Wanting to book a hot air balloon flight as a Christmas gift? Don’t panic, it’s not too late; Wickers World allow you to book your vouchers online or by phone giving you the choice of delivery via e-mail or post! E-mailed vouchers will be delivered instantly 24 hours a day, so in order to present it as a gift, all you need is a printer (with ink of course). So this means you can order right up to Christmas eve it’s self, or if you’re really sneaky, you may even get away with Christmas morning! However if you’d like your voucher to arrive courtesy of our Royal Mail service, you’ll find your options are still quite impressive; your last postal opportunity is on the 23rd December for Saturday Special or alternatively book by the 20th December for normal 1st Class delivery. Don’t forget, if you’d like your vouchers to be posted on the same day as ordering, book before 3.30pm.

Wickers World has operated an unrivalled service throughout the Midlands and the North West for over 22 years, flying more passengers on more flights than any other operator in the region! So it’s no wonder we’re so popular during this time of year! If you’d like to take a look at the available flight dates and schedule an appropriate or better still a meaningful date, take a look at our Date Availability page. Our competitors decline to show their available dates until AFTER their customers have ordered the tickets! Could this be because they don’t want you to know how rarely they fly in your area?

With flights scheduled from Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire all year round, you can pick a sentimental date to take a trip 3,000 foot in the air over some of the UK’s most beautiful landscapes. So why not put a huge great big smile on your loved ones face by surprising them with the gift so many only dream of. Still on Britain’s list of top most wanted things to do in life, there’s no doubt the recipient will be overjoyed with their wonderful surprise.

Book online now where you can check out our prices, locations and date availability, plus have a peak at our customer testimonials, or alternatively call to book with one of our team on 01889 882222 – lines open from 9am to 9pm every day until Christmas!

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.

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.

Balloon Rides Ltd are a Balloons Over Britain members company who offer passenger balloon rides in locations around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. To be specific, in Yorkshire we fly from York Racecourse or from the banks of the River Ouse at Naburn Lock and in Lincolnshire we have sites near Grantham, Rutland Water and Stamford, however the site we fly from on the day depends entirely on wind direction.

Wind direction isn’t the only factor which must be taken into consideration on the day; for a successful flight not only must the winds be light, but the forecast should be clear of rain and the visibility good. For this reason we recommend that passengers call us at the time specified in your map pack to confirm if the weather permits us to fly. If the weather is bad, don’t panic; simply call to reschedule your flight as soon as possible at a time that suits you.

Depending on the flying conditions, we fly early morning and early evening when the wind is generally calmer and our flying season is from April to October. The time of your flight will depend on the time of year as it will always be in accordance with sunrise and sunset. Typically in May we meet you at 6am for morning flights and 6pm for evening flights, however in later months you will find that the morning flights will be a little later and the evening flights a little earlier.

Many passengers ask us how far we’ll fly, however as we travel at the same speed as the wind, it’s difficult to give an accurate answer. Having said this, if you consider that the balloon can only safely be flown in winds up to 10 mph, we normally cover approximately 7-10 miles. You will experience views from up to 1000 feet up, but we sometimes climb to 5000 feet (around a mile high) in order to find the right wind speed at which to travel.

We are often asked whether there are any age restrictions in terms of ballooning, but what’s more important is the passenger’s health and agility. All passengers must be medically fit to fly, and as our balloon baskets are about 1.1 metres (42 inches) high, passengers will need to be able to climb into the basket. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult on the flight and must be over 8 years old, and their height must exceed 1.4 metres (4′6″). In the interests of safety and operational requirements we cannot undertake the carriage of passengers whose declared weight exceeds 18 stone (114kg).

If you’d like to book a hot air ballooning date with Balloon Rides Ltd, simply log into our date page on the web site where you can see date availability and follow our quick ordering process, or call our office during weekday office hours on 01757 288 888.

Are you looking to grab a bargain this Christmas? Maybe you’re searching for the perfect festive gift and are after something unique and guaranteed to get an explosive reaction? Alternatively you have your bargain head on and are buying ‘Christmas offers’ now, that are not necessarily for Christmas at all, just to save pennies (and who can blame you?). Everyone wishes to fly in a hot air balloon, so whether you’re buying for the merry season’s gift or you’re simply strategically buying to save pennies on the adventure of a lifetime, Wickers World are the place to come.

With 22 years unrivalled experience in passenger balloon flights covering the Midlands and North West, Wickers World are proud to declare that we fly more passengers on more flights than any other operator in the region! We can give you the reassurance of viewing our date availability, something which many of our competitors fail to do which can often be down to their poor coverage of certain areas. With us, you can view how often we schedule flights in all of our locations so you know precisely what to expect.

Choose from launch sites in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire or Gloucestershire where you’re guaranteed to experience some of the UK’s most beautiful pastures from a unique perspective.

Right now at Wickers World we’re pleased to offer you a great Christmas perk with our 50% deposit deal. With our current economic state, peoples budgets are being stretched beyond belief so we’ve come up with an offer which will help take away the pinch. For telephone orders only, we are for a limited time able to offer you the opportunity of paying for your vouchers in two easy, interest free, instalments. We are offering you the chance to pay just 50% of the order value at the time of purchase, and the other half will not become payable until March 1st 2012! There’s no catch, no interest and no ‘small print’, just our way of expressing our gratitude for choosing us.

Call us on 01889 882 222 to book or for more information.

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.

Considering hot air ballooning as a Christmas present for your loved one? Maybe you’ve decided to present your best friend, your partner, your parent or sibling with a magical hot air balloon ride voucher for their Christmas present this year, an original idea with sentiment! The joy of giving a hot air balloon ride as a present is the knowing the great reaction it will receive. Just imagine yourself on the receiving end, opening your gift box to reveal a helium balloon gently raising out of the box with colourful vouchers tied to the ribbon. Can you imagine the pure excitement you would feel knowing that at a date of your choice during the following 12 months, you would be floating 3,000 feet in the air, gracefully drifting over the rolling countryside, panoramic 360 degree views with a glass of champagne? It doesn’t get more blissful, yet more exhilarating than this!

Many people question whether ballooning is suitable for them, or the recipient; this is fairly simple. Our FAQ’s should give you a clear idea of whether hot air ballooning is the right choice. Also, our member facts may help;

• The youngest passenger was just 7 years old.
• 50% of their passengers bought the flight as a 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th Birthday present.
• 17% of their passengers were over 70 years old.
• The oldest passenger was 100 years and 4 days old.
• 22% of the business came from personal recommendation.
• The most frequent passenger has flown with them 12 times!!

So if you’re concerned that you or your intended recipient are too large, small, old, young or immobile, think again; read our FAQ’s, you may be pleasantly surprised! For enquiries, get in touch with us a Balloons Over Britain on 0845 071 6388, or alternatively take a look at our locations, select the appropriate member company and then e-mail them or call them direct.

Is it time you re-invented your business? Maybe with 2012 fast approaching it high time you gave your company a new face? Are you launching a new product, have you changed your company logo, maybe you’re offering an additional service? On the other hand, maybe despite this overly drawn out recession you’ve found the funds (or a banker who is an exception to the rule and is actually lending during our current crisis) to start up the business you’ve always dreamed of. If any of these are you, then here at Balloons Over Britain we have just the thing for you!

When you’re driving along in your car and you see a hot air balloon in the sky no one can resist the temptation of a good luck. If you’re lucky you even get to catch a glimpse of the burners going or the passengers and pilot themselves. Myself I’ve seen many special shaped balloons, or balloons with messages printed on them. I’ve seen balloons with advertising banners across their baskets or trailing along behind in the wind. Without fail, every single time, I’ve squinted to read the print, despite to find out what it says before it’s out of sight! And it appears I’m not alone, we’re all the same, strangely drawn in by hot air balloons and their messages, so why not use this as a base for your new advertising campaign?

At Balloons Over Britain we have our own design specialists who can individually tailor special shaped balloons to cater for most designs. With a wealth of experience, we pride ourselves in making balloons which are sure to be the centre of attention in most marketing forums!

Hot air balloons are also used to generate publicity at events such as balloon fiestas, major sporting occasions, outdoor shows and events that attract television coverage. Proven to generate desire and action in most any target audience, balloons develop awareness and interest. In fact, research suggests that the cost of balloon advertising ‘per thousand opportunities to see’ is by far lower than the figure for newspaper, posters, radio or television advertising. When you consider then that the balloon will also be seen on television coverage of the events, or in editorial press of the events, the audience is them increased greatly!

A hot air balloon will always draw in an audience, so if you’d like to discuss how we could help your business find new customers and expand, simply contact us on 0845 071 6388 or get in touch via the website.

Are you shopping around for that perfect Christmas gift? Many people are struggling this year to come up with something original, something for the person who has it all, it’s not an easy task at all! If you’re looking for a ‘wow’ reaction, an emotional reaction even, we have just the thing for you. Hot air ballooning is just a dream for most, in fact some of us dare not to even dream. Its right there top of the list, a goal which must be achieved before our last days, so you can only imagine the reaction you’d get as your loved one opens the box and out floats a helium balloon with those magical hot air ballooning tickets attached!

At Wickers World we make this spectacular gift even more momentous by attaching the voucher on a ribbon to an 18” (45cm) metallic foil helium balloon. It is then packed into a candy striped box and posted first class or Royal Mail Special Delivery (as requested). When it comes to the day itself and the recipients is handed they’re big box gift, they’re mind can only wonder as to what’s inside?! When the box is opened, out will float the colourful helium-filled balloon and voucher reading either;

• “Happy Birthday”
• “Congratulations!”
• “Happy Anniversary”
• “Happy 21^st” (or 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th, 70^th, or even 80^th!)

There is of course the alternative method of acquiring your hot air ballooning ticket; online purchasing is quick and easy, plus your vouchers can be delivered by post, or sent instantly by email! Simply select which voucher you’d like to go for (early bird, weekday am or pm, premium voucher or exclusive for 2) and then choose the form of your voucher at checkout. All vouchers delivered by post will be sent to you in plain brown envelope and come with a glossy colour brochure, maps and all of the details about the flight arrangements.