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.

Our very own Clive Bailey is becoming quiet the celebrity! On the 21^st November this year Clive won this year’s prestigious WRBBAC (The Western Region British Balloon and Airship Club) for his services to ballooning and particularly for his dedication to the Metline – balloonist’s weather phone used to determine safe conditions for flying which he’s been doing for 13 years!

Clive Bailey was presented the award by the Chairman of the WRBBAC, Phil Dunnington himself and where better to present the award than in the pub, just perfect to celebrate with a nice glass of bubbly!

The award is famously given out on Montgolfier Day, remembered from back on the 21^st November 1793 for the first piloted balloon flight! The montgolfière-style hot air balloon, globe aérostatique was designed by two brothers, Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier who succeeded in launching the first piloted ascent, carrying the now famous Étienne into the sky, becoming the first person to fly in a hot air balloon!

So from all the Balloons Over Britain Team, a big congratulations to Clive Bailey!

But of course the success of this award was not enough to fulfil Clive’s thirst for fame and so he took upon his next adventure, this time to get involved in his own way on BBC One Show. So on December 2^nd this year, Clive sailed across the water in the one and only One Show hot air balloon! He flew from Caldicot in South Wales to Thornbury between the two Severn Bridges and enjoyed serene whether throughout his trip. Another box ticked eh Clive?

If you’d like to make your first magical hot air balloon ride with the ever famous Bailey Balloons then you’ve certainly chosen well. In the best and most capable ballooning hands across the UK, Bailey Balloons can offer you flights from launch from sites in Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire and South Wales and fly over some of the most beautiful towns and countryside in the UK! Plus, at the moment you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a balloon ride when you purchase one of our vouchers!

But don’t take our word for it that Bailey Balloons are the best; take a look at our customer Testimonials page to see what our customers say having experienced one of our flights for themselves!

Do you dream of flying in a hot air balloon, travelling with the gentle winds through the magnificent big blue sky? Being the safest way to fly, you could admire the breathtaking scenery, enjoy the romance of the moment and lock the memory of its peacefulness away for safekeeping, all with the knowledge that you are in safe hands. When ballooning you will experience heights between 1,000 and 5,000 feet, and be treated like a VIP for at least an hour summarised with a lovely glass of champagne!

Have you considered buying a hot air balloon ride as a Christmas or birthday present? At Balloons Over Britain we have a large selection of different locations and member companies who will put the magic into any birthday celebration. One thing’s for sure, a hot air balloon ride would certainly make for a birthday to remember! Why not take a look at the various offers we have at Balloons Over Britain, browse our locations and research your dream flight. Book online or call us for more information – 0845 071 6388.

Interesting facts

• The World Record for altitude in a hot air balloon was set by Vijaypat Singhania on November 26, 2005, reaching 68,986 feet breaking the previous record of 64,997 feet set back in 1988 by Per Lindstrand (born in Sweden, living in the UK) in Plano, Texas.
• The Longest distance hot air balloon flight was piloted by Per Lindstrand & Richard Branson and flew 4,767 miles from Japan to Northern Canada on January 15, 1991 in the Virgin Pacific Flyer balloon.
• The longest duration hot air balloon ride was 50 hours and 38 minutes made by Michio Kanda and Hirosuke Tekezawa of Japan on January 2, 1997.
• The largest manufacturer of hot air balloons is Cameron Balloons of Bristol, England, who also own Lindstrand Balloons of Oswestry, England.

Balloons Over Britain are the UK’s leading balloon flights co-ordinator managing balloon operators right across the UK. Most of our members companies have been operating passenger balloon rides for over ten years and some hold experience for twice as long as that! It’s no wonder that Balloons Over Britain are the UK’s number one choice for passenger balloon rides!

Considering our extensive list of member companies along with the many years experience held by all, Balloons Over Britain hold an unparalleled wealth of operational experience combined with the highest operating standards. However more impressively, from our endless experience has come many of the procedures that have now been incorporated into the industries standards via our regulatory body, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)! And to clarify, all Balloons Over Britain members hold Air Operators Certificates issued by the CAA. Please note that this certification is only granted to fare-paying-passenger carrying companies who satisfy the organisational and safety requirements required by the CAA.

You can experience an intimate balloon ride for two or even make a booking for a party of 16, that’s the beauty of Balloons Over Britain, with all our member companies, we have a choice of so many balloons! Take a look at our map of the UK for an idea of the areas we cover, or alternatively view our list of balloon ride operators.

However many of our customers are not looking for a standard passenger balloon ride, instead they turn to us for help with Corporate entertainment as incentives for their customers and clients or even their staff and often people come to us regarding Commercial opportunities for balloon operation and advertising. Whatever it is you’re looking for, simply visit our site or call us on 0845 071 6388 for more information.

Hot air ballooning began as a crazy hobby entertained by the wealthy (or the slightly insane) and for many years ballooning over certain distances and oceans became an ambition of many. It has now established itself as a highly beneficial medium for advertising, as a popular corporate entertainment activity or incentive, and at the top of many people’s ‘Top Ten Things to Do Before They Die’.

In terms of corporate entertainment, what better way to treat potential clients and respected clients than a hot air balloon ride, particularly a ride which ends where the balloons lands within the grounds of a conference venue and is summed up with chilled champagne! When launching new products and campaigns hot air ballooning has taken its crowd by storm launching balloons of almost any shape into the sky. The company brand or product can be seen by thousands over a massive area.

In 1991, 6 of the UK’s largest and longest running balloon flight operators created the nationwide flight network which today we know as Balloons Over Britain. However the popularity of hot air ballooning only grew, as did their network; Balloons Over Britain now has 12 member companies who cover pretty much every flyable area in the UK. With locations dotted around London, the Lake District, Scotland, the South West of England, Wales and more, Balloons over Britain are proud of their achievement as the only comprehensive national balloon flight network throughout Britain.

Ballooning itself is a treat for anyone of any age who seeks any kind of thrill. A weather dependant activity it can often be a case of third time lucky, which just adds to the adventure! When the conditions are right, you’ll get that call and before you know it you’ll have helped set up the balloon and will be waiting with anticipation in the basket itself – that’s right – you, in the basket of a hot air balloon, your dream being realised. Imagine the butterflies in your tummy when it dawns on you that you’ve actually started rising, when you realise the basket is no longer on the ground, your airborne!

This could be you with just one phone call, or a couple of clicks. You can book online, read more about Balloons Over Britain and our member companies on our site, call us for a chat, or even book it with us over the phone; it’s simple, just call 0845 071 6388 or visit us at www.balloonsoverbritain.co.uk.

Did You Know?

• The ‘Atlantic Crossing’ was one of the most sought after ballooning achievements of all time, and it wasn’t until 1978 when the Atlantic Challenge was finally conquered! This was achieved by 3 pilots; Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, all of which flew the distance in 137 hours, covering 3,120 miles in the Double Eagle II.
• The very first recorded ‘Around the World’ hot air balloon flight was achieved in 1999 when Swiss Betrand Piccard and British Brian Jones teamed up and broke the record! They took off from Chateau d’Oex in the Swiss Alps and after 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes, they successfully landed over Mauritania in North Africa. The succeeded in their mission to become the first balloonists to circumnavigate the globe without any stops for re-fuelling, and travelled a total distance of 42,810 KM!
• The first ‘Solo Around the World Flight’ was accomplished by a man named Steve Fossett who actually attempted to the journey a previous 6 times before he succeeded! He managed to achieve his goal on Tuesday 2nd July 2002, becoming the first and still only person to have managed to travel around the world solo in a hot air balloon.

Have you ever considered making history of your own? Maybe it’s high time *eh hem* you took your own hot air balloon ride and became the first of your friends, or family to take to the skies in this way. Or maybe you’ve dreamed of this moment forever and have decided now’s the time? Well luckily for you Balloons Over Britain cover the whole of the UK, so wherever you want to go, we’ll get your there. Take a look at our member companies on our site, book your flight or even check out our locations, or alternatively, just call us on 0845 071 6388 for more information.

Last week in our Aerosaurus Balloons Blog, we told you about how the BWPA (British Woman Pilots Association) were promoting a ‘Women in the Air’ day. Today via our Balloons Over Britain blog we thought we’d give you another nudge! This year’s ‘Women in the Air’ day will be on August bank holiday Monday the 29^th and we urge everyone interested in this British milestone to participate and celebrate this historic commemoration.

Back in 1911, August 29^th, Hilda Hewlett a 47 year old mother of two, became the first British women to gain her pilots license. Hilda proudly owned her own flying school in Brooklands Surrey and ran the business herself. In the same year that Ms Hewlett gained her pilots license, she also taught her Naval officer son to fly. In  celebration of the 100 year anniversary of Hilda’s achievement, this bank holiday Monday, August 29^th, some airfields, will be offering visiting women pilots free or reduced landing fees in recognition of this momentous day. Other airfields will be involving female staff in all areas of their operations, from bookings to air traffic control and grounds crew to re-fuelling. Women and girls will also be able to take advantage of special air experience flights with some flying schools, while local media will be promoting this nationwide day and widespread encouragement is being given for females everywhere to take part.

Over 260 flying schools and clubs nationwide have been invited to join in on the days celebrations and are encouraged to urge more women to get involved in aviation in whatever capacity. The aim is to get as many women in the air on the day as possible! Aerosaurus Balloons will be celebrating ‘Women in the Air Day’ in their own way by arranging a spread of hot air balloon flights on August the 29th to celebrate Hildas’ anniversary. So if you’d like to take part on the day, why not get in touch with us on 01404 823102 and we will run through the different locations and prices available for that day.

Today, I watched the film “Around the World in 80 Days” which had me thinking about how remarkable the human race really is and just how far we have come over the past few decades.  An achievement like piloting a hot air balloon around the world really is a feat to be admired and this was successful in 1981 after many attempts.  In fact, it has since become a worldwide race.  There are even a few rules which have been laid down by the World Air Sports Federation in regards to round-the-world flights:

• To fly at least 25,000 KM
• Crossings all meridians
• Within an area bounded by two caps superimposed on the pole

The furthest distance ever to be travelled in a hot air balloon was a staggering 42,810 KM!  This was achieved in 1999 by Betrand Piccard of Switzerland and Brian Jones of Great Britain who piloted the Breitling Orbiter 3.  It launched from the Chateaux D’Oex in the Swiss Alps on the 1st March 1999 and they headed south to avoid flying over China, a country that has strict laws about any form of aviation craft flying over their country.  Having successfully navigated the correct flight path, they reached the Pacific Ocean within 11 days.  When the Breitling Orbiter 3 reached the Caribbean, another issue arised.  The balloon began to lose speed!  Piccard and Jones overcame this,using a huge amount of Propane fuel to project them back up into the air, gaining as much altitude as possible.  This worried them as they did not want to run out of fuel during the journey, but at the time, this was the only option they had.  It worked though!  At 10,500 meters, the air currents blew them back on course and with this strengthened wind, their speed increased a great deal. 

Betrand Piccard and Brian Jones made history on the 21st March 1999, having landed in Mauritania, North Africa.  They became the first people to have circumnavigated the globe in a hot air balloon!  

A hot air balloon flight can be experienced by just about anyone and will provide a lifetime of cherished memories.  Balloons over Britain offer flights over the majority of the UK mainland so why not book your very own dream flight today?

Balloon history is utterly fascinating.  The oldest type of unmanned hot air balloon were the Chinese Kongming Lanterns dating back to 220-80 AD.  These were used in sending military signals.  Subsequently, this raised the question of manned flight.  In 1973,  Pilatre De Rozier launched a hot air balloon called “Aerostat Reveillon”, the first recorded untethered balloon flight. On board the balloon was a sheep, a duck and a rooster and the balloon remained in the air for a grand total of 15 minutes before crashing back to the ground.  Two months later, the first manned flight occured in Paris, where the balloon remained buoyant for 20 minutes.  This paved the way for hot air balloon travel.

Two years following these groundbreaking achievements, balloons were flown across the English Channel which at the time was considered to be the first step in long distance balloon travel.   Unfortunately, Pilatre de Rozier was killed later in the year when attempting to repeat the success of the first English Channel crossing.

1793 saw Jean Pierre Blanchard become the first man to fly a hot air balloon in North America.  Why “North” America and not the whole of America, I hear you ask?  There is speculation that the Nazca culture of Peru used hot air balloons 1500 to 2000 years ago as a tool for designing the famous Nazca ground figures and lines.

140 years after Jean Pierre Blanchard flew his balloon across North America, Auguste Piccard flew his balloon upwards.  He reached a height of 52,498 feet, setting a new altitude record. In the next couple of years, altitude records continued to be set and broken every couple of months.  1935 saw the balloon Explorer 2, a gas helium model reach an altitude of 72,395 feet (13.7 miles).  This altitude record was to be broken again in 1960 when Captain Joe Kittinger made a parachute jump from a balloon that was at a height of 102,000 feet.  The balloon broke the existing altitude record and Captain Kittinger, the high altitude parachute jump record. He even broke the sound barrier with his body!

Every so often, a ballooning record will be broken and balloon history is created.  Why not create your own little piece of personal history with a hot air balloon flight of your own?  Visit our Balloons over Britain website where you can find more information on hot air balloons and book a flight for an experience you will never forget!

For many years, the greatest challenge for balloon pioneers was to cross the Atlantic.  After this was achieved, the challenge became greater.  Balloon enthusiasts asked “Would it be possible to fly around the world? “. 

In 1999, the first recorded balloon flight around the world was achieved by Betrand Piccard of Switzerland and the British Brian Jones.  They launched their balloon on the 1st March from Chateau d’Oex in the Swiss Alps and after 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes, successfully landed over Mauritania in North Africa.  They became the first balloonists to circumnavigate the world without stopping to re-fuel and travelled an amazing 42,810 kilometres!

This inspiring feat was to reoccur only once more by solo flier, Steve Fossett.  Steve had already had several failed attempts trying to fly around the world, then finally, the flight in his balloon “The Spirit of Freedom” saw him take the record for the first soloist to fly around the world.  He launched from Northam, Western Australia on the 19th June 2002 and completed his flight in an amazing 14 days 19 hours and 50 minutes. 

Since Betrand Piccard and Brian Jones’ flight and Steve Fossett’s solo flight, no one has managed to repeat their success.  Surely it can only be a matter of time before another balloon pilot accomplishes the most difficult challenge of flying a hot air balloon around the world?  Make sure you watch this space…