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.

When it comes to running a successful business the key is to keep your customers and your clients happy. Express to them in whichever way you can that you value them, appreciate their business and that you are dedicated to them. Now this all sounds well and good, but sometimes it’s just not that easy. One of the most effective proven methods of retaining your customers and your clients is organise event that include them. Organise a corporate do, a giant BBQ, a day out at a theme park, a dinner dance, or even better, a day out in a hot air balloon!

A balloon is a powerful corporate entertaining tool with many companies participating for the entertainment of their clients, competition prize winners, customers, company staff, and even journalists for positive company marketing!

Hot air ballooning is a great incentive to staff; if the figures are down and morale low, it can be fixed simply by providing an incentive which will give your staff something to aim towards, something to work hard for. You could offer the reward to your office staff should they meet a certain target, or alternatively for larger companies who have various ‘teams’ within the office, you could offer the reward to the most deserving team at the end of the quarter.

Imagine how impressed your clients would be should you entertain them for the day in a hot air balloon. Certainly offering the ‘wow’ factor, hot air ballooning is on every ones ‘to do’ list and is sure never to be forgotten by those lucky clients of yours. Gestures such as this can only maintain a healthy relationship and are sure to leave your business in good standing. I doubt very much that your clients would look elsewhere when they realise that they’d miss out of your businesses yearly epic events!

If you’d like to learn more about how you could incorporate hot air ballooning into your business events, then please feel free to call us here at Balloons Over Britain on 0845 071 6388. Alternatively you can go right ahead and book online with our fast and simple voucher ordering process.

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.

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.

Balloons Over Britain where founded back in 1990 and are an organisation of Balloon flight operators based all across the UK! Specialising in carrying passengers for pleasure flights customers come to us for special staff and customer incentives and rewards, for the perfect birthday gift, for weddings, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, retirement, Christmas and so on.

It all began with Kim Hull’s Adventure Balloons in 1985 with the aim to make some money to maintain his ballooning hobby! When the government later regulated the sport, Adventure Balloons grew so fast that he found he’d need to make some big changes to keep up with the demand, so he came up with the idea of becoming a ballooning cooperative. The co-operative was named (appropriately) Balloons Over Britain, and the sky was certainly NOT the limit! With 12 member companies they are in fact the market leaders in the UK and fly a staggering 40,000 people every year!

The balloons vary in size, carrying from 4-19 passengers and operate from over 70 launch sites within the UK, and yes, this includes London! So now you can have the advantage of a big national company but with all the perks and flexibility of a local, personal one.

So why not treat you friend or loved one to a day they’ll never forget? You will find that all Balloons Over Britain member companies charge competitive, in fact unbeatable prices and their range of locations will mean that you can fly practically anywhere in the UK. Selling customers vouchers which allow them to take up a previously cancelled trip anywhere in the country means that we can offer you the flexibility which is so important for an event such as hot air ballooning.

So why not book online now and take a look at the various locations you can choose from. For date availabilities, prices or any information at all, you can go online at www.balloonsoverbritain.co.uk or call us on 0845 071 6388.

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.

Hot air ballooning is on pretty much each and everyone’s ‘To Do’ list but this really isn’t a surprise now is it. The interesting thing we learn however from prospective flyers is what is expected of the experience. Many of our customers expect an exhilarating experience, adrenalin even, excitement, adventure, but then equally as many expect peaceful serenity, tranquillity and romance. But this is what makes ballooning so wonderful, if you’re looking for adventure and are seeking a thrill that is precisely what you’ll get, from setting up the balloon, seeing the ground fall away beneath you, gasping with pure delight at the birds-eye view you’ll have over the land beneath you and preparing for a possible bumpy landing, even the dare devil amongst you will not be disappointed. But on the flipside of things, those looking for a romantic anniversary flight or a beautiful, peaceful new memory will enjoy the complete calm whilst in the air, the lack of breeze and the gentle floating over a landscape which is completely indescribable. Ballooning is an incomparable experience which will disappoint no one.

Here at Wickers World we not only offer you the chance to explore one of life’s greatest inventions, but we offer you an unbeatable service unrivalled by all our competitors. Established since 1987, Wickers World fly more than 6,000 passengers every year from our fleet of 10 rather interesting balloons! You can book flights online or by phone on 01889 88 22 22.

Our passenger balloons are classified as Public Transport Category aircraft, which means that they are granted a certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after manufacturing. Then after 100 hours of flight or 12 months (whichever comes first) the certificate is revalidated, and the balloon is carefully inspected by CAA approved technicians. What’s more following a site visit and thorough inspection by the CAA’s auditors, Wickers World is also issued an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) by the CAA each year. Our individual AOC licence number is BL027.

• No other company makes as many flights as we do in this region. This becomes so important when you want to book a date for your flight. Some of our competitors advertise loads of launch sites, but fail to tell you that they have only one or two balloons trying to cover all those venues!
• We only fly from the most beautiful and prestigious launch sites throughout the region. Your flight is a special occasion, and deserves to be from a scenic and exclusive location. Our venues are carefully selected to give a fabulous backdrop to each launch we make.
• We only employ fully qualified commercial pilots with more than 1000 flying hours each. There’s no substitute for experience! We remember that the reputation of our business rides on every flight we make.
• Our flights are AT LEAST one hour in duration – and usually closer to an hour and a half. Most balloon companies advertise flights of “about an hour”. Not us! Ours are guaranteed to be AT LEAST one hour, which could mean an extra 25% duration over some of our competitor’s flights!
• We’ll beat anybody on price – just call if you can find a flight for less. Our price guarantee is simple: find an equivalent flight for less with an operator based within 50 miles, and we’ll beat the price! We monitor prices carefully, and we’re sure that we offer the best value!
• Our company is a Civil Aviation Authority certified operation, established for 22 years. Wickers World was one of the first UK balloon companies to be granted an Air Operators Certificate. We are now audited annually by the CAA to ensure standards are consistently high.

Let’s face it, Britain offers much in the way of choice when it comes to hot air ballooning, not just in terms of location and scenery, but also when it comes to the flight companies themselves. With so many companies offering competitive packages and huge savings, it’s important to find a flights operator who offers a ‘wow’ factor so that they can be distinguished from the rest. With every firm offering the same service, the competition is rife and many companies are turning to vastly reduced prices in order to draw in the customers. However with very low prices come very poor wages; these firms will be unable to afford to pay the best pilots or those with years of good experience and unblemished safety records.

Here at Alba Balloons we urge everybody, whether our customers or not, put your safety first and make sure to do your research. Don’t jump straight in and book with the cheapest operator, take the time to find out more about the company and their pilots. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, is the flight and hour or more, or are they only able to say ‘up to an hour’ or ‘about an hour’ – you’ll want your monies worth. Find out how many balloons the company has and how many locations they claim to cover. If they only have a couple of balloons yet claim to have launch sites in 20 locations, the chances are that the majority of time they are unable to fulfil their customer’s first choice. How many years have they been flying and are the pilots experienced. Ask about the firm’s safety record, make a check list of questions and when you’re satisfied, go ahead and book.

At Alba Balloons our flights are very popular so we ensure that there are sufficient flights scheduled to meet the demand. What’s more, you can see this for yourself by viewing our flight availability before you buy, this way there’ll be no unpleasant surprises with us! With a choice of four Balloon Flight Voucher options and a Gift Token option, you can tailor the day to meet your expectations.

• Freedom Flight Voucher – Normally £169 – August price £149 per person! You can book onto any of our scheduled flights, including weekends at any one of our locations.
• Weekday Flight Voucher – Normally £155 – August price £135 per person! You can book onto any of our weekday scheduled flights, and again, at any location.
• Weekday Morning Flight Voucher – Normally £139 – August price £119 per person! You can book onto any of our weekday morning scheduled flights in Scotland (Not available for Northumberland flights; may not be available for Scottish Borders – check Flight Schedules).
• Premium Flight Voucher – Normally £199 – August price £179 per person! You can book onto any of our scheduled flights, including weekends at any location. Includes ‘in flight’ photo and fully refundable (subject to conditions).
• Gift Token Options – Any £ amount. Redeemable against the purchase of any of our above Flight Vouchers.

For information of Alba Balloons, our pilots, experience and safety record, please visit our ‘about us’ page where you will find all you need to know and more; however if you’d like to speak to a member of our team, please call on 01875 830709.

For a special birthday in July, I was given a balloon trip with my husband. This came as a complete surprise! We were very busy in August & September then went away in early October, so we were late booking in.

I was very excited and remembered I had a book Ballooning by C.H.Gibbs-Smith so read up about the history. It was the French who first ‘enclosed a cloud in a bag’! and rose to ‘bestride the lazy-pacing clouds and sail upon the bosom of the air’. Pilatre de Rozier became the first air pilot in 1783; pre history of ballooning goes back to 1513- with Leonardo da Vinci. He apparently made wafer-thin wax figures, filled them with hot air causing them to fly.

The first Channel crossing by air was in 1785 by Jean –Pierre Blanchard, he was according to records ‘a petulant little fellow, not many inches over 5 ft and physically well suited for vapourish regions’. He was determined to be the first man to fly the Channel but behaved very badly, after persuading the American Physician Dr John Jeffries to finance the trip, did everything in his power to prevent him coming too. Even to wearing a lead-lined belt and saying the balloon would not support them both! This failed and they set off together from the Dover Cliffs on January 7^th 1785, sounded quite a trip, offloading all their ballast  plus other bits and pieces, brandy and all, it became really serious, Blanchard panicked and even threw his trousers overboard!

Well, we booked in with Aerosaurus Balloons four times and had four cancellations. One time even got to the take off site with the balloon at 4pm then a dark cloud descended, there was thunder and it started to rain so the flight was called off. Christmas came, and the new Year and in April we again booked.

It was the most perfect day, not a cloud in the sky as we set off from Swanage at 4.30 in the morning. We saw the sun rise over the hills, lighting Dandelion clocks like a sea of foam on the side of the road. No traffic till we got behind a milk tanker, winding round the leafy lanes, no chance to overtake! We then worried we would get to the take-off destination in time so we phoned the Pilot. We just made it to Sherbourne…..and met the pilot and fellow travellers. A small black balloon is released into the sky to ascertain wind direction and therefore choose the best takeoff site. We were soon bumping along in the truck with the balloon & basket following.

We arrived at the Larmer Tree with Peacocks screeching and the sun warm, a vast expanse of green grass where the passengers, eight in all, were enlisted to help. We stretched the colourful balloon out to its full length. Keeping it wide then creating an opening for the air. It was exciting to see it take shape and rise above the basket. As passengers we were well balanced, two people in each of the four compartments and the Pilot in the centre. Suddenly, with out feeling anything we were airborne and slowly rising over fields of sheep hearing the calls of new born lambs drifting up through the morning air. So quiet, a Saturday morning and the beautiful Dorset country side began to unfold beneath us. Silently we glided over farms and fields, rural sounds, cows on their way for morning milking, cocks crowing, dogs barking.

I remember reading about flying over a wood and the birdsong rising was like a symphony and now we were over woods and could hear the individual birdsong blended together in a wonderful harmony, it was a beautiful experience. Amazing the green of the countryside in its spring apparel and then in the distance fields of yellow. We are so lucky in Dorset to have such stretches of natural land, so quiet and still, broken only by the flare of gas to change direction.

The Pilot produced a bottle of champagne and we all toasted the flight as a camera suspended on straps took the photo. To see the lie of the land from the air was thrilling, even an ancient ring, the contours and escarpments, gentle rise of hills. It was a perfect day, not a cloud in the sky and we could see the shadow of our balloon floating across meadows. It was unbelievable almost an hour had past.

On a previous flight, the pilot told us that one of the passengers announced they were over his parent’s farm, so they phoned on a mobile to see if it was possible to land in their field.  It was a good place and that was where we came down. Before the flight we had been taught to brace ourselves in the compartment of the basket but none of that was needed, it was a perfect landing, as we gently touched down completely upright. The Farmer’s wife, son and dog came to greet us as we were all given the task to expel the air from the balloon. Then our pick-up bus came to find the landing place and take us back to base. Here we were issued with flight certificates and could see the photos taken by the suspended camera.

To sum up, it was the most perfect day and when we returned to Swanage, we saw dolphins in the bay!

Just a perfect day,

Sunrise over hills

Through morning mist

Light spills.

Just a perfect day and soon, we are up in our balloon.

Just a perfect day

Without a care

Champagne in the air, it is such fun

Just a perfect day

Warm like the end of May

And later, dolphins in the bay!

Every man dies – Not every man really lives.” ~ William Ross. Now obviously I’d correct that statement as it suggests that women live eternally and that they all do really live, either that or women don’t exist! So let’s say ‘Everyone dies – However not everyone really lives. This is truer than many of us care to think about; why is it that most of us spend our lives dreaming of the things we’d like to do with our lives, the accomplishments we’d like to achieve and the adventures we intend on having; however when it comes down to it, we end up regretting that we never did. I really don’t want to be one of those people who ends up on their death bed with the sudden an awful realisation that they’ve not lived, they’ve not done any of the things they wanted to do with their lives. Life’s for living, so let’s live it!

Great Britain voted Hot Air Ballooning as number 7 on the Things To Do Before We Die list, however many of us still only dream of flying in a hot air balloon. Why is this when it is something that we can all enjoy, no matter what age (well from 8+)? It is actually more of an affordable gift than most people realise and is available in all areas, so there are no real restrictions. If it’s something that you’d like to do one day , then make it happen and what better place to start than with Balloon Rides Ltd.

Balloon Rides Ltd are one of the Balloons Over Britain member companies offering an excellent reputation and unbeatable standard of safety and customer service. Balloon Rides ltd covers areas in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, some of Britain’s most stunning countryside and are in fact York’s longest running balloon operator. Their Pilots have won national, international and world ballooning awards and have even proudly flown television and film celebrities, secured several national flight records and have flown a number of ‘adventure’ flights across the English Channel, the Irish Sea and the Alps. This is why we are able to say to you without any hesitation that Balloon Rides Ltd offers their customers unmatched expertise and an unblemished safety record. However equally as important, they also offer a supreme enthusiasm for the sport and have received consistent positive reviews from their passengers to reflect this and their high standards of customer service.

You can book your flight with Balloon Rides Ltd on 01757 288 888 or you can visit their website where you have the choice to book online. Alternatively, if this isn’t the area for you, why not visit Balloons Over Britain where you can check availability in a location of your choice using their Buy & Fly feature.