Having just promised my own 10 year old a Hot air Balloon flight for her 11^th birthday this year I can safely say, judging by her reaction, that it is simply the best present a person could ever ask for. In fact, did you know that according independent research Hot Air Balloon Flights consistently fall in the “Top Ten Things” people have always wanted to do?

Let’s face it, a balloon isn’t exactly the best mode of transport, so if you actually need to get somewhere, maybe you should look at hiring a car. However, if adventure or an ‘out of this world’ experience is what you’re looking for then Hot Air Ballooning is just the thing! There are few things in life that can compare to the pure thrill and exhilaration of a ride in a balloon, regardless of your age! The unique sensation of being airborne in a balloon, 3’000 feet in the air with a 360° view will please anyone whether you’re 8 or 108 years of age! We have never failed to achieve a ‘gasp’ reaction from our passengers as they gaze down at the earth below, a panoramic, bird’s eye view.

Giving a balloon flight gift voucher for a birthday present would make the most amazing surprise for anyone, young or old and here at Adventure Balloons we have options which can make the whole event even more memorable!

• Have you considered purchasing our Balloon Flight Gift Box? Your loved one can then un-wrap a box containing a DVD or video and surprise gift, along with your Balloon Flight Gift Voucher, brochure and 20 page map pack.
• Book our exclusive “Happy Birthday” balloon, the only flights operator in the UK to have them!

Since 2000 we have operated a 2-4 person balloon for exclusive birthday groups and due to an overwhelming response to customer requests we have now added two new 16 person happy birthday balloons to our fleet so that all our passengers can fly in a happy birthday balloon. These additions mean that you can now book our Happy Birthday balloons for party bookings!

When booking a date for your flight, just check with our staff for available dates to fly in these balloons at no extra charge. (Available on most of our balloon flights in Berkshire, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Oxford, Surrey and York in 2012). 01252 844222

With reports of strong winds tearing through most of the UK we’ve seen some pretty interesting stories recently. With planes at Aberdeen Airport unable to land, overturned aircrafts at Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey, roofs ripped off at Epsom Racecourse, large tree’s blowing over causing fatalities in Tunbridge Wells plus similar issues in Kent, 100mph winds blowing large wheelie bins around in Edinburgh, high seas and force 10 winds causing the Port of Dover to close, a sailor killed after his vessel was hit by a large wave in the English Channel, thousands of people still without power in parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and so the list goes on, and on and on and…

Severe weather warnings across many parts of the UK are being issued by the Met Office, with major storm-force winds clearly causing serious disruption! So we can safely say that the New Year has brought flight delays here at Adventure Balloons! So if you have a flight booked with us (or anyone else in the UK for that matter), do phone in and check before you set off as you may be disappointed when you arrive on site!

However don’t let any of this put you off! As you know the weather in our beloved Britain can change in the blink of an eye, tomorrow could be clear and sunny! If you’ve been thinking about booking a flight, why not get in touch and we can advise you when we believe the conditions to be ok and when we have availability. We strongly advise that you still phone on the day of your flight to check that the conditions are appropriate for hot air ballooning.

To book you adventure, you can choose from various locations in Oxfordshire, York & Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, London, Essex Kent Sussex, South Hampshire, North Hampshire and Surrey. Simply visit our site to book online, or call us on local rate 01252 844222.

Organise your ‘pick-me-up’ treat now and you can start the New Year with the knowledge that you have something very wonderful to look forward to. You can book as far ahead in the next 12 months as you like, pick a date which means something to you, or simply celebrate a birthday, Valentine’s day, an anniversary in style. Here at Adventure Balloons we pride ourselves on providing the most unbeatable service tailoring each flight to the individual, creating a moment that will stay with you a lifetime.

You can enjoy an hour’s flight in any of the following locations; Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Micheldever, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex. But that’s not where it ends; so that you can make a ‘day of it’ we encourage all passengers to help set up the balloon and take it down again so that they get a real feel for what’s involved in ballooning and how it all works. You will enjoy a champagne toast and finally a flight certificate to commemorate the day and give you a token to remember it by, as if the memory isn’t enough!

We also give you the opportunity to purchase your in flight photo which you can hang on your wall with pride or tuck away in the photo album ready to show your friends and loved ones, along with giving them the exciting story of your day with us. Adventure Balloons were in fact one of the first balloon companies to provide in flight photography for passengers on balloon flights and in 2007 we purchased the world’s top selling digital camera, the Canon EOS400D. We use this camera on all of our balloons to give our customers the highest quality of photography.

For those of you who are more technically minded we are using an f1.8 20mm prime lens to provide better quality images than the standard Canon 18-55mm lens. This way we can guarantee the most professional photograph we can be proud to hand over to our passengers.

If you would like to know more, or would like to make a booking you can do so on our website, or alternatively, you can 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!

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.

Adventure Balloons enjoys some of the most beautiful areas Britain has to offer. With their pick of launch sites in locations such as Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Micheldever, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex, it crystal clear why Adventure Balloons are one of the top choices of Balloon Flight Operators in the UK.

Our Surrey balloon rides however seem to be the pick of the bunch; you can choose from launch sites in Farnham, Godalming and Guildford which offer some of the South’s most stunning historical buildings and rolling countryside.

We launch from sites in Shalford Park Guildford, next to the beautiful St Catherines Chapel and from the Burys in Godalming next to the tranquil River Wey. Also launching from Farnham Park, next to the enchanting Farnham Castle which amazingly still retains its multitude of architectural styles built over the centuries, our Surrey rides are a clear winner!

But what else can you expect to enjoy this unique, birds-eye-view over? During your balloon ride you may float gracefully over the stunning Guildford Cathedral, Frensham Ponds (where many of us can say we’ve held treasured memories), Loseley House and Alice Holt Forest. In fact, you may even glide over the small villages of Churt and Puttenham or the ruins of Waverley Abbey. Many passengers have been lucky enough to sight Black Lake where we are told A.A. Milne was inspired to write Winnie the Pooh.

If all this sounds like a dream for you, why not make it reality? It’s very simple, you can either book online which is fast and easy, or you can phone us for more information where we will also be happy to answer any of your questions and make bookings for you – 01252 844222.

Adventure Balloons are proudly the longest running passenger balloon ride company around London and the Home Counties. Flying since 1985, we have gathered a wealth of experience and passion for ballooning and are able to offer our passengers a supreme experience, and certainly one they’ll never forget. One thing we have learned for sure is our passengers consistent longing to enjoy a flight over an area which is familiar to them, and how this can have a significant impact on their enjoyment of the day. Here at Adventure Balloons we cover the following areas:

Oxfordshire – Balloons flights commenced in this area in 1995 and we were in fact the first hot air balloon flights company to work with Oxford City Council. Enjoy views over the countryside, colleges, the Radcliffe Camera, Carfax Tower and the many Musuems built in the distinctive stone. Also enjoy a birds-eye-view over Didcot Power Station, Farmoor Reservoir and Port Meadow.

York & Lincolnshire – Flights in York will take off from either the Knavesmire (York Racecourse) or often from beside the banks of the River Ouse at the Naburn Lock, just 4 miles south of the City of York.  Enjoy breathtaking views over York’s medieval city walls, Europe’s most spectacular gothic cathedral – York Minster, and of course the surrounding countryside.

Hertfordshire – Take off sites in Hertfordshire are Fairlands Valley in Stevenage, Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead, Cassiobury Park in Watford and Pendley Manor Hotel in Tring, all of which are  chosen to give passengers a mixture of towns, countryside and villages as you drift over Hertfordshire. Look out for the Jacobean Hatfield House, the elegant grounds of Knebworth Park, the M25, and the magnificent London skyline.

Berkshire – Flying from Berkshire since 1990, Adventure Balloons is the only balloon company flying from Reading’s Parks. With launch sites at Prospect Park and Kings Meadow in Reading and for some wind directions we use an alternative site at Padworth Village west of Reading on the A4; there is a choice which will cover the most beautiful areas Berkshire has to offer.

London – Flying from the capital, the ultimate hot air ballooning experience, you are sure to be stunned at how beautiful and peaceful London looks from above. Enjoy aerial views over Alexandra palace, Regents Park, Bedford College, Emirates Stadium, the London Eye, Wimbledon, the Albert Hall, Tower Bridge, Westminster, the Thames, Battersea, Parliament, Buckingham Palace and more.

Essex Kent & Sussex – Rides over Kent will be made from The Hop Farm Country Park near Tunbridge Wells, where you’ll find the impressive Oast Houses that were previously used in the local ale industry. Other sites include Bewl Water and Lamberhurst Vineyard but due to the proximity of Gatwick Airport and the Thames coast line which launch site we use will depend on wind direction on the day.

South Hampshire – Flying from Anstey Park in Alton, from West Meon, from Micheldever near the railway station and from the City of Winchester, you could see Winchester Cathedral, the rolling Hampshire countryside, the River Test, small villages such as Laverstoke, Whitchurch, and the Candovers and large estates such as Leckford on the River Test, the Mid Hants Steam Railway and more.

North Hampshire – With sites at Down Grange and War Memorial Park in Basingstoke, plus our own site at Hartley Wintney, you will see sights such as Tylney Hall Hotel, Wellington Country Park, Stratfield Saye (the Duke of Wellington’s Home) and Bramshill Police training college. You could also see small villages such as Odiham, Hartley Wintney, Crondall, Overton, Dummer and small towns such as Hook.

Surrey - Launching from Shalford Park in Guildford next to St Catherines Chapel and from the Burys in Godalming next to the River Wey, plus from Farnham Park, next to Farnham Castle. Look out for Guildford Cathedral, Frensham Ponds, Loseley House and Alice Holt Forest.

Are you booking your next year’s summer surprise? Have you decided to knock the vacation on the head for the coming summer and to try something a little different this time? Many people have changed the way they do their summers these past couple of years and with the latest government cuts and taxations, it’s only going to keep changing. So not many of us can afford a yearly break, and instead opt for camping trips and UK weekenders in the caravan; that’s fine, we’re all in the same boat, so to speak, but wouldn’t you prefer to be in a balloon?

Here at Adventure Balloons you can enjoy a hot air balloon flight across locations such as Oxfordshire, York, Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, London, Essex, Kent, Sussex, South Hampshire, North Hampshire and Surrey!

Our popular North Hampshire location has launch sites in Down Grange and War Memorial Park in Basingstoke. However we also have our own site based in Hartley Wintney. You will find all these sites conveniently positioned for access to the M3 motorway.

During your alternative summer day outing you will see sites such as Tylney Hall Hotel, Wellington Country Park, Stratfield Saye (the Duke of Wellington’s Home) and Bramshill Police training college! Keep your eyes peeled for the small villages of Odiham, Hartley Wintney, Crondall, Overton, Dummer and Hook which will look like toy towns from your birds-eye view 3,000 feet up!

The icing on the cake however is the champagne toast, adding the final touch of elegance to your tranquil, magical balloon tour over your favourite location. Our passengers often comment on a feeling of royalty, and many of them get in touch to say that the whole day didn’t sink in until the following day. It really is no wonder that hot air ballooning is high on our lists of things to do, so why put it off, make it happen!

Get in touch with us by phone on 01252 844222, e-mail, or alternatively you can check date availability or make bookings online.

Hot air ballooning is all about the weather! Being a completely weather dependent activity, specific date bookings can never be guaranteed. So where many of our balloon ride passengers fly on their first attempt, you’ll also find that equally as many will first undergo a few attempts. You will need to have a certain degree of patience when it comes to taking your flight; the more bookings you make the quicker you will get your chance, but worry not, we can safely say that the experience is always worth the wait.

As the UK is positioned on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean it means that traditionally we have low pressure weather systems in the winter and more high pressure systems in the summer. Higher pressure weather normally brings blue skies, light winds and little rain, where as the lower pressure systems tend to bring storms, rain and strong winds. For this reason, hot air ballooning seasons run from April to October and it is thought that the best time to fly is between July and August.

Flights tend to take place at sunrise or sunset as this is when the wind can be a little lighter. For the flight to go ahead, winds must be less than 10 miles an hour during the hour after dawn or before dusk and so careful monitoring is always required! Don’t panic however; we always let our passengers know well in advance. We use forecasts and rely on this information to be able to make the decision to call the flight on, however sometimes this information can be incorrect and so on rare occasions we have to cancel at the launch site.

It is actually very simple to predict if the wind is going to be very light or too strong and often it can be seen some days ahead as high or low pressure weather systems approach. If suitable conditions can be seen ahead, we will text passengers of available spaces and sometimes even put on additional flights.

Visibility is the trickiest to predict and is certainly the main culprit in terms of error in weather forecasts. With various weather conditions such as mist, fog or low cloud being rather subtle and varying from mile to mile, our balloon pilot’s always ensure they access the most up to date information and even rely on local knowledge.

Ballooning in the rain is frankly not an option. When you consider that the top of the balloon reaches nearly 100 degrees Centigrade (the boiling point of water), it will come as no surprise that when the rain falls on the balloon, its cooling effect is sure to have a consequence! If the balloon cools it will descend rapidly and so the pilot has to put in extra heat from the burners to compensate for the heat loss. The whole ordeal is bad for the balloon fabric and makes the balloon much harder to control; what’s more, packing the balloon away while it’s wet is not the greatest idea! So it is basically a case of watching the weather radar closely to see where the showers are forming, where they are tracking and if they are beginning to die away.

As I’m sure you can now gather, there are plenty of weather conditions to be mindful of, so if you’re booking your balloon flight, remember, if it’s cancelled, it’s for your own safety! However your patients will always be rewarded when it comes to hot air ballooning – Adventure Balloons will certainly guarantee you one of the most magical experiences you could ever have.

Hot air ballooning is the most unique and romantic way to take to the skies; unlike any other form of flying, you have a 360 degree view of the world around you giving a real sense of freedom and an idea of what it must feel like to be a bird in flight. Until you’ve experienced it yourself, you can only imagine what it would be like to feel completely un-inhibited, to see the world as you know it shrink to the size of a model toy land; places that where once familiar to you will appear unreal, you will have a whole new perspective of distance and locations.

At Adventure Balloons you can choose your preferred location flying from Oxford, Reading, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford, Tring, London, Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Guildford, Farnham, Godalming, West Meon, Micheldever, Alton, Winchester, Kent, Sussex and Essex. All you need to do is book online or call on 01252 844222 and you’ll have your dream ambition booked in 5 minutes! We recommend that you call for a final weather check the evening before your morning flight so that you can be sure that the conditions are right for flying. On the morning or evening of your flight you will even be invited to help with the preparations setting up the balloon ready for flight! You can expect your flight to last about an hour, however with the preparations, travel and champagne toast, the whole experience is more likely to last for about three and a half hours.

Our vouchers are valid for 12 months; however our flights run from April to October. Due to safety regulations, passengers must not exceed 18 stone and passengers must be able bodied enough to climb into the basket which is approximately 1.1 meters tall. Our minimum age is 8, and anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. We do not have an upper age limit; we only ask that you are of good enough health to fly. If you have any doubts at all, please confirm with your doctor who can advise if hot air ballooning appropriate for you. Those who are pregnant or under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be able to fly and we recommend flat shoes or walking boots along with clothing suitable for the time of year as you will need to walk through fields to get to the balloon.