Held later than normal this year the Brass Monkey Hot Air Balloon event organised by the Pennine Region Balloon Association is to be held on the 6th and 7th of February 2010 at Rudding Park in Harrogate Yorkshire. With the really bad weather that the region, along with many others has suffered over this winter, it was a stroke of fortune that the organisers decided to hold the traditional starter to the year slightly later.

The event is always very popular with balloonists, enthusiasts and spectators alike as they see the colourful balloon ascend into the crisp air. Hot air balloons fly easier in really cold weather as the temperature difference between the heated air and the ambient air is much greater than at warmer times. So you can expect a great show and some quick lifts from the hot air balloons present.

 One of the largest balloon festivals in the world kicked off in Warstein, a small town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, last weekend, which is regarded as Europe’s biggest gathering of hot air balloons. With the usual collection of shapes and colours that are now associated with hot air balloons, around 323 pilots from 13 nations took part in the festival which ran until September 13th.

With hot air balloon events and festivals, the success is dependent on the weather being kind, but meteorologists are forecasting decent hot air ballooning weather for the next couple of days. Hot air balloon flights are planned twice each day during the entire festival week, with teams from Germany, Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, including some of Balloons over Britain operators.

If you were not able to go to the highly successful Hot Air Balloon festival at Bristol recently there is a great chance to see balloons at the popular Coniston Hot Air Balloon meet which is taking place on August the 28th to the 31st organised through the North West Balloon & Airship club.

There is a great weekend planned with all the usual attractions such as a nightglow festival, tethered balloons and demonstration flights. If you enjoy following balloons during a flight, please do so safely and keep your eyes on the road! When the balloon has landed, unless it is on public parkland, please do not enter the field. It does belong to somebody. Please do not park your vehicle where it may block the way for other road users, especially on narrow lanes. It is the duty of the retrieve crew to find the farmer or landowner to arrange the recovery of the balloon. Feel free to approach the crew on the road. They may be very glad of an extra pair of hands to help with the recovery and packing away. Balloons over Britain looks forward to seeing you.

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 Bristol area in the South West of England saw a sky full of Hot Air Balloons on Friday the 12th of June when for the first time ever the aerial fleet was allowed to take off from Bristol International Airport. Usually hot air balloons are restricted to specific launch site away from commercial and military airfields, but Friday was special as the flight was used to publicise the forthcoming hot air balloon festival at Ashton Court in Bristol.

Running each year from the 1st or 2nd Thursday in August to the following Sunday, the 4 days of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta are Ashton Courts biggest event by far, with over 150,000 visitors on its peak days. Book your place now and enjoy a wonderful weekend in the South West of England and join in the fun with Balloons over Britain.

The operators within the Balloons over Britain organisation are planning to be at the ever popular Royal Berkshire Show, this year on the 21st and 22nd of September held at the Newbury showground. Naturally a lot will depend upon the weather on the day but there will be a spectacular display that is for certain. All our members will have their brightly coloured and distinctive Hot Air Balloons in display and this event will give you a chance to talk to them and give you an opportunity to see how you could be come involved if you wished

If you contact us at Balloons over Britain we may be able to tell you how many operators will be attending, but this will be clearer as the day approaches. Some of our operators will be giving hot air balloon rides, normally these are pre booked so buying a balloon voucher now will ensure that you can take flight at the show. Buying a voucher ensures that in the event of cancellation, this can be re-used at a time convenient to you.

This is the time of year when Hot Air Balloon festivals are at their height and there could be no better time to take your new camera to record the magnificent sight of upwards of a hundred or so highly coloured Hot Air Balloons taking to the air.

Digital photography is on the march and most people are in possession of one in some form or another, even if this is a mobile ‘phone. Professional photographers have for a long time taken pictures of Hot Air Balloons which provide striking images of shape with highly contrasting colours. With the advent of digital cameras, amateurs can now reproduce photographs of professional standard and Hot Air Balloons give the budding photographer the product which offers them the chance to enter the numerous competitions in newspapers, or stills for TV. Taking your camera on a Hot Air Balloon Ride through Balloons over Britain local operators will give you the chance of some of the finest air to ground photography to be had, and you will just love the ride as well!

A visually spectacular show featuring Hot Air Balloons, a Night Glow event is something that once seen is rarely forgotten. Crowds at the Coliseum in Rome have recently been treated to an event at which the surrounds of the famous Coliseum were illuminated in a synchronised night glow festival.

A night glow is an event that is often held as a climax to a hot air balloon festival. The balloons are set up at sunset in the launch area, which has to be large enough to accommodate dozens of Hot Air Balloons. The Hot Air Balloons are firmly anchored to the ground and the propane burners are ignited periodically to keep the balloons inflated with hot air. Because this is a night event, the balloons glow like huge light bulbs, giving a memorable display for those present, a lively and visually spectacular event not to be missed.

If you are in the vicinity of Groombridge Place in Kent on Sunday the 3rd August 2008 you will be in for a magnificent spectacle. Millions of pounds worth of Ferrari motor cars will be on show as well as a spectacular number of hot air balloons of all shapes, sizes and colours.

This popular event is being held again this year following the success of last year’s event on the 5th August and is an opportunity to see Hot Air Balloons in action, being inflated, and during the afternoon pilots will explain how they are handled and flown, which weather permitting in the evening they will take off and provide a spectacular sight drifting sedately over the magnificent moated house. This is a complete family day out with plenty to occupy everyone and we feel sure that once you have seen some of our members Hot Air Balloons, you will want to fly in one too, easily satisfied with one of our online vouchers, we look forward to hearing from you.

The season for Hot Air Balloon events is well under way and many festivals and meets are taking place throughout the country. These Balloon events can involve as many as 100 Hot Air Balloons, or just a small gathering of a dozen or so. Weather permitting mass ascents in both the morning and evening take place and often public events feature a “nightglow” spectacular event.

Some events taking place are at; Kirby Lonsdale Rugby Club, Bowood House in Wiltshire, Ludley in Shropshire, The Sudeley Cup at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, Stewarts Park Middlesbrough, Burnley Balloon Meet in Towneley Park, a Grand Prix meet at Husbands Bosworth Leicestershire, Coniston in the Lake District, and Lakeside Lodge Pidley Cambridgeshire.

Remember to take a camera, wear layers of clothes it is often quite cool in the early mornings, wear flat and comfy shoes or boots, and be there early as the Hot Air Balloons are launched at around 7AM, above all have good time, we are sure that you will soon contact Balloons over Britain for your voucher to take your ride in a Hot Air Balloon.