti  Balloon pilot into unsafe locations.

Later, on the 15th of December, 2010 I received an equally suspicious e-mail from the same person.

This time, curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to open it. It was very interesting to learn that this individual was nowhere near the accident. Yet, surprisingly, he says that he was just a friend of someone who did not fly that day of the accident yet was certainly on the scene (their flight was cancelled due to strong wind). More astonishingly, he was prepared to travel halfway around the world to meet me, face-to-face of course. Aha, I might have driven buses in the past. However, I’ve not just fallen off the back of one.

I decided to pass this on to my Donna so that she can deal with it. Keep in mind that by that time we with news of what was going on in Kathmandu, I take the precaution of remaining in hiding in among the most remote regions imaginable, I also did not want my computer to get pinged which would give away our location. Even in 2014 the Nepalese authorities came looking for me on behalf of SBS, the miised by one day! Fascinating story that i shall  come to  in due course.

Date: Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 10:10 AM

Subject: Message from the website...

To: info@hotairballoonsafety.com

Mr Pogmore...

My name is Zachary Stross. I have close family members who were in Tanzania the day the balloon went down with Serengeti Balloon Safaris. They were in the balloon that didn't go up that day, thank God.

I've been urging them to consider legal action against Serengeti Balloon Safaris, but they aren't sure whether or not they should proceed. I was hoping I could have a discussion, ideally face-to-face. I've learned a few disturbing things about the actions of that day, and I was hoping to get your help determining whether this is par for the course.

Where can I reach you for a more in-depth conversation? I understand you're on the road these days. I have the means to travel and was actually going to be in Asia later this month, so if you're still in Nepal, I'd consider making a side trip.

Zach Conrad

Chicago, Illinois

zacharystross@gmail.com

Build notes FOR EDITING Having been introduced to Sachin &  Uttam by the above couple, they are very much aware of my situation; they were very trusted friends of xxxxxx . X is the website designer who remains 100% trusted even to this day 29th of July 2014).   With the help of trusted friends, they approach these individuals to make investigations throughout and suspicions of their intentions. It is subsequently learned   that  they have  been approached by SBS/ Nepal police in order to  assist in searching for me, hence this explains their insistence on face-to-face contact.

From: INFOCSN [mailto:info@csn.com.np]

Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 7:50 PM

To: 'Nigel Pogmore';  pogmore.nigel3@gmail.com'

Cc: 'Sachin Tamang'  'info@viewasiatours.com'

Subject: Hello Nigel

Dear Nigel,

Hope everything is going well and fit n fine.  Well Nigel, we just want some

update from you and if possible meet you and discuss about your site. Also

like to inform you that we are going to update and maintain on the server

that may cause the server down for 48 hours and also need some update from

you. Please if possible can we meet as soon as possible, hope for your

response soon.

Regards,

On Behalf

Sachin

The above just doesn’t make sense; these guys hold nothing but a computer ( server). They’re not website designers; that was XXXXXXXX Department. You simply do not need face-to-face meetings with server people to discuss anything. Should anything need to be discussed, all could easily be done by telephone or by  email.

Well, Donna didn't need a second invitation; no sooner had I sent this e-mail to her than the job was done with remarkable efficiency. Given what you've read so far, I doubt that you would be too surprise to learn what happened next.

Donna contacted me, informing me that after opening and dealing with the so-called Zachary Conrad Stross email, her company’s computers crashed. Thankfully, they came back up again later.

One day later, she received a reply that confirmed both of our earlier suspicions. This was indeed a bogus e-mail from someone who then set about attempting to convince Donna that I was an evil man, not only that, a disgruntled ex-employee waging a vendetta against Serengeti Balloon Safaris Ltd.

She was warned not to believe anything that I said. Would it be going too far to say that we each suspected that this might have come from Serengeti Balloon Safaris or, at the very least, someone employed by them?

Apparently, after requesting his phone number so as to have that little chat! not too surprisingly nothing more ever came of our Mr or was it Mrs Mystery !!

From: Zachary Stross [mailto:zacharystross@gmail.com]

Sent: Friday, December 17, 2010 9:55 AM

To: Donna Marron

Subject: Re: Serengeti Balloon Safaris

Hi Donna - thanks for responding. "Pursued by" Serengeti Balloon Safaris? Just what does that mean? I thought he was in Nepal now?

Please accept my condolences regarding the loss of your father. That must have been awful. I can appreciate that you must be sad and angry.

But I have to admit - as time passes, I just don't know what to think anymore. Even a cursory review of Mr Pogmore's website would suggest that he has a serious axe to grind. And to be frank, I'm not sure I want to be get sucked into a drama if it's just a disgruntled former employee alleging things that simply aren't factual. I have zero interest in 'being played' as part of someone else's vendetta - I'm sure that you have enough of your own challenges to deal with.

I saw this (Nigel links to it on one particular part of his site) http://www.balloonsafety.info - what do you think? I googled him - it looks like he works in California now still flying balloons - http://napavalleyballoons.com/about.html. It certainly appears to show a different story than what we've been led to believe by Nigel.

I'm happy to discuss this by phone, but I'm doing a lot of year end travel and trying to wrap things up before the holidays, so email is probably the best avenue for a few days at least. end.

WOW, if only SBS had taken up my request to enter into the constructive dialog that I sent soon after departing the Serengeti one and a half years earlier, instead of sending the following reply:-

Tony Pascoe “ Nigel, I think we have all moved on”

the fact is they moved on to have not one but two more accidents in doing so, taking more lives, turning a wife into a widow, ruining countless other lives

Quite persistent. Nice guys;Apparently, they had been lent on by local police & Mafia

From: "INFOCSN" <info@csn.com.np>

Subject: FW: Hello Nigel

Date: 6 January 2011 19:09:49 GMT+05:30

To: "'Nigel Pogmore'"

Hello Nigel,

We need to talk once about some issue about your website, so if possible can

you share your contact number or you can call us. I hope for your response

soon. Thank You.

Regards,

CSN

From: Zachary Stross <zacharystross@gmail.com>

Date: 15 December 2010 20:54:46 GMT+05:45

To: info@hotairballoonsafety.com, xxxxxxxxxx

Subject: Re: Message from the website...

I thought I'd give this one last try... I sent two emails to the above address... see below:

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 11:05 AM, Zachary Stross <zacharystross@gmail.com> wrote:

Mr Pogmore? Any chance we can chat? I sent this to you a few weeks ago but hadn't heard anything... in the meantime, the balloon company is still flying. :(

Let me know if/when we can meet soon?

Dragon Balloon Company Ltd

On 15 Feb 2010, at 15:42, Dragon Balloon Company wrote:

Hi Nigel

I dont know if you remember me but we flew with you in Jan 09 and if you are in the UK  would you like to give me a ring on the number below or my mobile 07785115999

Regards

Chris Davies

Dragon Balloon Company Ltd

Mam House Farm, Castleton

Hope Valley, Derbyshire S33 8WA

So we had a chat later this came.

From: Dragon Balloon Company <info@dragonballoon.co.uk>

Date: 16 February 2010 17:14:50 GMT+05:45

To: Nigel Pogmore <nigel.pogmore1@mac.com>

Dear Nigel

Here are a couple of posts copied and pasted from the BBAC forum; I do not have time to do them all at the moment, but this gives a flavour of the general reaction both on the forum and in talking to other Pilots and operators. Its my considered view that you are harming "Nigel Pogmore"  and Hot Air Ballooning in general much more than you will affect SBS  ( a monopoly in the Serengeti ??) with your website. This, unfortunately, means you would find it very difficult to get employment as a pilot, irrespective of the validity or strength of your case, and you will not make many new friends in the UK rider business.

Best Regards

Chris

From: xxxxxxxx Trusted friend)

Date: 16 March 2011 07:25:31 GMT

To:nigel

Subject: Re: nigels info as per your request URGENT VERY

Nigel,

I just found out from xxxxxx & co. received a letter from SBS. And, xxx guess is that they are under any case or so as such. Else, they would have had made a round to Hanuman Dhoka (the Police place). Mmmm.. confusing a bit.

Uttam had said he has been under case, and he sought legal advise, and that he would not be presenting himself in court unless yours was resolved.

Well... I just feel you should be extra careful. Do not let anyone know anything you don't wish to reveal.

Please get in touch with xxx xx xx Skype.

stay safe, for own safety best if  don't come anywhere near here, at least until this is sorted out.

  Highly suspicious work offer xxxxx.  This was received 19 days before passengers were killed.

From: xxxxxxxxx (Sky Waltz India)

Date: September 10, 2010 11:19:28 AM GMT+05:45

To: 'nigel

Subject: piloting

Hi Nigel,

It has been a long time since we were last in contact, so I hope you are well and getting some good flying time.

I wanted to get back in contact with you to firstly see whether you were currently in Kathmandu and secondly if you wanted to do a week of flying for Sky Waltz on short notice? Our predicament is that we have had a last-minute confirmation for 60 passengers / 3 balloons on the 23rd / 24th / 25th of September. We have already booked in our regular International Pilots for the season but we had not planned on such a booking coming to us in this month and it is unfortunately common place for Indian Tour operators to give confirmations at the very last minute. Add to this that there is a 50% chance of cancellation, due to the current inconsistent weather conditions.

If you are interested, then we can start to make some arrangements for you to fly down to Jaipur. I guess one of the other influencing factors is if you are able to travel to India without a Visa – due to the fact that the processing time is quite lengthy to get an Indian visa, this is stopping our regular pilots from coming in earlier.

Unfortunately at this stage we can only offer you 5 days of work, but as we discussed earlier, because you are living so close, we may be able to utilise if required in the future. We would pay for you return flights from Kathmandu, 5 days salary and all living expenses would obviously be covered.

I look forward to hearing back from you at your earliest convenience.

Regards

xxxx xxxxx

Chief of Operations

Analysis of the above:

There are so many obvious matters incorrect with the above letter that it immediately raises suspicions.

Firstly, everybody requires some form of entry visa before going to India,  Yes, even British nationals; the colonial days are long gone. Okay, so I could have got in tentatively with a tourist visa and worked illegally after that, which is not my style, particularly when operating as a professional pilot.  However, as the author correctly points out,(referring to is out of country employees) acquiring such documents takes time. Once I get past that lengthy application hurdle, given that I will be flying in an Indian-registered aircraft,  I will also be required to approach the Indian civil aviation authority to take an air law exam. Such procedures are normal when providing supporting qualifications for licensing, in my case, from either UK, Australia or the USA. Once that’s been concluded, the need for civil aviation medical is next on the agenda.  

I’ve every reason to state that the author understands licensing requirements; in my case,  they would also have been perfectly aware of the nightmare requirements of the Indian bureaucracy. Having said that,  what I’ve described above is normal protocol when any foreign pilot intends to commence flying in any other country than his own.  Whilst the balloons (Make and carrying capacity) the author intended me to take command of would be very familiar to me and, therefore, pose no actual physical issues,  it remains aviation law that the pilot’s licence-issuing authority has to be identical to the nationality that the aircraft is registered in. One cannot fly an Indian aircraft on a UK licence or vice versa.  Once again, the author, having been operations manager for some time,  more so having already spent some time in this location,   would have been fully aware of that. I had every reason to smell a rat  therefore, declined his offer.

March 2010 Warnings from the UK Balloon Ride Industry

“You’ll have no friends in the UK Balloon Industry”. Also, an email from the British Balloon & Airship Club (BBAC) website blog tells Pogmore that he should know that passenger safety is a swear word and anyone who attempts to do anything about it is frowned upon, or worse!

The dangers of raising

What soon became tragically proven

passenger safety concerns

Found on Google Analytics

“MURDER POGMORE"

**In location two:

Zachary Conrad Strauss bogus e-mail

On 29 November 2010, I received a suspicious-looking e-mail from someone attempting to pose as a concerned individual. I was so suspicious of the name and who would not be with ‘Zachary Conrad Stross”. I never even bothered to open it; it reeked of virus-like activity.

** At the time we were in hiding on the Nepalese Indian border however we couldn't tell  friends/ family where we were as we knew that our computers were being intercepted on a daily basis. We are often in touch with US lawyer Donna who I have already introduced you to, she and my sister were our  go-betweens. On advice from Donna and her Lawfirm Details of our movements or location whenever.

20 Men Wearing facemasks Armed with baton & shields come looking for me

     Tony Pascoe Director of Serengeti Balloon Safaris demands $500,000 Compensation

from me for apparently damaging their business.

Hang on; didn't SBS just  have their third fatal accident ?

Now that's  damaging

With the above in mind it's not difficult to come to the conclusion that if I hadn't being as streetwise as I am; it's highly likely that I wouldn't be around today to tell the story.

Evidently there appeared to be  some type of contract out me. As to whether or not this was initiated in the UK or the  $3000 that was deposited with the nephew of the Kathmandu chief of police had some influence I shall never know.

On 15 Nov 2010, at 15:03, Alan wrote: Alan is an FAA pilot examiner

Nigel:

"Know the strongest of Captains hold the steadiest course during the worst of storms."

Thank you for the update and your posture on safety.

Soft Landings,

Just four months after having  publicly predicted   further accidents in the Serengeti

Disaster Strikes

One American, along  with one Danish passenger, are killed

Eight survivors are seriously injured.

From the Serengeti

A Million Tears

Pour

By Capt  Nigel Pogmore

Former Pilot & Safety Officer

Serengeti Balloon Safaris

© 2016