So you’ve decided on Adventure Balloons as the operator to take you up on your first hot air balloon ride, but now you simply cannot decide which of the fabulous locations to opt for! Tricky one; all our locations are wonderful for their own reasons, we cover the fascinating Oxfordshire, York & Lincolnshire, fabulous Hertfordshire, you’ll see plenty in Berkshire, and plenty more in Essex Kent and Sussex, one of our favourites is North Hampshire and Surrey is simply beautiful. London is of course out of the question with this year’s London Olympics and Paralympics and also with the Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. The Department of Transport have made it clear that for security reasons our flights will preclude for 2012. You can however book for 2013 is you’d like to see London from 3’000 foot in the air!

One of our favourite balloon flight paths is our South Hampshire location taking off from launch sites in Alton, Micheldever, Popham, West Meon and Winchester.

Depending on which site we take off from (which is determined by the wind direction and weather on the day of the flight), you may see the impressive Winchester Cathedral, the breathtaking rolling Hampshire countryside, the tranquil River Test and various small villages such as Laverstoke, Whitchurch, and the Candovers during the balloon ride. However, this too depends on which direction the wind is blowing. You may also see large estates such as Leckford on the River Test where Waitrose produce a lot of their food, the Mid Hants Steam Railway that runs from Alton to Alresford, and if you’re exceptionally lucky, you may even see a glider circling around Lasham airfield, or microlights flying from Popham airfield!

When flying from our South Hampshire launch sites we have to keep clear of Southampton Airport at Eastleigh, and also keep our passengers out of the Solent! So you can see why in order to provide you with a safe and enjoyable flight, the site chosen will depend entirely on the wind direction and speed on the day.

Why not visit the site where you can easily book now in any of our flight locations, you can even click here to see videos of our flights over Hampshire! However if you’re after a more personal touch, then call one of our team on 01252 844222!

Welcome back from us all at Adventure Balloons and a Happy New Year. We hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and an exciting New Year. Many of us have begun the year with big plans and a sense of things to come. Many of us have been very vocal about the hard times of the previous year and are looking at 2012 as the year to break the cycle, the year for positivity and great things. And what better way to bring in 2012 that with a magical hot air balloon ride?!

Imagine rising up into the sky, the sense that the world is falling away from you, the feeling it would symbolise to you; leaving the past behind you. Once up, you’ll drift along with the wind, appreciating a 360° view of the world, from a completely different angle. You’ll look at the land and this New Year from a different perspective, with hope, positivity and a wonderful feeling of absolute calm. There’s nothing like being 3’000 foot in the air to give you perspective!

We tailor every balloon flight to the individual and always welcome the knowledge of each flyers occasion and the reason for their flight. This way we can pull out all the stops to enhance your flight, allowing you to enjoy it to the max. So when booking your flight, let us know what made you decide to fly. You could be looking for an exhilarating way to bring in the Year, a fun experience, a thrill with friends. Maybe you’re after a birthday flight with a big group of you and a party atmosphere, but on the other hand, you might be longing for a solo flight of complete peace where you can gather your thoughts and enjoy the beauty of our world. We get our thrill from seeing our customer’s enjoyment and feel a sense of achievement with every happy customer. So help us to help you get the most from your day with us.

Remember, no flight is complete without a celebratory glass of champagne, complements of us, of course!

For more information, to check date availability or to book your flight, simply visit us at www.adventureballoons.co.uk or call us on 01252 844222.

With so many balloon flights companies to choose from, what is it about Adventure Balloons that makes us so popular and why should we be your first choice? Let’s face it, if you’re booking a balloon flight that’s going to take you 3,000 foot in the air, you’ll want to check out the companies policies, track records, testimonials, reliability and more. We expect this and in fact recommend it, and are 100% confident you’ll be happy with what you find here at Adventure Balloons.  Before you browse through our site, we’ve listed in today’s article the benefits to using our company so that you can decide whether or not you’d like to visit the site or call our team.

• Fast Bookings – Not only can you call us to book your flight, but you can easily book online too where you will even be given the option to choose your voucher design. Vouchers ordered online for e-mail delivery will arrive instantly!
• Check Date Availability – Unlike many other balloon flights companies, you can check our flights schedule so that you can see how often we fly from each of our locations (Berkshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, London, Oxford, Surrey, Sussex and York)
• Low Prices - Book vouchers from as little as £89 – the best value balloon flight in the UK!
• Birthday Balloons – Enjoy special birthday flights in our one-of-a-kind Birthday hot air balloon which features our Adventure Balloons colours and a giant ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ message!
• Great Reputation – Many Adventure Balloons customers come from personal recommendation – check out our customer testimonials to see why!
• Flexible – Adventure Balloons is also able to cater for any special requirements you may have.
• Various Capacities – We have several balloons with capacities ranging from 4-16 passengers!

Adventure Balloons became so popular and renowned for their quality of service and eagerness to please that the only way left for them to continue growing was to create the group Balloons Over Britain. Balloons Over Britain has 10 member companies each offering flights in different locations across the UK. With over 70 different launch sites across Britain, and from Adventure Balloons humble beginnings, it has to be asked…why go anywhere else? So if Adventure Balloons do not cover the location you were after, take a look over at Balloons Over Britain where you will find a member company that does.

In January this year Adventure Balloons experienced the breathtaking experience of flying a balloon during some of the most beautiful weather conditions! With January 2012 fast approaching, we can only dream of having an equally amazing experience! We flew from France through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Mondovi in the Piemonte region of Italy a place famous for its annual balloon festival which was being held. This part of Italy produces Barolo and Asti Supmante wines, delicious truffles and quality balsamic vinegar.

As the area lies between two mountain ranges, the winds tend to be very light. Thanks to the time of year, the beautiful landscape was sprinkled in snow making the buildings in the city sparkle and shimmer, a magical look that took our breath away. We flew with up to 30 other balloonists over the town and surrounding countryside and found that the Italians are extremely welcoming with a huge fondness for the Balloon Festival. Wherever you end up landing, you can be sure that you will be welcome and you could see balloons as far as the eye can see flying low among the roof tops for all the people to see.

It really was an experience like no other; in fact on one occasion we flew past a church tower as the midday bells were ringing, far too beautiful for words. Spotted by the bell ringer, every bell in the tower began to chime in an amazing peal; we’re still not sure whether this was to warn us off or to participate in our enjoyment!  The whole area was dotted with churches, we were bound to land near one, however our inspiration came from the Cathedral or “Sanctuary” at Vicoforte near Mondovi which has the largest elliptical dome in the world, or so we were told; what a sight it was!

If you’d like to enjoy Adventure Balloons wealth of experience, we are renowned for giving an experience second to none. What gives us our job satisfaction is tailor making every passengers balloon flight to be individual, stunning and ultimately a wonderful experience, one you will never forget. Perhaps you’d like more information? Simply browse our site where you can even book online, or call us on 01252 844222.

If anyone was going to cross the English Channel in a Hot Air Balloon it had to be Adventure Balloons and my how patient we were! Being the only UK balloon flights company to possess a ‘Happy Birthday’ balloon, of course we had to choose this for the trip!

We exceedingly patiently waited on standby from the beginning of October 2010 for the first Channel Crossing by hot air balloon since 2005! But low-and-behold, October and early November simply didn’t provide the North Westerly winds required to blow us to France by the shortest route (from Dover to somewhere close to Calais). In a normal passenger flight scenario, we leave room for enough gas to get us through an approximate hour flight. Making the crossing did not entail the addition of any passengers and so we obviously had more room for gas, however a crossing with a speed or direction in excess of 2 hours would be tricky and could even result in a rather unfortunate wet dip if the fuel ran out. Obviously not wanting to take this risk, we had to wait it out until the ideal weather conditions arose.

As you can imagine, the organisation and preparation required for an event such as this is quite staggering! It was all hands on deck! Another Balloons Over Britain member company Airborne Balloons (http://www.airborneballoons.co.uk/cross_channel.php) organised the event, leaving the matter of getting the balloon ‘ship shape’ in our hands. This involved the addition of further fuel tanks without compromising on space, radios, cameras, sandwiches and of course the essential ingredient, chocolate. We also had to organise immersion suits and a self inflating 4 person life raft (just in case) which was hired from http://www.aerosafe.co.uk/index.html. To save space the life raft was attached to the outside of the basket as was one of the fuel tanks!

Our hopes were raised on Monday April 4^th when weather conditions appeared spot on; however it wasn’t until a few days later that the event went ahead. At five o’clock in the morning we arrived in the dark at Lydden Hill Motor Racing circuit for the mass ascent and an attempt on the world record for the greatest number of balloons flying the channel! Palletways sponsored the event and were very hopeful. At 6am we had our safety briefing which was shortly followed by the very much anticipated balloon take off at 7:15am. Our balloon, carrying probably the youngest person to ever fly over the channel by balloon, then flew over Dover Castle, overtook the ferry as we sped along at speeds of up to 30knots at 1,000 feet (nearly twice the speed we could safely fly passengers) and having flown over Calais Harbour we landed at Calais Airport at 8.45am, covering about 25 miles in a hour and a half!

What an achievement and what a memorable morning it was!

Back in the day, before the government regulated ballooning, Adventure Balloons began as a way to maintain Kim Hull’s hobby. With a real passion for the sport the company soon grew expanding into what it is today; the largest company in the country offering UK balloon flights.

The company first took to the skies in April 1985 and was at the time a rarity! However demand soon grew and by 1988 Adventure Balloons went on to purchase four passenger balloons, which were later followed by many others! In fact, here at Adventure Balloons we boast a fleet of seven hot air balloons each with capacities ranging from four to sixteen people! With this variety we can tailor the ride to suit your needs, whether an intimate, romantic flight, or a lively party, there will be a balloon to suit your day.

Introducing you to;

The “Stained Glass Window” – Its attractive design is used as the Adventure Balloons emblem and will also be featured on mugs, T-shirts and other balloon flight memorabilia.

The “North Sea Flyer” – Our sixteen person balloon which is no ordinary balloon for sure! We purchased this balloon from two millionaires who in fact flew across the North Sea in it for fun! The first 16 passenger balloon authorised by the Civil Aviation Authority to fly in the UK, this balloon has history!

The “Toucan Travel” – The beautiful Toucan Travel balloon is an aerial promotion tool for the Toucan Travel chain of travel agencies. The Toucan business is based in Hampshire, however the balloon will also fly in the Berkshire and Surrey areas and sometimes even London.

The “Happy Birthday Balloon” – In both a 2-4 person capacity and a 16 person capacity, you can book a balloon with HAPPY BIRTHDAY plastered all over it for your friend or loved one, or their party group!

With increasing demand, Adventure Balloons have worked closely with balloon manufacturers in order to develop new ideas which will improve both the enjoyment and the safety of passenger balloon flights. For example, our larger hot air balloons have internal partitions which not only separate the pilot and the fuel from the passengers but also ensure that passengers are in the best safety position for landing.

You can book flights with Adventure Balloons from various launch sites in Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Oxford and London.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly in a hot air balloon? The chances are you have, many people dream of flying in a balloon, in fact it’s at number 7 on Britain’s most wanted to do list! It’s no surprise really; ballooning is just about the most unique and unbelievable way to fly, there’s no experience quite like it. It was surreal when it first came about and it is rather surreal now!

With Adventure Balloons it has become a long standing tradition to serve chilled champagne on our flights which only sums up the whole days experiences and ads that little bit more perfection. Can you imagine gracefully drifting over the most beautiful scenery or countryside, rolling landscapes, watching the shadow of the balloon pass the ground underneath while sipping chilled Champagne? What a treat and certainly an experience to remember for a life time.

However did you know that there is actually a reason behind the whole Champagne flight experience which dates back to the 1780’s when the first balloons flights came about?

As it happens, during one of the first successful pilot flown balloon flights, the pilots decided they would take along a nice bottle of champagne to enjoy whilst in the air. Unfortunately however the bubbly wasn’t consumed on the flight at all; in fact it wasn’t even consumed by the pilots. Instead of drinking it, they offered it as a goodwill gesture to the farmers whose field their balloon had landed in, convincing them that they were not in fact demons!

To this day the tradition still stands, and here with Adventure Balloons our crew and passengers will enjoy a champagne toast – without giving it to the farmers whose fields they have landed!

Taking that first step to organising your dream hot air balloon flight can be rather daunting! But you’ve done well to make it this far. Many people only dream of experiencing a hot air balloon ride, but you’re taking steps to make this dream a reality! Before you book a flight with a ballooning company however, it is essential that you learn a little about them and their history so that you can be absolutely sure that not only are you safe, but you’re sure to get the most enjoyable experience.

Adventure Balloons a flight company who cover the locations Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Micheldever, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex. If any of these locations tick your box, then read on! We have been operating since 1985, so that’s 26 years of experience in perfecting the art of flying balloons and pleasing our customers. We now know exactly what it is that makes our customers smile, and how to make sure they’ll have the most magical and exhilarating experience! As the largest company in the UK to offer balloon flights from so many locations, we now have an impressive fleet of seven hot air balloons which are designed to carry from four to sixteen passengers so that you can enjoy an intimate and romantic flight or an exciting birthday bash!

Here at Adventure Balloons we are the UK’s only passenger balloons flights company who have a Happy Birthday balloon which means you can offer your friends and loved ones the most unique birthday surprise! With a choice of our 2-4 person balloon for exclusive flights and 16 person balloons for birthday party groups, you can organise exactly what you’re looking for from your birthday event.

To order online couldn’t be easier, you simply select your desired location, the amount of spaces you’ll need and then click “check availability” for a list of dates to choose from. It really is as easy as that. However if you have lots of questions or you’d just like to book your flight with a human being rather than a computer, then please feel free to call us on 01252 844222.

Did you know that the first successful hot air balloon flight involved a sheep, duck and a rooster?  On the 19th September 1783, the French scientist Pilatre de Rozier launched the famous “Aerostat Reveillon”, the world’s first hot air balloon with the sheep, duck and rooster as the only passengers on this maiden flight.  Up until now, no hot air balloon flight had been successful, but this time round, the Aerostat Reveillon remained in the air for 15 minutes before crashing back down.  A few months later, the first manned hot air balloon flight was finally accomplished.  On the 21st November, the two French brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier flew for 20 minutes in their balloon which they launched from Paris.  This successful manned flight was the start of a new era in air travel. 

Hot air balloons require heat for them to become airbourne, a very basic scientific principle that Pilatre de Rozier and the Montgolfier brothers used.  But balloons do not have to use heat to ascend.  Gas can be used instead.  Just over a week after the Montgolfier’s accomplished the first manned balloon flight, Professor Jacques Charles made the first gas balloon flight from Paris.  He managed to stay airbourne for 2 hours and travelled to heights of up to 2000 feet before landing 27 miles away in the small town of Nesle.  Charles became the first person to see two sunsets in one day, having made a first landing to let out his co pilot Aine Roberts.

In 1785, the English Channel was considered the first step to long distance travel.  The first crossing over the Channel was accomplished by French balloonist, Jean Pierre Blanchard, and his American co pilot John Jefferies.  Pilatre de Rozier attempted this feat in the same year and was tragically killed.  His hot air balloon exploded half an hour after takeoff due to the experimental design of using a hydrogen balloon and hot air balloon tied together. 

Since the late 1700’s, more and more ballooning records have been made.  In 1932, Swiss scientist named Auguste Piccard was the first to achieve a manned flight to the Stratosphere reaaching a height of 52,498 feet, setting a new altitude record.  A new altitude record was set in 1935 where the gas balloon “Explorer 2″ reached incredible heights of 72,395 feet.  In 1960, yet another altitude was set, this time by Captain Joe Kittinger who made a parachute jump from a balloon that was at a height of 102,000 feet (19 Miles!).  He even broke the sound barrier with his own body!

The Double Eagle was the first balloon to cross the Atlantic in 1978.  It was a helium filled model,and it carried 3 passengers, Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman. They set a new flight duration time at 137 hours.  Three years later, the Pacific crossing was achieved in the balloon “Double Eagle V”, flying for 84 hours and a distance of 5,678 miles.  3 years after this, Captain Joe Kittinger flew 3,535 miles on the first solo transatlantic balloon flight, setting yet another record. 

So has a round the world flight been accomplished?  Yes, it has!  In 1999, the first around the world flight was completed by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones. Leaving from Switzerland and landing in Africa, they smashed all previous distance records, flying for 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes. Incredible!

Over the past 50 years, more and more ballooning challenges have been set and more and more records have been broken.  What will be the next challenge?  What will be the next record?  We will just have to wait and see…

For over 200 years, hot air balloon flights have been inspiring wonder and awe across the globe.  Many individuals have attempted to break new records in regards to balloon flights and for many years, the greatest challenge was to cross the Atlantic ocean.  As with all challenges, once it has been completed, the challenge evolves, getting increasingly more difficult.  Once the Atlantic challenge was accomplished, enthusiasts wanted to know if it was possible to fly around the world.  Well, it was!

Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland and Brian Jones of Great Britain accomplished this incredible feat in 1999 when they launched their balloon from Chateau d’Oex in the Swiss Alps to successfully land in Africa after 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes.  They travelled a jaw dropping 42,810 kilometres with out the need to re-fuel!  After these two inspiring men managed to circumnavigate the world, what could possibly be done to better this?  What about completing this achievment solo?

On the 19th June 2002, Steve Fossett launched his balloon “The Spirit Of Freedom” from Northam, Western Australia in an attempt to be the first soloist to circumnavigate the world.  He managed this astounding feat in just 14 days, 19 hours and 50 minutes, beating the original time taken to fly around the world by over 5 days!  I guess I would be more in a hurry to get home too if I was travelling alone!  Since 2002 when Steve Fossett accomplished his solo round-the-world flight, no one else has managed to repeat his success or the success of Bertrand and Brian.  I wonder what will be accomplished next…