The Balloon Flight!
How To Buy A Flight Voucher
It’s easy to buy flight vouchers through this website, but also feel free to call us on +44 01892 351 210 where our friendly team will be happy to answer any questions you have and take your order details over the phone.
The Decision Is Yours….
When buying a flight voucher, most customers want to let the recipient choose their own flight date. Vouchers are valid for at least 12 months, so they will have plenty of time to get a booking in place. However, if you do have a special date in mind, you can select the flight date and buy the voucher at the same time.
Through The Season, We Fly Every Day, Subject To Weather!
That’s 7 days a week, if possible. We have two flights each day, with the first one about an hour after sunrise, and the second one a couple hours before sunset. These are the best times of the day for hot air balloon flights. The balloon flying season runs from March to October, although in some parts of the country we fly all year round, subject to the ground conditions.
Of course, hot air ballooning is highly weather-dependant. We cannot fly if it is breezy, foggy or raining. We want everybody to have a safe and enjoyable experience! But don’t worry if the weather prevents your balloon flight from going ahead, you can simply re-book another date and try again.
The Day Of The Flight!
When arriving at our launch site, you will be met by one of our crew for check-in. The pilot and crew prepare the balloon for flight, and passengers are welcome to watch or even join in if they wish.
When ready, the inflation begins with cold air fans blowing fresh air into the balloon envelope. After about 10 minutes, the pilot heats the air with the burners, and the balloon rises off the ground into an upright position. This is a surprisingly quick process. When everything is ready, the pilot will invite the passengers to climb into the basket, and a few minutes later, the balloon rises into the sky! We’re airborne!
Once airborne, the flight duration is about an hour – and is sometimes almost an hour and a half! Allow 3 to 4 hours for the whole experience.
One of the attractions of ballooning is that we float along on the breeze with no means of steering! There’s no plan or route, and we just fly along until we spot a suitable place to come back to earth. We might travel 2 miles, or 22 miles – we just don’t know! Each balloon flight is a unique journey!
How Does It Feel?
Passengers often expect the conditions to be cold or windy up in the balloon, but they are always pleasantly surprised by just how warm and comfortable the flight is. Of course, there’s no chill from the breeze, because we’re moving with the wind, and the basket just hangs motionless like a pendulum! There’s no feeling of going up & down, or turbulence, all adding up to a wonderful sensation of tranquillity, whilst being exciting at the same time.
After landing, passengers can join in with packing the balloon away and afterwards enjoy a Prosecco toast (a soft drink option will be available). The ground crew will have tracked the balloon by road, so they can collect all of the equipment and then provide return transport back to the launch site for all of the passengers.
Memories To Last!
During most flights we take superb in-flight photographs of the passengers, which provide fantastic souvenirs to remind you of the balloon flight! Shown in the photo at the top of this page is Andy flying an eight person balloon. As you can see, everyone is comfortable, warm and smiling!
Hot air ballooning is suitable for children and the elderly alike, but a degree of agility is required. To enter the balloon basket, you need to climb in using the foot holes on the side of the basket and you'll be standing for the duration of the flight. You will also be standing while the balloon is being prepared for flight and when being packed away.
There’s no higher age limit; our most senior passenger was 100 years old! Children however need to be aged 7 or over and at least 4ft 6in (1.35m) tall. Passenger safety and enjoyment is our prime objective, so please call should you have any concerns about a passenger’s suitability to fly.
As already mentioned, we fly soon after sunrise and then again a couple hours before sunset.
Of course, as the seasons go by, the days get longer or shorter. This means that we have to adjust our take off times accordingly. In summer months, when the days are at their longest, we might meet at 5.30am for a dawn flight, and then not meet until 6.30pm for an evening one. Conversely, in winter, it might be 8am and 1.30pm due to the short daylight hours!
Hot air balloon flights simply cannot take place during the middle part of the day in summer due to the thermals. Whilst great for the glider pilots, thermals are dangerous for balloons. Thermals are generated by the sun’s warmth, hence balloons need to fly when the sun is lower in the sky.