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.

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.

It’s not too late to take advantage of Wickers World’s Wonderful Winter Offer! And now’s the time to do it! Valentine’s Day is looming folks and the cash for most is not yet flowing! So why not take advantage of our fabulous offer whilst treating your loved one to the most spectacular Valentine’s Day gift of their lifetime without breaking the bank! Sound too good to be true? Well worry not, this is a genuine offer, but it’s nearly at its end.

Simply choose your ballooning destination and telephone to place your order. We won’t ask you to pay up now, we simply ask for a deposit and the rest is payable by the 1^st March. This way your January pay packet can go towards paying up your Christmas bills and Valentine’s Day can be paid for after the event.

We only ask you to pay 50% of the order value at the time of purchase, and we won’t ask for a penny more until March 1st 2012! We won’t charge you interest and we won’t put our prices up to compensate, it’s as straightforward as it sounds! We will however only accept telephone orders, but you can pay with your card, cheque or with cash.

Pick from our locations in Staffordshire, Derbyshire & The Peak District, Warwickshire & Gloucestershire, Cheshire & Shropshire and Warwickshire & Herefordshire. As you can see, we book flights in the most beautiful parts of the UK and are Pilot’s will take you over the most Romantic settings, rolling countryside, breathtaking horizons and historic villages. Our pilots have a real passion for ballooning and will tailor your flight to your wishes. If you’re happy, we’re happy!

We fly on every single day of the year that the weather and ground conditions allow! This includes weekdays, weekends, Bank Holidays and so on, however please do not expect us to fly on Christmas Day! We take off about an hour after dawn, and again about two hours before sunset. It’s at these times of day that the conditions are most suitable for ballooning; all you need to do is decide which of those times you’d enjoy the most.

We advise you check our schedule of flights for the next few weeks, which is something that our competitors do not let you see until you’ve bought a voucher. By allowing you access to this, you can see how frequently we fly in the areas of your choice and if we’re likely to be able to offer you a flight on the day of your choice.

We are open from 9am until at least 5pm, Monday to Friday, and even at variable hours at weekends too! So for more information or for bookings simply give us a call – 01889 88 22 22.

Ahh, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching people and with less than three weeks to go, maybe it’s time you pull your socks up and get your special someone the gift they’ll remember for a lifetime. Is this the very special year that you’d like to make the all time most romantic gesture? Maybe you’re looking for the ultimate way to propose to your partner? On the other hand, you could just want to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style and knock the socks off your loved one! It would certainly impress!

As a woman and speaking from personal experience, I have to say that Yes, it does matter how you are proposed to! This day will be talked about for years to come. Your children, your grandchildren and your great grandchildren will be told the story of how daddy/grandpa proposed to mummy/grandma and their eyes will glow with excitement as they hear the story. Let’s face it, what is the first question people ask when you say ‘we’re engaged!’? Its how did he ask (or she!)? Did he get down on one knee? Where were you? Was it romantic? And I can tell you, popping the question over the very mundane board game of Absolute Balderdash is NOT the way! *Sigh*, starting out this way doesn’t lead to Happy Ever Afters either!

No, the way to do it is certainly 3,000 feet in the air in a hot air balloon; it truly doesn’t get more perfect than that! It ticks all the boxes; well thought out, effort in preparation, romantic, big gesture, the ‘wow’ factor, memorable and lavish! Enough to make your special someone feel very treasured indeed!

So would you like to know more about how you can organise a balloon flight for your loved one this Valentine’s Day? Then get in touch with Balloons Over Britain! We have locations all across the UK and are taking bookings now. You can buy vouchers from as little as £89 and offer you the flexibility to book online, or to call us where we will happily take your bookings. Whatever questions you have we’re more than happy to help. Take a look at our FAQ where you will find the answers to our most frequently asked questions, or of course phone for assistance – 0845 071 6388.

Happy Valentine’s!

Happy New Chinese Year of the Dragon from us all here at Alba Balloons where we are also celebrating 12 years of operations! In the spirit of our celebrations we are offering you a £30 discount per person! This discount is available on the following vouchers;

• Freedom Flight Voucher – Normally £169, now just £139 per person! This voucher enables you to book onto any of our scheduled flights, including weekends at any location; full flexibility!
• Weekday Flight Voucher - Normally £155, now just £125 per person! This voucher enables you to book onto any of our weekday scheduled flights, at any location; you are not pinpointed to a particular session (morning/evening).
• Weekday Morning Voucher – Normally £139, now just £109 per person! This voucher entitles you to book onto any of our weekday morning scheduled flights in Scotland!
• Premium Flight Voucher – Normally £199, now just £169 per person! This luxurious voucher gives the customer the option to book onto any of our scheduled flights, including weekends at any location of their choice! The voucher also includes an ‘in flight’ photo and is fully refundable.

Our locations include Lothians & Peeblesshire (near Edinburgh), Perth & Kinrosshire, Fife & Clackmannanshire, Scottish Borders (St Boswells & Kelso) and Northumberland (Longhorsley & Morpeth).  However, at Alba Balloons we understand how important it is that you have exactly the ballooning experience you’ve dreamed of, so all our vouchers can be transferred to be used with England based balloon operators too! All hot air balloon operators that are part of the Balloons over Britain group will also accept Alba Balloons Vouchers.

What we pride ourselves on most at Alba balloons is our strong reputation for customer service. We offer you a range of options and services which are unique only to us enabling you various advantages such as; the option to telephone our offices to speak directly with your pilot, the ability to see our flight availability before you buy, the option to purchase on line 24/7 and so on. We strive to schedule enough flights so that you can always book a short time ahead and never under any circumstances sell more vouchers than British weather could ever enable us to fly! What’s more, we notify you as early as possible of flight cancellations due to poor weather and promise to never make last minute changes to your booked flight meeting point.

For more information or to book your flight simply visit the site or call us on 01875 830 709.

Broadland Balloons are the UK’s number one hot air balloon flights company who provide passenger balloon flights in Norfolk and Suffolk. This part of Britain offers a serene vision of beauty, peaceful countryside, history and a breathtaking coastline. Gaze over the basket at your 360° view of East Anglia’s 200 km of rivers, National parks, medieval churches and Norwich’s staggering architecture.

As a member of the reputable Balloons Over Britain, Broadland Balloons constantly strive to meet the very high expectations and standards expected of them as a member of the company. With their name very well known in these parts of the UK for meeting customer’s expectations, safety standards and passion for what they do, the only thing left for them to work on is their value for money! This is why at various different times Broadland Balloons have some amazing special offers to tempt their customers! In fact, right now you can buy 2, any day champagne balloon flight gift vouchers on a very special deal indeed!

Buy 1 & get the second one half price! 2 of our Anyday flight vouchers for an unbeatable price!

With this offer, you can fly with us any day of the week from either Norfolk or Suffolk and the voucher is valid for 12 months from any date of your choosing! Each voucher includes;

• A 3-4 hour experience – not just a balloon flight!
• Full Pilot Briefing
• Invitation to assist with the preparation of the balloon
• Approximately 1 hour in the air
• Flight toasted in the traditional manner with a glass of Champagne or fruit juice!
• Personalised commemorative flight certificate signed and presented by the pilot
• Complimentary lift back to the launch site
• Optional in-flight photograph available
• Full insurance
• Just £250‼!
• Price shown is for two people – You will be joined by other passengers on your flight.

You can either book online, or simply call on 01603 495 004.