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.

Ballooning has become more and more popular over the past 30 years, mainly due to the experience of floating high up in the sky but also due to the cost dramatically falling. The hot air balloon is not only used for commercial use but also by hobbyists and as advertising platforms.

Since the introduction of new technologies and materials, hot air balloon designers and manufacturers have been creating more elaborate and complicated balloon shapes to their customers requirements; assisted by computer aided design.

The initial design is created on the computer and is then sent to the customer for approval. Once the design has been approved, the template is then cut out onto special non-rip fabric using a large computer controlled cutting table. Then the template is sent to the sewing department and sewn together using special stitches designed for their strength and stability. The envelope is sent for final assembly where it is roguishly tested and once this is complete the balloon is then sent to the customer.

A perfect place to see hot air balloons is at a balloon festival, where you will see lots of wonderfully shaped balloons in lots of various sizes.