When you were a child, do you remember travelling along those country lanes, on the way to visit family, or on an outing of some kind? Do you remember gazing out of the window of the family car, looking up wondrously at hot air balloons from time to time? It never felt like an achievable thing as a child, I suppose it was as if it wasn’t real at all. Personally I never thought I would travel in a hot air balloon one day! It really was just a dream, however fun to gaze at none the less! But here I am 28 and finally realising that this really doesn’t have to be a dream at all. In fact the price of ballooning isn’t as much as you might think! So I have decided that I am going to book a flight for my daughter and I, for her eleventh birthday this August and we’re both ecstatic about it! It really couldn’t be simpler and the cost is as much as a weekend camping trip, pretty much!

If you go to Balloons Over Britain we have a range of balloon flight operators who launch flights from various locations across the UK. All you need to do is decide on the location and it will take you directly to the covering flight operator. All of our members are certified and regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority and all the pilots hold full Commercial Pilot Licences, plus all operators carry combined single limit insurance to current European standards.

Typically flights start at as little as £85 per person and for this you will have the opportunity to help set up the balloon ready for flight, learning about how it works and how the pilot navigates and a beautiful hours flight thousands of feet up in the air over the destination of your choice. When the balloon lands you can toast the day with a glass of bubbly with the pilot and other passengers (if there are any) and you will be presented with a flight certificate to commemorate your day. Although we advise you to bring your camera’s to create your own album of memories, you will be given the opportunity to purchase in flight photo’s if you choose.

For more information, bookings, date availability and advise, please call us on 0845 071 6388 or visit us online at www.balloonsoverbritain.co.uk.

The launch and landing of a hot air balloon is certain to draw a crowd regardless of the event, location or distance (within reason of course!). They are an innovative and attention-grabbing media vehicle which is widely used in order to gain publicity at events, providing the perfect opportunity to create interest in your product or organisation. However, a balloon is also a powerful corporate entertaining tool commonly used to impress, reward and provide incentive.

How long has it been since you showed your clients your gratitude for their constant loyalty and dedication to your firm? Have you had a tough few years financially and would like to reward your staff or team managers for sticking with you despite the stagnant wages? Maybe you’re trying to win a new contract and would like to show your prospective customers and clients what they can expect when they team up with you? Regardless of what your situation is, what better way to make a statement than with a hot air balloon ride?!

Just imagine the reactions you’d get from your customers or your potential new clients if you took them up in a Hot Air Balloon? Even more so, imagine their faces if the balloon was personalised to your business or product. A giant balloon made from fabrics of your corporate colours and logo ascending into the skies, what a way to impress! Better still, we could even have a balloon made into the shape of your product or icon for the ultimate ‘wow’ factor. Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter how old you are, seeing a specially shaped balloon in the sky will always draw in your attention! It’s a guaranteed method of impressing current customers and drawing in new business!

Here at Balloons Over Britain, we have our own design specialists who will individually tailor special shape balloons to cater for most designs. With our wealth of experience, we have helped many companies advertise their business or services by making Balloons the centre of attention in most marketing forums! So if you’d like to know more about how we can help you reward staff, find new customers, reward existing ones or simply increase customer spending, then contact us for more information on 0845 071 6388.

The hot air ballooning season has just begun and thousands of happy customers are choosing to use their ballooning vouchers to fly now while spring is starting to rear its beautiful head. So here at Airborne Balloon Flights we’re looking for dedicated staff to be a part of our friendly team. And let’s face it, can you think of a better way to spend this spring and summer than outdoors under the warm heat of the sun, learning all about how hot air balloons work and what is involved in a balloon flight? For many people, this is a great way to enjoy socialising with passengers and other crew members and what’s more, you’ll be keeping fit…in a fun way!

In your various years of emplyment, you’ll certainly find that you’ve experience nothing quite like crewing for hot air balloons. Our staff find it rather unusual and without a doubt a rewarding activity. Here at Airborne Balloon Flights we are always on the lookout for new members to join our already successful and professional team of balloon ground crew and are particularly looking for reliable people who are happy to work on a full time or part time basis, mornings and/or evenings. They will need to be flexible as shifts can include weekdays and weekends. The typical flying season begins at the start of April and ends in early November.

Our flights operate from a selection of sites across the counties of Kent and Sussex, so unless you’re willing to travel quite a way, we recommend that applicants be relatively local to these areas. We require applicants to be reasonably physically fit, over 25 and have 3 years clean driving licence.

So, if this sounds like the job for you, please do get in touch! Contact our Chief Flight Co-ordinator – Sandie Leigh via any of the following connections:

Tel:   01622 871117
Fax:  01622 871117
E-mail: sales@airborneballoons.co.uk

Are you looking for the perfect getaway? Is the stress and strain of family living, work and social commitments starting to take its toll? Maybe it’s time to book a night or two away, just the two of you where you can enjoy the freedom of peace and uninterrupted relaxation. Just think, no bills, squabbling children, dinners to cook or cleaning to worry about; no work, bills falling through the letter box and endless harassing phone calls… Sound good? So what’s stopping you? Simply pick a destination and book the hotel; blissful rest is just a phone call away.

But what would put the magic into your little retreat? Maybe make it a hot tub break, a medieval hotel, a spar weekend; or alternatively why not make it a romantic, magical hot air balloon tour?! Yes that’s right, with Balloons Over Britain you can book a hot air balloon ride for 2, that’s the whole balloon to yourselves (and the pilot of course) from a whole list of different UK locations. We have launch sites in Bath, Bristol, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Huntingdon, Chester, Nantwich, Whitchurch, Bodmin, Launceston, Rowsley, Tissington Hall, Exeter, Plymouth, Tiverton, Sherborne, Shaftesbury, Blandford, Chelmsford, Braintree, Billericay, Colchester, Evesham, Moreton in Marsh, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Old Basing, Eastnor Castle (Nr Ledbury), Worcester Racecourse, Leeds Castle (Nr Maidstone), Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood, Huncote (Nr Leicester), Northampton, Taunton, Castle Cary, Yeovil, Shugborough Hall (Nr Stafford), Buxted Park (Uckfield), Warwick, Stratford upon Avon, Moreton in Marsh, Evesham, Salisbury, Worcester Racecourse, Eastnor Castle (Nr Ledbury), Monmouthsire, Tintern (Wye Valley), Llanarth (Usk Valley) and Monmouth.

With a list as extensive as our launch site locations, you’re sure to find one with a beautiful retreat near by. Simply find your ideal hotel and then book your hot air balloon adventure with us! The flight itself lasts for approximately an hour, however the whole experience last for hours as you have the opportunity to set up the balloon, toast the flight with a glass of bubbly, enjoy a flight certificate presentation and disassemble the balloon. It’s all quite an experience! For more information and bookings simply visit us online at www.balloonsoverbritain.co.uk, or call us on 0845 071 6388.

Have you ever wondered how the hot air balloon works? Many of our customers obviously want to understand the principles behind its ‘mechanics’ in order to feel safe, prior to their booking a flight, perfectly understandable. So today’s featured blog will be all about what makes up a hot air balloon and what role each part plays. We will explain how the balloon works, including what makes it rise and fall and how the pilot manoeuvre’s the balloon in flight.

If we were to start with the real basics we’d explain how hot air rises and cool air descends, however, this is something we’re each taught as kids, so we won’t go into detail. However based on the knowledge you can understand that, that principle means that hot air entering the balloon itself will enable it to rise and therefore, without cool air the balloon is sure to descend. The balloon (called an envelope) has to be the large size that it is, as it takes this large a volume of heated air to lift it off the ground. To put this into perspective, a great example would be to consider that it would take 65,000 cubic feet of heated air to lift 1000 pounds worth of weight! In order to keep the balloon in the air and rising, hot air needs to be propelled upwards into the envelope using the burner.

A hot air balloon is made up of 3 main parts including:

The Envelope
The actual fabric balloon which holds the air

The Burner
The unit which propels the heat up inside the envelope

The Basket
Where the passengers and pilot stand

A hot air balloon burner uses propane gas in order to heat up the air in the envelope. It is the pilots job to keep firing the burner at regular intervals throughout the flight so that the balloon continues at a stable height. As hot air rises, very little hot air escapes from the hole at the very bottom of the envelope. So to move the balloon upwards the pilot opens up the propane valve which lets the propane flow to the burner which in turn fires the flame up into the envelope.

In order to move the balloon down again, the ‘Parachute Valve’ at the very top of the balloon is used. This valve is simply a circle of fabric cut out of the top of the envelope which is controlled by a long chord that runs down through the middle of the envelope and into the basket. So when the pilot wants to lower the balloon he simply pulls on the chord opening the valve, which then releases hot air, decreasing the inner air temperature. This cooling of cause, allows the balloon to descend. In order to allow the balloon to lower gracefully, the pilot will use the burner less frequently.

The pilot is able manoeuvre the balloon horizontally by changing the vertical position of the balloon! As strange as this sounds, this is due to wind direction at different altitudes. So if the pilot wants to move in a particular direction they simply ascend or descend to the appropriate level and ride with the wind. But of course this is Britain and our weather does as it please, so we are limited to the variation in wind direction on the day which could only be 10 degrees and may not be consistent at all.

If you’d like to speak to a member of our team about your flight, or would like to know more about Balloons Over Britain before booking, please feel free to call us, we’re always happy to answers any questions you may have – 0845 071 6388.

So what’s so great about Balloons Over Britain? We have many questions each day from potential customers asking us about our services and our background; it’s a competitive business and absolutely vital you choose the right company for you. Hot air ballooning is something most people only dream about, so if you’re going to go ahead and book a flight, you may as well make sure it’s going to be the best!

Balloons Over Britain have been the UK’s largest and longest established balloon flight operators since 1991 and have provided commercial balloon flights nationwide since that time. From Scotland to the South West and Wales to the Wash, you will find one of our member companies to cover the location of your choice. You can choose to book direct with a local operator or take advantage of the added flexibility of a Balloons Over Britain Nationwide voucher!

We offer hot air balloon rides from more than 70 launch sites throughout the UK with the following companies;

• Adventure Balloons – Berkshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, South Oxfordshire, London and Surrey.
• Aerosaurus Balloons – Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, South Somerset and Wiltshire.
• Airborne Balloon Flights – Kent and Sussex.
• Alba Ballooning – Edinburgh, Kinross, Scottish Borders and Northumberland.
• Anglian Countryside Balloons - Essex.
• Balloon Rides – Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
• Bailey Balloons – Bath, Bristol, North Somerset and South Wales.
• The Ballooning Business – Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
• Broadland Balloons – Norfolk and Suffolk
• Wickers World – Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

For more information, bookings, help and advice, please call us on 0845 071 6388. Alternatively, you’ll find answers to your questions online and the facilities to make fast bookings and check date availability.

At Aerosaurus Balloons we know exactly what makes the perfect balloon flight. Wit consistent positive reviews from our customers, it’s no wonder we’re the largest west country Hot Air Balloon flight operator! We have flown an incredible 70,000+ passengers in our fleet of balloons over the last 25 years, and these passengers have been between ages seven to one hundred years! We cover some of Britains most beautiful countryside and launch from locations in in Mid and East Devon, South Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire, and nationwide via our membership of Balloons Over Britain. Just take a look at some of our reviews;

“Very professional crew and pilot; thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. This is our 3rd balloon flight but 1st with you guys, if we go for a 4th flight we will be using you again.”

“A most enjoyable experience, the “ground staff” in particular were extremely helpful, and attentive. The pilot explained everything, in good detail. A great and wonderful day had by all.

“Wow! Honestly it exceeded all our expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed everything about it, to be included in the setting up, the flight and the recovery. All the crew had a tremendous attitude“

If you’d like to be part of the fun, or maybe you’d like a more intimate affair, a last minute booking for Valentine’s day for example, then there are plenty of options available to you.

• Our Early bird Voucher is now just £99 and is an open dated flight voucher (valid for 12 months) for a weekday dawn flight (excluding bank holidays). This voucher can be used from any of our launch locations across Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall and Wiltshire.
• Our Weekday Voucher is now just £109 and again is an open dated flight voucher (valid for 12 months) enabling a weekday dawn or dusk flight (excluding bank holidays). This voucher can be used from any of our launch locations.
• The Anytime Voucher is a little more expensive at £129 however if you’re purchasing for 2+ people, it’s just £125 per person. Again, this is an open dated flight voucher (valid for 12 months) enabling a dawn or dusk balloon ride, valid 7 days a week from any of our launch locations. Now that’s flexibility!
• The Aerosaurus Absolute Voucher is the most optimum booking and cost just £149 per person. The perfect gift this open dated flight voucher (valid for 12 months) enables the participant to take a dawn or dusk balloon flight, valid 7 days a week and from any of our launch locations!

With many more voucher options available, you need to decide exactly what it is you’d like from you’re day, who you’d like to fly and then get on over to our site to see which option is best for you, alternatively however, you can of course call us on 01404 823102!

At Bailey Balloons we value our customers unconditionally. Of course your custom means the world to us; however our interest in you does not dwindle once you have flown. We like to stay in touch and offer wonderful incentives to customers who’d like to come back and fly again! We are always very keen to hear your accounts of the day and so would be delighted if our customers would share their individual experiences of their balloon flights with us. We love to hear about the thoughts and feeling that were provoked by the flight and what you thought of us, the pilot and how you were treated throughout the process. In fact, why don’t you share your photos and memories with us so that we can display them on our website? You may even be able to view other passenger’s photos from the same flight! Simply send them to us at info@baileyballoons.co.uk and we will update the website. For our reference, please also include the date and location of your flight.

Of course there’s no other experience quite like hot air ballooning and so our customers are normally stunned by the excitement of it all! Many of our customers like to come back and fly again in order to take it all in properly‼ Our reputation for individually is second to none and here at Bailey Balloons we take great pride in tailoring each individual day to the person, thanks to this, no two balloon rides are the same! Together with our fantastic choice of locations and varying wind conditions, you certainly won’t be looking at the same landscapes as you did the first time. Experience the magic of ballooning once more with us, and we might just add in a little sweetener of a generous 15% off! Just think, this could make the perfect birthday present, Christmas present, anniversary surprise or even Valentines present! To take advantage of this fantastic opportunity, simply call our booking office on 01275 375300 and one of our friendly team will be more than happy to make your booking and answer any questions you might have.