The history of the hot air balloon goes back quite a long way, to 1783 in fact when De Rozier, a scientist, launched the first hot air balloon with a sheep, a duck and a rooster as passengers, all stayed up for just 15 minutes before the balloon came crashing back to earth! Manned flight in a hot air balloon came just two months later when the Montgolfier brothers launched their balloon from the centre of Paris, things have come a long way since then, or have they?

It’s interesting to see how the development of the hot air balloon has gone full circle since then, when at the beginning the first balloonists burnt materials onboard the balloon to generate heat to propel the envelope into the air. Later gas and helium designs were introduced as it was considered safer and more reliable than flying with an open flame. It is only within the last 50 or so years that hot air balloons have come back into fashion with the hot air balloons like the ones we fly at Balloons over Britain using propane open flame burners. Things never change!

Hot air ballooning is a complete experience and we would advise that nothing about it should not be rushed, you are there to experience the thrill of a lifetime, in fact it is one of the ten things most people want to do in their lives.

The actual flight time will probably be around an hour but participants are encouraged to take part in the assembly and inflation of the hot air balloon as well as the deflation and dismantling after the flight, all part of the fun. Please ensure that you arrive at the meeting point at the correct time, often it may be necessary to transport you a short distance from the meeting point to an alternative launch site, this can be due to factors beyond our control such as a change in the direction of the wind but you will always be taken back to the original meeting point. As a rule of thumb you should allow around 4 hours for the whole event and in normal circumstances your hot air balloon will fly between 500 and 4000 feet, you will get an amazing view!

Perhaps the ultimate way for a couple to be married is to do it in style – in a hot air balloon! Current legislation in the UK does not allow a wedding to place during a hot air balloon flight, although the ceremony can take place on the ground, a sensational backdrop for that wedding photograph.

One of our most popular packages is the Florida wedding programme which is ideal for couples who wish to combine their wedding with a honeymoon in Florida or others parts of the American continent. You can tailor your own package but the standard hot air balloon wedding offer is to transport both of you from your local hotel to the launch site, wedding ceremony on the ground, a one hour balloon flight for you both, champagne toast on landing, full buffet wedding breakfast including the wedding cake, and a flight certificate with photograph in a special folder. Extras can be included as required, please contact us for full details.

Just one of the great joys of hot air ballooning and there are many, perhaps watching the autumn foliage floating below, or the hills around us passing by, no we believe that it is it’s tranquillity, as you float with the breeze, feeling absolutely no sensation of movement.  In the basket of the hot air balloon you are one with the wind and moving with it, in fact you are part of the weather system.

Hot air balloons are weather dependent, and for safety reasons, we will not fly when it is really wet or too windy. You should always telephone on the day before your flight as our operators always have up to date weather forecasts so you can check to see if the weather may cause a cancellation of your flight. With Balloon over Britain, in the event that your flight has to be cancelled, you have the opportunity to rebook for another date and sometimes another location if this is more convenient to you.

The first thing that happens after you have booked your hot air balloon ride with Balloons over Britain is to choose your launch site with one of the local hot air balloon ride operators. Everyone meets at a predetermined spot just before sunrise or late afternoon which is when the air is best to ensure a tranquil flight. After a cup of tea or coffee you will be briefed about the flight and if you want you cam help with the inflation or stand back and take photographs. The actual launch of the hot air balloon usually takes about half an hour after arrival at the launch site and when you climb in the basket and the hot air balloon rises off the ground effortlessly and the wonderful experience begins.

After about an hour your fully qualified pilot will choose a safe place to land the balloon and the ‘chase’ crew will be at hand to help pack the balloon away, hand out the champagne and commemorative certificates and transport you back to the chosen launch site. Your wonderful adventure is over, but it is one that you will remember for years to come.

Now that British summer time ending with the clocks going back, our thoughts must be turning to not just the onset of winter, but the delights of the Christmas period soon to be upon us. Business will be looking at the year past and to the one ahead, so they will be contemplating rewards for loyal staff and thank you gifts for their customers.

A sure way to delight any person would have to be a ride in a hot air balloon after the Christmas festivities are behind us and the spring and summer lie ahead. Giving a voucher for a hot air balloon ride in one of the many local areas throughout the UK is unique and is something that the recipients can choose to use in a location and at a time that suits them. The long established operator Balloons over Britain offer a number of packages from which you can choose as a special gift. It also provides corporate clients with a number of options that have been specifically designed for business. Contacting them is easy and they will be happy to outline a package to suit you and delight your friend or client.

You could be forgiven if you were ‘gobsmacked’ if the view out of your bedroom window was completely filled by a brightly coloured Hot Air Balloon, but not so much as the lucky passengers who were looking down on the vibrant colours of autumn! It is said that there is no sight like that of New England in the ‘fall’, but the changing landscapes and seasons in the UK, we believe, are hard to beat anywhere in the world.

Passenger numbers that book hot air balloon rides in the UK through the Balloons over Britain site are always very high in the October period when looking down from the hot air balloon basket at the stunning tints of the trees below with the shades of reds and yellows painting a picture on the canvas of the countryside are breathtaking and perfect for that digital photograph.

By giving a balloon voucher from Balloons over Britain you are assured that if the weather is not suitable, or you or the person receiving your gift cannot use it immediately, the voucher is flexible and can be used at a time when it is convenient.

Why not enjoy the experience of the oldest and most romantic form of aviation in the world, hot air ballooning. As ballooning depends entirely on the wind on the day, it means that your flight is guaranteed to be a totally unique experience! By taking to the air in this unique way you can discover England from above away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the world seems to take on a new perspective as you drift over the countryside, towns and villages, it is something that you will never forget.

There are many events that you can take part in throughout the year, the Leeds Castle Balloon and Vintage Car Weekend or enjoy the colourful spectacle at the Bristol Balloon Festival are two examples. You can get a birds eye view of some of England’s wonderful towns, with one of Balloons over Britain’s operator in the North West, flying over areas of Cheshire viewing the fantastic countryside, the Cheshire Plains, the market towns and historic Chester, views also over Wales and the other surrounding counties, when you will gaze at the miniature people and toy box buildings below.

Throughout England and the rest of the UK you will see our wonderful country from a different perspective, contact Balloons over Britain for details of the flexible gift voucher and other current offers.

For that special occasion why not give an ‘open dated’ Balloons over Britain gift certificate, it is so simply and the recipient will be thrilled. You may have your own special reasons for giving one of our certificates to take a hot air balloon ride through one of our operators local to you, but we offer some suggestions.

You could offer this as a birthday present, following a proposal of marriage, a special wedding gift, wedding or other anniversary, for mothering Sunday, a special Christmas gift, a retirement present, just as a thank you, or as a business incentive. There is no doubt that the lucky recipient will be delighted and look forward to the hot air balloon flight and the following champagne reception. They will certainly talk about it and remember it for years to come. Our gift certificates are open dated allowing the recipient to choose a convenient date and are valid for up to 12 months and easily purchased online.

If you were one the many that watched the new series of big cat diary on television over the weekend you cannot have failed to see the pictures of, and from the hot air balloon in the Masai Mara, Kenya. At Balloons over Britain we do not have an operator in the big game reserves of Kenya for you to watch the magnificent sunrise over the game reserve, not yet anyway! However seeing the sun rise over the glorious British countryside is something that is on the top ten things most people want to do and we have associated operators throughout the country, so there is bound to be one near you.

Buying a hot air balloon flight for you or for a special friend could not be easier and we can, through our web pages, offer many options for the thrill of a lifetime. Firstly you can choose an operator which is close to you or to a destination convenient at the time of choice and then choose which of our many offers suits you the best. We cannot guarantee seeing lions, unless you are over Longleat safari park in Wiltshire of course, but you will talk about your experience for many years to come.