The Llangollen Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place at the Royal International Pavilion from the 4th to 6th September 2009 and promises to be a fun-filled and exciting weekend for all the family. With tickets to go on sale shortly, both online and by telephone the weekend promises to be fun for all the family. Hot air balloon festivals are spectacular affairs and for first time visitors, the sight of a number of Hot Air Balloons filling and rising gently in the breeze is something that is not easily forgotten.

Naturally it may be possible to arrange for passengers to take a ride in a Hot Air balloon, and the best thing, if you are intending to go to this festival, is to contacts Balloons over Britain for information. You can contact them online or if you prefer by telephone at 0845 071 6388 and speak to one of their advisors. The Llangollen Hot Air Balloon festival is a spectacular event and includes a mass balloon launch as well as a nightglow and fireworks evening.

The perfect gift for any occasion, even if it is last minute, for that special person just has to be a Hot Air Balloon ride through one of the network of operators within the Balloons over Britain organisation. As the premier National Hot Air Balloon ride operator you will be assured that your friend or loved has the thrill of a lifetime riding in a hot air balloon launched from a site close to them.

There are numerous options from which you can choose and with Balloons over Britain you will have maximum flexibility of flight for just about any time of the year. The most popular option is to buy a gift voucher and then the recipient has the choice of when and where they fly from, at a time and place to suit them. With a choice of vouchers, it is easy to see the options and prices available by logging on to the easy to navigate web pages, or if you prefer you can telephone 0845 071 6388 and speak to one of their advisors.

Hot air balloons have a variety of uses. The one that springs to most peoples mind though is the thrill of riding effortlessly in the sky on a hot air balloon ride through one of the many operators that are licensed to take passengers on fare paying trips. That’s not all of course Hot Air Balloons are used for business advertisements, corporate events, sports and some people even choose to get married on board them!

Many companies now decide to take out their employees on large corporate balloon trips as a whole day out, often a reward for increasing sales or company profits. Corporate events are also used to promote the company to potential or existing clients. Many companies are now turning to Hot Air Balloons as a means of advertising their products, so will have a ‘Special Shape’ balloon envelope made or will simply advertise on the side of a typical hot air balloon envelope.

Balloons over Britain can help and assist companies in their choice of advertising and corporate events, which could be as simple as buying a voucher for employees or customers to use for a Hot Air Balloon ride close to where they live or are based. Information is available at their online web pages or by telephoning 0845 071 6388.

One of the most important parts of a hot air balloon, after the balloon itself of course, is the basket which is used to carry the pilot, the propane gas cylinders, but of course you, the all important passenger. There are many sizes of Hot Air Balloon basket designed for as few as 2 to 3 people, up to large ones designed for as many as 20 passengers.

There has been a tradition of making the baskets from cane or wicker, which has proved itself to be both light but extremely durable. The basket has to stand up to being transported from place to place for launching and recovery. It also needs to be flexible and importantly have some give when it is subjected to the landing and subsequent trailing along the ground. Many materials have been tried such as aluminium and plastic, but the favourite is still the tried and tested cane. When you take your Hot Air Balloon flight with one of the Balloons over Britain operators flying close to where you live, you will be safe and comfortable in a traditional wicker basket.

Riding in a hot air balloon is one of the ten things most people wish to do in their lifetime and Balloons over Britain can make that dream come true. Ask anyone who has experienced a Hot Air Balloon flight and they will tell you that it will leave you in awe. Sunrise and sunset balloon flights, the normal time to fly, are the most breathtaking of all, where you will see the light change and the whole landscape take on a completely different aura.

Just imagine if you can, floating in air, feeling completely weightless and gliding through the atmosphere putting all your cares into perspective. The tranquillity and quietness is something to behold and with just a gentle breeze to caress you, the Hot Air Balloon ride lets you be at one with nature, just seeing the world from above like the birds. Balloons over Britain can arrange for a flight for you at a launch site that is close to your home or holiday destination perhaps, and there are many options from which you can chose. The most popular is a voucher which will allow you the flexibility of choosing a time that suits both you and your family.

In the world of Hot Air Ballooning every flight is an event and when in the basket you can see cars and delivery trucks pulling over to watch the sight of a hot air balloon, but usually four or five drifting over the road or adjacent countryside. The chase crew is following your progress, ready to pick up you and your fellow passengers at the landing site, help with the deflation process, and drive the repacked balloon and its basket back to home base.

For the lucky passengers, the journey is soundless, except for the occasional sound of the propane burners that send hot-air into the balloon. There is, also, no sensation of a breeze because the passengers are drifting along with it. The route is dependant on the direction of the wind, but your fully qualified pilot will know the general direction the hot air balloon will travel. One thing is sure and that is you will be treated to a glass of champagne on landing and you will be ready to book a hot air balloon flight, from a launch site close to you, when you get back.

When you choose to fly with Balloons over Britain form a launch site that is local to you could just be a little apprehensive, but there is no need to be. Your fully qualified pilot has done it a few hundred times before and he will put you completely at your ease.

Your Hot Air Balloon flight will consist of a full comprehensive safety briefing as although very enjoyable safety is the first responsibility. You may want to be involved as there will be then volunteers required for unpacking the envelope always the fun part of a Hot Air Balloon flight.  

The pilot initially cold inflates the hot air balloon and then finishes off by applying the heat from the burner that brings the Hot Air Balloon alive. Everyone climbs aboard and the pilot applies some more heat and up up and away you go. The flight itself will usually last about an hour and then the pilot will look for a safe place to land. Safely down and you are enjoying your glass or champagne with your fellow passengers. You see, it was tremendous fun and there was nothing to worry about at all.

A weekend of fun and excitement waits for all the family when the annual hot air balloon festival gets underway at Towneley Park Burnley over the weekend of Friday 31st July to Sunday the 2nd of August 2009. This is a spectacular event with huge hot air balloons floating in the sky over the town and the surrounding hills. You will see how the balloons are inflated and witness a mass launch as these beautiful but silent giants take to the sky, there are all shapes and sizes from the traditional balloon to the more unusual shaped balloons, and there is the chance that you can win tethered balloon flights.

Hot air Balloon flights can be arranged through Balloons over Britain for this and other weekends, which can be from a launch site that is local to you. We look forward to seeing you at this festival and enjoying a spectacular fireworks display and ‘Nightglow’ where the balloons light up to music a magnificent choreographed display.

A Hot Air Balloon was the first form of flight that enabled man to reach for the sky. Many agree that a Hot Air Balloon is an awesome sight as they drift over the land silently, high above the land hanging in the air like nothing on earth. You will see Hot Air Balloons in many shapes and sizes. You could even see Darth Vader belonging to a Belgian Hot Air Balloon Enthusiast.

Ballooning is the oldest of mans aviation adventures which relies upon the balloon drifting with gentle winds.  A Hot Air Balloon will usually fly at heights varying from 500 to 3000 feet, using the simple principle of hot air rising through cold air. You can join the enthusiasts and enjoy a Hot Air balloon flight with the help of Balloons over Britain. Contact them online for details of their voucher scheme which allows you to fly with an operator local to you at a time that is suitable to you. Drift with the wind, enjoy your flight and have glass of champagne on landing.

Great news for the lovers of the Northampton Hot Air Balloon festival, it is to go ahead during August on the 14th 15th and 16th. Fears had been expressed when this popular Hot Air Balloon festival was cancelled in February this year, but the organisers have settled on a new venue at Billing Aquadrome, Crow Lane, Great Billing, Northampton, NN3 9DA.

The three day festival attracts thousands of people with up to six balloon launches (one each morning and evening) and a whole host of entertainment on site. The festival is no longer run by the Northampton Borough Council and has been taken over by new organisers at the new venue but the dates will remain the same, 14th – 16th August. Balloons over Britain will be at the festival along with many of its UK operating companies. Details of hot air balloon rides are available online or by telephoning 0845 071 6388 when you can speak to an advisor.