Have you flown with us before? If so, here at Bailey Balloons we’d love to hear back from you! Your feedback means the world to us, good or bad! We like to know how we can improve our service and know we can only do this with the help of our customer’s constructive guidance and of course we need to be told where we are getting it right so that we can keep doing so! Why not get in touch with us by phone on 01275 375 300, by email: info@baileyballoons.co.uk or by leaving your comments on this post. We love to hear our flyers memoirs of the day’s events, some of the stories we here are truly engaging and some have even made it into our articles! So come on over and tell us about your experiences!

Although we take professional in flight photographs during our flights, we LOVE to see our flyers own photographs of the day’s events. So if you remembered to bring your camera, and you captured some shots during the flight, good or bad, please take a moment to send them over to us, we might even upload them to our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/baileyballoons) but not without your permission if course! So if you enjoyed the thrill and exhilaration of your personal day of ballooning, we’d love you to share your photos and memories with our prospective flyers, we’ll even display them on our website! What’s more, if you flew with other passengers, you will even have the opportunity to view their photos from the same flight! When sending please remember to include the date and location of your flight so that we can tally your photo’s and comments up with others and our own.

Fancy a little sequel flight incentive? How’s about this?! You can enjoy another (wholly unique) ballooning experience with us accept this time, as you’re honouring us with your presence and loyalty again, we’d like to offer you a little bonus. If you’d like to commemorate another special day with us, celebrate another loved ones big day, create a magical moment with someone special or write history for the kids, the grandkids even, then why not try a different location or different time of day with us? Enjoy the true beauty of ballooning in our vast skies again with a discount of 15% when booking with Bailey Balloons! This may be worth considering as a Christmas present, or Birthday maybe, or better still, the perfect way to pop the question? To take advantage of our special offer, please ring our booking office on 01275 375300, where one of our friendly team will be happy to help.

Those of you who know us here at Bailey Balloons will already be aware of our strong participation in the BBC One Show. As a hugely broadcasted television program, you can probably imagine that we’re quite proud of this and so we’re going to take every opportunity to keep you informed about what’s been going on and what is scheduled ahead. For Bailey Balloons ‘newbie’s’ and prospective flyers, Bailey Balloons are responsible for the operation of the One Show’s balloon which frequently appears on the show!

It had been busy again flying over different places in the UK for the BBC’s One Show, in fact we’d appeared on the show every night from the 26^th to the 30^thof March!

On Monday 26th March was the Tilt-shift show where specialist photographers were able to make the village of Bourton on the Water seem miniature! You can even watch the episode for yourself here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01f4zf1/The_One_Show_26_03_2012/ .

On Tuesday 27th March was the Dying Forests show which tragically showed many of our trees are dying of disease! Our One Show Balloon flew over Wales to find out more. See for yourself here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01f4zgg/The_One_Show_27_03_2012/.

On Wednesday 28th March you may have seen the Black Out episode where Larry Lamb investigated how during WW2 many decoys were created to divert German bombs away from real targets such as airfields and cities. Take a look here! – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01f4zhw/The_One_Show_28_03_2012/.

On Thursday 29th March episode, we learned about Bristol’s Floating Harbour, with presenter Dick Strawbridge. Watch this episode here – tp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007tcw7.

Finally, on Friday 30th March, the One Show balloon took off from Caldicot Castle and flew between the two Severn Bridges looking at the amazing engineering and how the original bridge was the template for many other suspension bridges across the world.

Did you know that Bailey Balloons are not only leaders in the hot air ballooning world, but also specialise in aerial filming! Using a selection of hot air balloons, blimps and micro helicopters, Bailey Balloons are able to capture some of the most gripping footage!

Clive and Jo Bailey thrive on adventure and love a new challenge, so when given the idea of aerial filming, it was clear it would be an area they would be passionate about. What’s more, they now have quite a few experiences they may like to brag about! For example, they recently flew Jamie Oliver for Jamie’s Great Britain (his latest TV series) from Ashton Court in Bristol. Boasting further celebrity passengers such as Ant & Dec for Britain’s Got Talent where they filmed from a helicopter circling a Union Jack Balloon!

The plot thickens as television ad’s star our very own Jo Bailey, like for example the LandRover ad where she flew a one person cloud hopper balloon in Vancouver over the Canadian Rockies under the blanket of the night sky; certainly an experience she won’t be forgetting any time soon!

If there’s ever a balloon company to trust yourself in the hands of, it’s Bailey Balloons. Picking up four awards in 2011, Bailey Balloons are most certainly deserved of their multiple awards; they were even presented with one by HRH Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace!  And if Royalty aren’t convincing enough, how about the BBC? Bailey Balloons even operate the One Show Balloon and have filmed some breathtaking footage across the UK including g the beautiful tulip fields of Norfolk!

It really couldn’t be simpler to enjoy some of Bailey Balloons action yourself. You can call us for more information or for bookings on 01275 375 300, or you can visit us online where you’ll find everything you need to know about us at your finger tips, along with a quick and easy booking facility where you will find flight vouchers for as little as £85 per person. You must have many unanswered questions, so go ahead and find out more!

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.

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.

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.