If you’re reading this then I’m guessing you’re toying with the idea of hot air ballooning. Many people purchase a hot air ballooning trip for themselves as a sort ‘life ambition gift’. Most of us dream of hot air ballooning one day and sadly a great deal of those will never actually fulfil the goal; it gets put off and put off until frankly, it’s just too late. Those of us who take the leap and join the world of ballooning then realise just why so many of us Brits dream of taking to the skies in this way. It is an experience like no other, exhilarating, breathtaking, relaxing, inspirational, euphoric, tranquil and emotional even. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?

Ballooning is also a gift given to others. This could be as a birthday present, anniversary surprise, congratulations or reward gift, a romantic gesture, a Christmas present; for many their doesn’t have to be a reason! To receive those ‘golden’ tickets that will allow you the life time chance of taking to the skies in a hot air balloon, is in itself an exciting thing. Just picture the look on their face when they realise what’s in store for them!

At Adventure Balloons we cover various flight locations across Britain, for example Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex.

Our south Hampshire area is one of our most popular spots. Flying from Anstey Park in Alton, from West Meon, from Micheldever near the railway station and from the City of Winchester, there’s plenty of ‘flight paths’ to choose from. However do bear in mind, the exact course you end up taking is completely wind dependent! Our customers commonly see the impressive Winchester Cathedral and are in awe of its staggering beauty from above! Be seduced by the rolling Hampshire countryside, the River Test, the pretty little villages such as Laverstoke, Whitchurch, and the Candovers. You can often see the large estates of 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 many a time we’ve had the rather unusual experience of seeing a glider circling around Lasham airfield, or microlights flying from Popham airfield.

Book your chance to fly in a hot air balloon with Adventure Balloons and you will receieve a 12 month voucher which will entitle you to select your date from anytime (depending on which voucher you buy) over the 12 months following purchase! Book online or call us on 01252 844222.

I wouldn’t in a million years have ever thought that any part of England bared resemblance to Africa’s beloved Kenya! With its glorious mountain peaks, its humid climate, its world renowned safaris and wildlife reserves, not to mention its glorious tropical lakes and park land, how on earth would modest England share any similarity at all?

At Adventure Balloons one of our most popular flight locations is Surrey and it’s no wonder really! During the flight, if you’re lucky enough, the wind will take the balloon over Hankley Common which is south of Farnham. Your pilot will introduce you to the common land areas from 3’000 feet in the air and strangely, the land bares a strong resemblance to the game reserves in the Masai Mara in Kenya. We like to get the most out of the flight for our passengers ensuring a memorable experience, so we like to play little games, for example on this flight path there is always a prize for the first passenger to spot a wildebeest! Just to the North of Hankley Common is the start of the River Wey, and if you take a look at the picture (above) of our Happy Birthday Balloon flying over the river as it winds its way to the Mill at Elstead, you’ll see an uncanny likeness of the picture (below) taken by company pilot Kim Hull when flying in Kenya over 15 years ago!

If you’d like the opportunity to see England from the same perspective, why not book your own surrey balloon flight adventure? You can enjoy the breath taking views and enjoy the sheer thrill of Britain’s most dreamed about past time; hot air ballooning. Book online or call us on 01252 844222.

Hot air balloon companies don’t tend to schedule passenger balloon flights during the winter months due to the ‘unforgiving’ and rather unreliable weather conditions. Conditions for ballooning need to be just right; wind direction and speed need to meet specific guidelines, visibility must be good and there cannot be forecasted rain – packing away a wet tent is a bad idea! Having said all this, when you do get a good day weather wise, it can be perfect and so sometimes here at Adventure Balloons, we take a balloon out with the crew to give them a treat, but also to enable them to learn more about what is involved in piloting a hot air balloon.

On the last day of January this year we had studied the weather forecasts and found that at around midday, the wind would change from a North Easterly to a South Westerly, and remain very light throughout. So we took out 4 person Happy Birthday balloon out at 10.45 in the morning, drifting from our Hampshire balloon ride base down towards the villages of Hook and Odiham. There are so many ‘visual treats’ on this route, on this particular day a stunning frozen lake; however you float wherever the wind takes you and for now, it took us along one side of the lake.

As we climbed in height and the wind fluctuated we found ourselves among the tree tops, after which we ended up back at this enchanting lake. At one point we were even able to touch the frozen lakes surface, flying along just a few inches above it! As some trees along the lakes edge loomed ahead, we crept once again in height where the varying winds once again took us back to this ‘magnetic’ lake where we landed gracefully on its edge; well, I say gracefully but the swans inhabiting the area were not too pleased about our sudden visit, still they reclaimed their spot when we drifted away again!

Thankfully most of this was captured by a very nice gentleman who gave us photographic evidence of our eventful morning in exchange we gave him some excellent shot’s of his home! Just take a look at the stunning photograph above! Furthermore, this lovely gentleman later sent us a link to this amazing You Tube video, please watch; it’s that good I even posted it to my own profile! – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfgOYsWnisk

Have you ever been travelling along a country lane, gazing out of the car window at all the beautiful rolling hills and stunning sights, idyllic villages and grazing animals, when your eyes locked upon a glorious hot air balloon? Drifting in the sky, just low enough to see the flame which keeps it up, the stunning sight urges you to wind down your window and you can hear the roar of the burner. Close your eyes and you can imagine that it’s you up there in the balloon, blowing gracefully over rivers and castles, the patchwork quilt of farmlands and tranquil countryside. What better way to relax and unwind than in a hot air balloon.

At many fairs and fates, carnivals and outdoor events, you will see tethered balloon rides, with queues that reach all around the entire events fields and for a price that you didn’t think to draw out at the cash point before you packed the family into the car! Another opportunity missed. Many people spend their lives dreaming about having a hot air balloon experience only never actually get the opportunity to put the idea into reality. Well maybe it’s time to stop dreaming and make this wonderful thought into reality for a loved one or for you!

At Adventure Balloons we specialise in creating the perfect hot air balloon ride for all kinds of different demands. Maybe you have a party of people who are looking for an adventure, some exhilarating fun? Or maybe you’re a couple who are celebrating years of marriage or togetherness and would like a romantic flight to mark the occasion? Alternatively your son or daughter, friend or relative is celebrating their 16^th, 18^th, 21^st, 30^th, whatever ‘th’ and you’d like to surprise them with the most awesome birthday gift…a hot air balloon ride in one of our birthday balloons?

Whatever the event we can tailor the ride to suite your needs. With champagne toasts, friendly pilots and opportunities to really get involved in the preparation and days events, plus balloons for two to balloons for 16 and a whole bushel of different locations to choose from, Adventure Balloons offers the whole kit and caboodle! You can book online, check out available dates, or simply call us on 01252 844222 where one of our team will be very happy to hear from you.

Balloon spotting is a hobby that has steadily grown in popularity.  Due to the high number of balloon flights and regular balloon festivals across the UK and the rest of the world, more and more people are getting hold of their cameras and going off in a search to locate a hot air balloon.  People have being gathering to watch hot air balloon inflate and take off into the skies since the late 1700’s when hot air balloon flights were first accomplished.  What a sight it is to witness a hot air balloon launch!

One of the best ways to witness the inflation and launch of a hot air balloon is to attend one of the many festivals that are held across the UK every year.  Some balloon festivals include Tiverton Balloon Festival in Devon (20-22 May), The Essex Spectacular (6-7 August), the renowned Bristol International Balloon Festival at Ashton Court (11-14 August) and Balloons and Bentleys at Leeds Castle, Kent (3-4 September).  Balloon festivals are a great way to witness special shaped hot air balloons, just don’t forget to take your camera!

The other alternative to spotting hot air balloons is to visit your local launch site.  There are hundreds of balloon launch sites across the UK so you shouldn’t have to travel too far to find your nearest balloon launch site.  Balloon pilots and their crew are a friendly bunch of people and don’t usually mind specators watching them as long as the balloon launch process is not obstructed in any way. 

To truly get the best hot air balloon experience, a hot air balloon flight is the way to go!  You will have the opportunity to quiz your pilot about the workings of a hot air balloon whilst taking incredible photographs of the ground below you.  You can even obtain an in-flight photograph of your hot air balloon ride as a souvenir of your magical balloon ride.

A popular question that is asked my many hot air balloon passengers is “Can I take my camera on the flight?”.  The answer to this common question is “Yes!”.  Passengers are more than welcome to take photographs on their flight.  In order to have the best photographs possible, we would suggest that you fit a UV filter to your camera otherwise your photographs could end up looking hazy. 

Flying across beautiful landscapes hundreds of feet high in the air offers many excellent chances to take spectacular, professional-looking photos that you can wow your friends and family with.  You will have a wonderful birds-eye view of rolling countryside, magnificent architecture, pretty villages and churches that will allow you to take impressive photographs at the click of a button.  Booking a flight to take magical photographs couldn’t be easier!  Simply visit the Adventure Balloons website where you can find information on booking flights and much more!

Alternatively, you can take impressive photographs of hot air balloons from the ground.  Hot air balloon flights occur at dawn and dusk during suitable weather conditions.  If you are at the right place at the right time, you may even get to meet balloon pilots and ground crew!  Simply visit the Adventure Balloons locations page to see where your nearest launch site is, grab you camera and keep your eyes peeled! 

For more information, visit our site to contact us via our contact form or alternatively, you can give us a ring on 01252 844222.

During this current economic climate, many companies are cutting costs and trying novel ways to advertise their products. Although advertising on a hot air balloon is not new, it has been proven to reach more people and have more longevity than local radio and newspaper advertising, as well as being considerably cheaper.

Whether the company wants to advertise on a standard balloon or have a custom made balloon for a specific product, this can easily be done because of the advances in hot air balloon manufacture. The computerisation of balloon manufacture has meant that a balloon can now be made virtually any shape or size, perfect for advertising products and services.

A hot air balloon festival is probably one of the best ways to show your balloon, and with an estimated 4 million people attending balloon festivals in the UK each year, that’s a large target audience to advertise to.

Using a hot air balloon to advertise your products or services is an easy and fun way to promote your business.

Virgin Balloons has apologised to the villagers of Lambley after one of its balloons narrowly missed houses as it came in to land. The incident happened as the hot air balloon, operated by Virgin aborted a landing in a field due to their being horses in it.

Villager Russ Swann, who witnessed the incident and also captured it on video said: “The balloon came by and when it disappeared behind my next door neighbour’s house we ran up into the field and saw it going through the village at what looked like chimney pot height.”

Virgin Balloons maintain that the balloon was fully controlled during the flight, issuing a statement which said: “One of our Virgin balloons took off from our launch site at Wollaton Park in Nottingham at 1825 BST on Sunday carrying 16 passengers and travelled on the wind out of the city in a north easterly direction.”

The statement when on to say, “On approach for landing the pilot reduced altitude, but aborted the landing when he noticed two horses in the field and, using the quieter ‘whisper’ burner, quickly gained altitude and flew on.”

Virgin Balloons said that the pilot eventually landed the hot air balloon in a field further down, successfully completing the flight and that the land owner and the owner of the horses were satisfied with the landing.

Balloon spotting as a hobby has been steadily growing in popularity over the past thirty years, mainly due to the fact that hot air balloons are more affordable, so there are greater number of them and the growing number of balloon festivals being held worldwide. There is now thought to be over 2000 balloon spotters in the UK alone, and this number is increasing every year.

Balloon spotting can be traced back to the first hot air balloons of the 1780’s, where people would gather and watch as the balloon envelope filled up with hot air and ascended majestically into the sky.

The best way of seeing a hot air balloon is to visit a balloon festival; there are many festivals held each year all over the UK, so finding one close to you is easy. A balloon festival will give you a chance to see lots of hot air balloons in one place and will often feature oddly shaped balloons and advertising balloons, just don’t forget your camera!

Another way to see a hot air balloon is to visit your nearest balloon launch site; most balloon operators allow spectators to watch the launching of a balloon as long as they don’t obstruct the launching process.

Balloon spotting has been a popular hobby for many years and dates back from the first manned balloon flights of the late 1700’s, where people would gather to see these huge structures fill up and float away into the distance.

In recent years the digital cameras has come down in price which means that it has never been easier to take photographs on the move. There is thought to be over 1000 balloon spotters in the UK and a large proportion of them use digital cameras for their ease and quality.

If you want to get into balloon spotting you can visit a balloon launch site that is near you; spectators are welcome as long as they don’t interfere with the launching process.

One of the best ways to see a hot air balloon is to visit one of the numerous balloon festivals that are hosted in the UK every year. Here you will find lots of balloons in the same place and see balloons in an array of wonderful shapes and colours.

Taking your own balloon ride is a fantastic experience, but if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, just seeing the balloons set off and land can be just as exciting.