New for 2008, Adventure Balloons now offer their passengers balloon rides in the counties of Kent, Sussex and Essex.

The launch site in Kent is at The Hop Farm Country Park near Tunbridge Wells, home to impressive Oast Houses which were used in the local brewing industry. Normally referred to as “The Garden of England”, Kent boasts wonderful rural views.

Balloon rides over Sussex will be made from the beautiful grounds of Buxted Park. The park boasts over 312 acres of National Parkland roamed by deer and divided by the River Uck, passengers will often be able to see the South Coast as well as having a birds-eye view of Sussex.

Balloon Flights in Essex will use various launch sites located throughout the county including Chelmsford, Colchester and Brentwood. These sites have been specially chosen to avoid areas of controlled airspace such as airports and offer the spectacular scenery that the Essex countryside has to offer.

During the winter months the good old British weather is not really suited to hot air balloon flights, so we try to use our balloons and baskets in a more innovative way. Our exclusive Happy Birthday Balloon has a small basket that takes up to 4 people and is often used in film and advertising work.

The latest project we have been involved with is the new McCain’s television advert for their Homefries chips. The basket, which features near the end of the advert, has three singing nuns one of them holding a bowl of Homefries chips.

All the roof top footage was shot in a large West London studio with lots of extravagantly painted landscapes and scenery, and of course a few green screens used for superimposing. The balloon basket was suspended from a crane, not the way we like to do it, we prefer a balloon but we’ll let them off.

Adventure Balloon’s very own director, Kim Hull got to have a bit of the lime-light, as he was interviewed by Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2. With over 25 years of experience in piloting hot air balloons, Kim was invited to talk on BBC Radio 2 as part of their “High Flying Jobs” series of interviews on Chris Evans drive time show.

During the interview Chris becomes very excited about ballooning, even asking how long it takes to become a pilot and how much a hot air balloon costs. Could we be seeing a Chris Evans branded balloon over the Surrey countryside in the near future? Only time will tell.

To listen to the interview click here or go to the news page on the Adventure Balloons website.

Are you looking for a unique and different present for a partner or loved one? Make a distinctive gesture with one of our eVouchers or balloon flights. With 10 sites around London and the Home Counties, this gives you a varied choice of the unbelievable countryside on offer.

Most of the launch sites are town parks that are exclusive to Adventure Balloons, and are ideal for friends and family to come and wave you off. Each site gives passengers both town and countryside views during the flight and offer numerous opportunities to get some great aerial photographs.

Don’t delay book your flight for someone special today.

Hot air balloons have been used to advertise and promote thousands of products and services over the years, and are becoming an excellent addition to existing marketing campaigns. A hot air balloon not only attracts interest it also holds the attention of spectators. In addition to the six million people attending various ballooning events nationwide, the balloon will also carry the advert over the surrounding population, increasing the exposure even more.

With the introduction of computer aided design it has become easier and to create complex balloon shapes. These one-of-a-kind balloons are very cost effective and often have an impact that conventional advertising methods lack.

Ballooning is becoming more and more popular for corporate weekends and hospitality. Adventure Balloons are experts in this field, and combined with their 16 passenger basket offer a great day out for your employees or potential customers. For further information on exclusive flights or balloon sponsorship to raise your company’s profile click here.

Before a successful hot air balloon flight can begin, the pilot must first check the weather and find a suitable take-off point. The weather must have sufficient visibility for the pilot to see and wind speeds should not exceed 10mph to allow for safe take-off and landings. To check wind speeds at a given location the pilot will send up a balloon called a Met-balloon or Pibal, this gives instant information about what the wind is actually doing.

Next the balloon is unpacked and the burner and basket attached. The envelope (balloon) is then filled with cold air that partially inflates the balloon and gives it, its basic shape. Once the shape of the balloon has been established the burner is used to heat the air inside. When the balloon is upright, the pilot and passengers climb into the basket and the flight can begin by directing more heat into the envelope.

Balloon races are popular all over the world, particularly during the summer months. Many people often ask how hot air balloons race. Balloons don’t ‘race’ in the normal sense of the word and it is not a case of first across the finish line wins.

Hot air balloon racing usually entails a range of strategic and complex tasks that the pilots must accomplish, normally consisting of dropping weights on pre-determined targets. Since the balloon simply drifts in the wind and balloon pilots do not have direct control over the direction that they fly in, many competition pilots have become very skilled in reading the winds to get them close to the targets.

A large fabric X about 50 foot in diameter is placed a few miles away from the launch site and the balloons take it in turns to take off, get as close to the target as possible and drop their marker. The closest marker achieves the highest score. The competition consists of numerous drops during the meet with the highest overall score declared the winner.

The latest addition to the fleet is a 16 passenger balloon basket. Adventure Balloons have worked tirelessly with the Lidstrand factory to produce not only a fantastically functional basket, but also takes into account the safety of both the passengers and pilots.

Adventure Balloons has been fitting seats to their baskets since 1993 and it’s only now that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recognise this major contribution to safety and recommend that other operators follow suit to avoid injuries due to bumpy landings.

So why not get a group of friends together and experience the delights of hot air ballooning.

Balloons have been used by the military for hundreds of years and were mainly used for reconnaissance and battlefield map making. It wasn’t until 1941 that the British used balloons as weapons to fight the Germans during World War II.

Operation Outward was given the go ahead in September 1941 and consisted of free-flying balloons with two different types of weapon. The first was a steel trailing wire, intended to damage high voltage line by producing a short circuit. The second was a set of flexible socks filled with flammable material designed to start fires in forests and fields.

The first launches took place on the 20th March 1942 and within days the British were receiving reports of fires near Berlin and Tilsit. Interception of German radio soon showed that German planes were trying to shoot the balloons down, this encouraged the British as it cost the Germans more to shoot a balloon down than it cost the British to make.

On the 12th July a wire carrying balloon struck a high voltage power line near Liepzig and the resulting fire destroyed Bohlen power station. In the lead up to D-day balloon launches became more sporadic, as there were fears that Allied bombers might get damaged. The last balloons were launched on 4th September 1944.

At least today when you take your Hot air balloon ride you can rest assured that there is no chance of being shot down by a German plane, it’s just you, the tranquil countryside and the peaceful sound of the wind gently lifting you away.

Thinking of visiting London? There are many wonderful sights to see from Buckingham Palace to the London Eye and everything in between. But don’t be a regular tourist; take your sightseeing to another level with a hot air balloon ride over london.

Experience the romance of ballooning whilst enjoying London’s fabulous landmarks from a different perspective. Whether you’re treating a loved one or maybe just treating yourself this is an excellent opportunity to see London from a unique point of view.

Why not bring your camcorder or camera so you can take pictures of the breathtaking sights and share your experience with friends and family for years to come.

Flights are available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and normally last for an hour but will depend on operational and weather factors. After the flight you will be returned to a suitable rail or underground station for an easy return to London, so you can continue your sightseeing as a regular tourist.

For more information or to book your flight go to Adventure Balloons.