It is only just coming to the need of summer but many of us are already thinking of those gifts fro special people at Christmas time. Balloon ride gift certificates are a popular year-round choice, but giving them as a Christmas gift is popular as these can be used at any time during the year when it suits both you and the recipient of the hot air balloon ride.

The hot air balloon certificate is a unique gift and easy to give, well appreciated and convenient for the user. It is important that you do a little research before you buy a certificate from anyone, but at Balloons over Britain our directory of companies is the easiest way to guarantee you are dealing with a genuine balloon flight company that operates its own balloons, not from a gift certificate company or an intermediary adding their bit of profit. At Balloons over Britain our members have been operating passenger balloon rides for over ten years, some for twice as long giving us an unparalleled wealth of operational experience that we share across the network to ensure the highest operating standards. Call us and we will talk you through the many options available for this unique gift.

Since the early 1960’s hot air balloons for rides and competitions have been on the rise. Companies are increasingly using this exciting medium to publicise their company or one of its products. Many differing types of designs and colours are used and Hot Air Balloons are now in constant use all over the world.

Passengers using one of the local operators at Balloons over Britain will be familiar with the procedures of a hot air balloon flight, but for spectators the launch and landing are spectacular events to watch. Before the launch the balloon crew lays out the envelope and then uses a fan to blow hot air into the envelope of the balloon. Once there is enough air in the balloon, the crew starts the burner to heat the air inside.

The Hot Air Balloon ride itself is a wonderful experience, once tried it will never be forgotten and is one of the ten top things most people wish to do in their lifetime. Our qualified pilots’ always make a note of the wind and weather conditions and will not fly unless it is safe and ideal for that day. If the weather is not suitable on the scheduled day of your flight, our local hot air balloon operators will arrange for a new date and time that is suitable to you.

Firstly you should wear comfortable clothing no need to dress up but depending on the weather on the day of your Hot Air Balloon flight, you  should wear the type of clothing that you would expect to wear if you were going for a walk, with layered clothing much better than a heavy coat. Your shoes should have flat soles, and the majority of top clothing should be made of cotton rather than man-made fibres and tall passengers may find a hat useful because of the radiant heat from the burners.

Take a video or still camera as a hot air balloon makes a perfect camera platform and there is always plenty to photograph prior to, during and after to the flight. Allow for a total of around three hours for the whole experience, including approximately one hour for the actual balloon flight experience, something which you will remember for long time after you have safely landed.

There are very few marketing directors that would not like people to take a photograph of their expensive and well thought out advert, but how many people do you know that have cut one from a newspaper, or taken a picture of a roadside advertising hoarding and then put it into their photographic album? Few if any!

It is the aim of a company’s sales and marketing teams to raise the profile of a company and its corporate message and Balloons over Britain has a unique way in which this can be achieved, raising customer loyalty and brand awareness, while enhancing the organisation’s overall image.

Having a Hot Air Balloon with your company logo or product painted on to the hot air balloon fabric is a sure way of bringing this to the attention of thousands of people, maybe millions if is it is seen at a televised event. Additionally it is almost certain that many people will photograph this and show it to others. Having your own specially shaped balloon, or one painted in your colours is not all that expensive, contact us and we will be delighted to discuss the many options that are open to you.

You may be aware what is involved when you book a hot air balloon ride UK wide through one of the many operators within the organisation of Balloons over Britain. You will fly high and see the rolling hills and countryside gently float by below you, and we promise we will not spill a drop of that champagne reserved for you on landing, our enthusiastic and experienced chase crew will see to that!

Firstly you will be amazed as the Hot Air Balloon envelope begins to fill and begin to take that traditional tear drop or distinctive corporate shape, helped by cold air fans as well as the hot air burners. You should take lots of film in your camera, or bring along that new digital that you have as you will be sure to want to record as much of this as possible. Of course you will want to be recorded near and in the balloon basket, so ask one of the local operators expert crew, they are good at photography as well. We know you will enjoy your flight with a Balloons over Britain UK operator and you will have the photographic memories to treasure afterwards as well.

We understand that a Hot Air Balloon ride in the UK is not something you will do every weekend, so when you do decide to do it, do it right! At all the Balloons over Britain operators UK wide safety has always been the number one priority, and that’s not just talk! Hot air Ballooning is limited to times of good weather and light winds and if the weather doesn’t co-operate with us on the day of your flight, we’ll reschedule with you at a time convenient for you to fly at another time. The pilot’s decision to fly is always made with our passengers’ safety in mind and all our pilots are officially certified with the CAA with a commercial license.

Naturally all our UK wide Hot Air Balloon operators are fully covered by comprehensive insurance, which includes the chase vehicles employed in your flight. All our balloons are good to look at and with clean fabric and vibrant colours. Our balloons are custom made and we replace or refurbish them at regular intervals. All this of course costs money, but we feel the added margin of safety is well worth it.

One of the best and most sensible ways to give the gift of a Hot Air Balloon flight UK wide is through one of the voucher schemes that are offered at the website of Balloons Over Britain, the premier hot air balloon ride operator. The members operating under the Balloons over Britain umbrella have been taking passengers in their Hot Air Balloons for up to twenty years, giving an unparalleled wealth of operational experience.

There are two basic gift voucher schemes available through Balloons over Britain both of which give flexibility to you or the recipient of your gift. The local voucher scheme allows you to choose a local operator near you from the interactive website map or a comprehensive list of members. Alternatively the nationwide scheme offers a wide choice of options from which you can choose, accepted by all our operators at a time and place convenient to you or your friend.

We also have gift vouchers starting from only £25, these allow you to choose how much of the balloon flight that you want to pay for, a method of contributing towards a hot air balloon flight. Contact us and we will be pleased to you show the full range of gift voucher options.

The fields are, or have been harvested and as you fly over them offering their golden carpeted patterns, you will be pleased that you took the decision to take that autumn Hot Air Balloon rides at one of the Balloons over Britain UK launch sites.

September usually offers light winds and more settled weather, ideal for experiencing your first or maybe a return flight in one of our local operators Hot Air Balloons. The month offers superb sunrises and sunsets at the time when most of the balloon flights take place, giving you and your friends stunning vistas and photographic opportunities that will remain with you for ever. Ideally we would suggest that you buy a voucher which will enable you to choose a time and locality suitable to you and your friends, with the opportunity for you to make a wonderful autumn day.

We are all suffering from a pretty dreadful period of summer weather, but you should not be put off by some rain and cloud. Taking a Hot Air Balloon ride in the UK is subject to some vagaries with our renowned summers, but as long as the wind is not too strong, and your qualified Hot Air Balloon pilot considers it to be safe you will still enjoy the thrill of a lifetime.

Hot Air Ballooning is in the top ten of things most people want to do and it is something that is now easily achieved through Balloons over Britain’s operators who fly from locations that are near to you. When you buy a voucher you should book your flight about three to four weeks ahead, longer if this is going to be over a bank holiday or at the weekend. Please remember that ballooning is dependant or acceptable weather conditions, so you should contact your local operator by telephone to check to see if the flight will be taking place. Wear some sensible clothing and we guarantee that you will not just enjoy your Hot Air Balloon flight but will want to do it again.

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!