There can be no doubt that taking photographs from a hot air balloon puts a whole new perspective on the photograph which you might be taking. Looking down from above at the rolling countryside drifting along slowly below you, and photographing that pretty church or other landmark will certainly get your pictures noticed. Try taking pictures with the important burner as part of the composition, they make compulsive viewing.

Riding in a hot air balloon can cause a certain amount of haziness and you should fit a UV filter to your camera to help reduce, possibly eliminate this altogether. Then there is the hot air balloon itself. Some balloons seen at festivals and showground launch sites are quite amazing with fantastic shapes and vibrant colours and designs on the balloon envelope itself. If you want to take photographs in a specific part of the UK, contact us and we can put you in touch with our local hot air balloon operator that covers your area.

Balloons over Britain have come up with a really special offer for Christmas just the thing for you to give to that special someone, or even to yourself! The gift vouchers from Balloons over Britain are very special in any event; these allow you to choose a launch site with a local operator working under their banner, importantly at a date to suit you subject to conditions. All the voucher options can be seen at their comprehensive web site, but we would draw your attention to the Christmas special.

For just £99, discounted from their normal price you can buy the Emerald Voucher which entitles you to weekday morning balloon flights (excl Bank Holidays) from the widest selection of launch sites across the UK really fantastic value. Should this not be suitable upgrades to weekend and evening flights can be arranged. The voucher includes indemnity insurance hurry this offer will soon be oversubscribed.

We are often asked “is it possible to take a hot air balloon flight if disabled”? Basically the answer is yes, but this will depend upon the severity of a person’s disability, some will preclude someone taking a flight but we and our operators are committed to ensure, that those with disabilities are given every opportunity to take part in our sport.

What we would urge you to do if you are considering taking a flight, or buying a voucher for someone who is, that you contact us first before buying the flight voucher. By talking to us we can determine whether it is possible for a person to take a hot air balloon flight with us, we have to ensure both their safety and those of other passengers. Regrettably we are unable to take anyone on a flight that is confined to a wheelchair.

The first thing to gear yourself up for is an early start which depending upon the time of year will be at around sunrise, so in the summer this could be very early! The reason for this early time is because these are the very best conditions for you to fly in your hot air balloon.

You can expect to help with the inflation of the hot air balloon; it’s all part of the fun. Your pilot will be a qualified professional and they all have a sense of fun and good humour, you are there to enjoy yourself. You will receive enthusiastic support from the ground crew who will ‘chase’ the balloon and help in the procedure followed on landing as well as take you back to your local launch site. So make the most of it and enjoy your glass of champagne!

If you are looking for a gift that is out of the ordinary but at the same time one that is special and will be remembered for many years to come, a Hot Air Balloon ride in the UK can be your answer. At Balloons over Britain we have a number of gift packages that offer a range of price options all of which can be taken at a locality close to you or your recipient and at a time to suit both parties.

The hot air balloon ride can be taken well after the Christmas festivities are behind us and at a time when warm spring and summer weather is delighting the countryside. Many people that buy one of our balloon gift vouchers as a Christmas present, choose to use this as part of a holiday package and take the hot air balloon ride away from their home locality, but at a holiday location. We have operators that fly in all parts of the UK and finding one near you, or at your holiday destination, should not present any difficulty.

The weather throughout the UK is notorious and although the “Met Centre” is accurate for most of the time, there can be local variations which cannot be accounted for when predicting suitability for a Hot Air Balloon flight. We always give you a telephone number to call the night before your hot air balloon flight, but we stress that this can, in many cases, only be a guide. The only way our pilots can be really accurate is by having everyone ready to go on the field in the morning.

We do not aim to inconvenience our passengers nor do we wish to disappoint them, if your fully qualified pilot feels that it is a good idea to meet in the morning, he is confident that the flight will happen, but unfortunately, particularly in our country, the weather can make a fool of any forecaster, when this happens the flight must be cancelled on the field. Remember that our pilots are just as disappointed as you but they are dedicated to your safety and enjoyment.

For safety and for your comfort we will only fly you in  a hot air balloon when the weather is suitable for flying, our fully qualified pilots are the ones who decide when it is safe and comfortable to take a hot air balloon flight, no one else’s.

One of the great joys of ballooning is its tranquillity, as you float with the breeze, feeling absolutely no sensation of movement. You will become one with the wind, moving with it, you are moving with it, and in your hot air balloon you will become a part of a complex weather system that is ever changing. Should your pilot decide that the weather is not suitable, you may rebook for another day.

The early morning is the best time to fly; this is when the air is relatively stable and not affected by the day’s wind currents or thermals. Depending on the time of year, this is usually an hour or so after sunrise, you will really enjoy the experience.

If you wanted to fly in the air from ‘A to B’ you would probably use an aeroplane and not a hot air balloon, they fly with the wind and it might not be blowing the way you want it to! But if you simply want to enjoy the experience of flying, there’s nothing quite like it. Many people describe flying in a hot air balloon as one of the most serene, enjoyable activities they’ve ever experienced.

Hot air balloons are really quite ingenious in the way that they use basic science which is that warm air rises in the surrounding cooler air. Like water cold air takes up less space than hot water air expands and is lighter; so by heating the air and enclosing it in an envelope we can lift up. Hot air balloon flights UK wide are now more popular than ever as more people return to enjoy this experience again. So if you are interested in getting a birds-eye-view of the world, then you should check out the web site of Balloons over Britain and find out where there is an operator local to you.

There can be no one that is not aware of the difficult times that we are all experiencing at present but the go getters amongst us will tell you that this is the time to get up and go! Targeted advertising is one way of the ways of taking advantage of the current situation and putting your business profile to the public in a unique way, with your corporate colours ascending into the sky, is sure to grab attention.

By individually tailoring your company design on to a hot air balloon, or better still having one made in the shape of your best selling product can reap dividends. Your own staff can benefit from a corporate hot air balloon, using this as an incentive is sure to increase productivity or sales. Contact Balloons over Britain and discuss with us the way we can increase the profile of your business, perhaps take a flight with us first and see just how much having your own corporate balloon can help your business.

It is surprising how many times we, at Balloons over Britain, are asked will I be too old to fly in a hot air balloon? The simple and straight forward answer to this is absolutely no. One of our passengers took his first flight at just 7 years old and one person was a remarkable 100 years of age when he took the trip of a lifetime!

Most people seem to have had a hot air balloon trip for their 30th birthday but this can equally apply to those celebrating a 40, 50 or 60th birthday. An increasing number of our passengers are over the age of 70 years, this of course is a time when many have good disposable income and their outgoings have decreased.

You should not worry about your age as we at Balloons over Britain and our associated local operators will look after you or your friends however old or young they may be and all will enjoy an experience that they will talk about for a long time.