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!

2011 is approaching its end and despite the obstacles the recession has brought with it from redundancies to frozen salaries, your staff have stuck with you. Your customers and clients have remained loyal to your business despite the fact that you have been unable to offer them the reductions you could last year or the incentives for that matter. It’s been a tough year and those who have stuck by you and your business should be rewarded. Many companies buy presents for their employees at Christmas time, or offer a bonus, where as clients and customers are often taken for posh meals. But have you considered doing it a little differently this year?

The likes of Peugeot, Ford, Unilever, Bovey Castle Ltd, Calibre Recruitment, Morgan Stanley, Bentley, Tresanton Hotel, Express & Echo, Eventscape, Nuffield Hospital and Supercat Ltd decided they would do it a little differently to the rest and have all impressed clients and wowed staff with a corporate hot air balloon ride at Aerosaurus Balloons.

Each business has been impressed by the experience Aerosaurus Balloons has given them and some have pledged to come back again very soon! Aerosaurus Balloons have over 23 years experience of providing champagne hot air balloon flights to individuals and groups and for a range of different occations. Boasting a number of meeting locations throughout the South West such as Cornwall, South Devon, Mid and East Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire; we are sometimes even able to fly from your own location depending on aviation, geographic and physical suitability.

One Customer quoted;

“Arthur, just a quick note to let you know the Breathingspace / Morgan Stanley ballooning evening was a great success (client’s words). A big thank you for sorting & please pass on our thanks to your excellent team, I am sure we will be bringing more clients to you in the future.”

But is it any wonder why corporate ballooning goes down so well when research suggests that Hot Air Balloon Flights consistently fall in the “Top Ten Things” people have always wanted to do? Why not consider entertaining your clients or rewarding your employees with this unique, exciting and memorable gift, plus, if you’re trying to impress prospective customers, there is no doubting the “Wow” factor this would have on any sales campaign!

Here at Aerosaurus Balloons we have multiple balloons which carry various numbers of passengers. We are able to provide exclusive tailored flights, team building experiences and mass balloon launches for up to 100 of your guests at one time and just to make sure your brand name is noticed; you can even have your name on the balloon! Interested? Get in touch on 01404 823 102.

Many people like to choose a specific date for their hot air ballooning adventure. This could be for a loved ones birthday present, an anniversary surprise, or maybe purely because you have a hectic work schedule and you’ll be booking a holiday day in advance. At Alba Balloons we understand this and the importance of sticking to schedules and so do everything we can to help our customers get exactly what they need and want from the experience.

In order to request a particular flight date, you will firstly need either an Alba Ballooning voucher (take a look at our variety of Flight Vouchers) or an affiliated Agency voucher (e.g. Balloons over Britain, Acorne Sports, Virgin Experience Days, Buy a Gift, Exhilaration, LastMinute.com, Flights4All etc.). When registering your voucher with us, you will then be able to book a flight date.

You will find a list of available dates on our flight bookings page where you can select the appropriate date and book direct from there. However please be aware that flights can be cancelled due to poor weather conditions, unfortunately this is out of our control! Always check flight online, if your date is ‘cancelled’ you will need to rebook as soon as possible. However it is imperative that you call the office to check even where bookings are NOT listed as cancelled, better to be on the safe side.

Alba Ballooning covers areas across Scotland’s including its capital city of Edinburgh and the surrounding picturesque Lothian and Peeblesshire countryside. Alba also covers the scenic region of Perth & Kinrosshire and Fife, plus from 2011, Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders and also over Northumberland from near Morpeth have been added to the list!

For more information visit our website www.albaballooning.co.uk, or alternatively call us on 01875 830709.

On the Sunday 11^th September this year at 7:40pm, the British ballooning team consisting of David Hempleman-Adams and Simon Care landed their balloon after taking part in the Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race 2011. The pair landed after 20 hours of flying in their Lady Luck balloon, finding themselves in Worgl, Austria, when a thunderstorm became a threat.

Enjoying a scenic flight over the luscious French Alps, the Swiss Alps, and the Austrian Alps, Hempleman-Adams and Carey initially launched their balloon from Gap in France at 10:40pm on the Saturday. Reaching a distance of 580.9 km, the pair weren’t far off the German Team 2 winners who reached 645.6 km, landing just outside Saltzburg. The German team 1 came in at second place. Our very own Flight Director Clive Bailey (of Bailey Balloons) and Luc Trullemans, maintained communications with the British team at regular intervals throughout the flight, from the HQ in Bristol at the Bristol Hotel.

Clive commented;

“We are especially proud of David and Simon given the competition they faced. They have had an exciting and stunning flight which was much shorter than last year’s flight due to the high altitudes that they had to fly at and bad weather but it was a flight that was hard work but ended with a perfect stand up landing.”

Upon landing Hempleman-Adams phoned to say;

“We had to land as there were thunder storms all around. We had a truly spectacular flight with amazing views over the Alps, Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn…incredible. Nige and Bob, the retrieve crew turned up within a few minutes of us landing and we all then had to sort out the balloon after which they celebrated with some whisky and then retired to a local restaurant to savour some hot food.”

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.

It is of most peoples opinion, that hot air ballooning is or would be one of the most romantic things a couple could do. Picture this; you’re in a relationship, maybe it’s new and you’re both full of that wonderful fuzziness, unable to think about much else but each other at every given moment of the day, or maybe you’ve been together for years and you’re stronger than ever, more in love with each other every day. Now imagine experiencing the beauty and tranquillity of a romantic hot air balloon ride with your loved one, sharing in an experience which will stay with you forever.

Imagine standing side by side, anticipating the feeling as the ground falls away and you both lift high into the sky, the landscape becoming the most beautiful painting you’ve ever seen, the air smelling sweater the higher you go. Just think of how perfect it would be to watch the world drift on by, a full 360 degree view of the land beneath you, the most tranquil experience, breathtaking, and shared with the person you want to spend the rest of your days with, your soul mate.

There couldn’t be a more perfect experience which is why so many people are now choosing to get married in hot air balloon. In fact people all over the world are getting hitched while floating gracefully over their favourite countryside, and wouldn’t you if you could? Many people book the day with a flights company who fly over an area which is sentimental to the couple, which can only enhance the perfection of the day. Although the service itself doesn’t actually take place in the balloon, the couple do get married on the ground and will then go up in the balloon afterwards, celebrating their marriage whilst flying in the air, and what a way to mark the day!

If this is something which appeals to you, an idea you’ve contemplated with your partner, then why not get in touch with us here at Balloons Over Britain where our member companies cover locations right across the UK! If you’d like to know more, simply call 0845 071 6388 where we’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

Only at Alba Ballooning can you look forward to a flight this September with a £20 discount PER PERSON! In celebration of 11 years in operation, here at Alba Ballooning we’ve decided to show our customers the gratitude we feel for their consistent loyalty and custom. We offer balloon rides near Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh and the surrounding and truly stunning Lothian and Peeblesshire countryside. You can even book flights over the scenic region of Perth, Kinrosshire and Fife, and our newly acquired flight location of the Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders along with Northumberland from near Morpeth.

If you’re thinking about getting involved remember, we schedule daily flights during early morning and evening slots, this way we’re able to capture the most beautiful parts of the day. Our flights run from mid March to late October and you’ll find that we fly during the winter period on occasion. With a fleet of three balloons each with baskets to accommodate between 6 and 12 passengers, we have the choice to tailor the flight to your individual requirements. Each balloon basket is sectioned into comfortably padded 2 or 3 person compartments which have safe high sides. But what pleases our customer the most is our friendly and personal touch combined with our professional service.

We relish the fact that our balloons take no more than 12 passengers, that’s quite enough! There are many companies who have balloons that will take 16 passengers and treat their customers like they’re buying tickets for a bus journey. With us we like to make our customers feel special and we consistently strive to make your day individual, magical.

We do not oversell more places than we are able to fly, this way we know that everyone will have plenty of opportunity to fly with us without the extensive waiting lists! In fact we even go as far as to display our Flight Schedules online so that you can see for yourselves when you’re likely to be in the air. Still, it always helps to talk to a person when booking an adventure such as this, so if you have any questions at all, or would simply rather book over the phone, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01875 830709.

Our passenger balloon flights operator Bailey Balloons offers you the opportunity to charter your very own hot air balloon (and pilot) with inclusive bubbly champagne and for your choice group! Yes that’s right, they not only offer individual bookings, couples and intimate affairs; they also offer group bookings and parties for that perfect celebration. Maybe you’ve been on a mission to find the ideal corporate team building activity, a suave way of entertaining clients or an impressive way to reward your hard working staff? Alternatively you just can’t stretch to summer holiday abroad this year and instead would like to take your family on a journey they’ll never forget? Does your family need a boost after making it through some difficult times, or maybe you’re organising a Stag Do or Hen Night? Then again, you’re probably just looking for the ultimate birthday or anniversary gift.

Offering far more than just a hop-on, hop-off balloon ride, Bailey Balloons offers your party the opportunity to help our crew inflate the balloon and prepare it for take-off! Then, when you’re in the air your pilot will be more than happy to answer any questions that your group has whilst also capturing your experience on camera by taking an in-flight photograph! Photo’s can be purchased at the end of your flight as a memento of your wonderful day.

Whatever it is your looking at celebrating Bailey Balloons are the flights company for you. Whether it’s for 2, 4, 16 or 100 people, Bailey Balloons are able to accommodate your group whatever the size! They offer a tailor made, interactive and exhilarating ballooning experiences which is sure to exceed your expectations, plus as you’re making a group booking, we’ll be more than happy to discuss discounted rates – feel free to call us on 01275 375 300 or email info@baileyballoons.co.uk.

At Bailey Balloons we value our customers and strive to give each and every passenger a personal experience and our full undivided attention. For this reason we receive extremely positive reviews and a lot of repeat custom. So now we’d like to give you back that little bit more to say thanks and to show how we value you.

Discounts For Dedicated Customers!

If you book another flight with Bailey Balloons which is sure to provide you with yet another unique experience and one which is completely different to your previous flight(s), then we’d like to show our appreciation by giving you 15% off your next airborne adventure. This is the perfect opportunity for those ballooning enthusiasts who would like to check out yet another beautiful location, for the photographer still trying to get that perfect snap and for those who’d like to go again only this time with their loved ones. Alternatively, maybe you’d like to buy that perfect Christmas, birthday or anniversary present, one they’ll remember for years to come. Either way, grab with us for a bargain!

Share Your Special Day With Us!   

At Bailey Balloons we’re very keen to provide our new comers with as many ballooning photographs as possible so that they can get a feel for what it’s like to be up in a Hot Air Balloon. We would be very grateful if you would share with us your snaps of the day so that we can provide as diverse an account of ballooning as possible. So if you enjoyed your magical airborne tour and you’d like to share this with other potential flyers, then we’d love you to send your photos and memories to us and we will display them on our website. You will also get the opportunity to view other passenger’s photos from the same flight. Please send them to us at info@baileyballoons.co.uk and we will upload them directly to our website. And remember; please include the date and location of your flight!

Many hot air balloon passengers ask the same question,  “Can I take my camera with me?”.  The answer to that question is yes, of course you can!  Flying in a hot air balloon can cause your pictures to be a little hazy however, so make sure to fit a UV filter to ensure that you get the best quality photographs possible.  You will also need to bear in mind that any possessions you may take along with you are your responsiblilty.

Whilst flying over the beautiful British landscape, you can be sure of taking awe inspiring photographs from a whole new perspective.  You will have spectacular birds eye views of rolling countryside, quaint villages, pretty churches and amazing architecture from the comfort of a hot air balloon, and taking photographs as you fly will give you impressive, professional looking photographs that you can show off to your friends and family.  Arranging a balloon flight to take some fantastic photographs couldn’t be easier!  Simply visit the Balloons over Britain website where you can purchase flight vouchers for that once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

For those of you who would like to take photographs from the ground, balloon flights most often occur at dawn and dusk when the wind is at it’s calmest.  There are so many different locations that Balloons over Britain fly across and you may even meet some of the ground crew who are a friendly bunch of people.  Hot air balloons come in many different shapes and sizes, so keep your eyes peeled and your camera close!

If you would like more information about Balloons over Britain hot air balloon flights, visit our site or contact us on 0845 071 6388 or by using our contact form.  Alternatively, you can request one of our brochures.