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.

Another consideration on the part of the pilot is ground conditions. Although not as important as the climate and wind conditions, if the ground is wet the basket might churn up the field on take-off and reduce the likelihood of the landowner giving you permission for further flights.

Hot air balloons need stable winds to operate efficiently and flights are made either early morning or evenings depending on the sunrise and sunset. At these times the weather is cooler and the balloon flies better due to the hot air producing more lift. It is not advisable to fly during the daytime, because as the earth heats up it produces thermal pockets of air that can cause turbulence when in a balloon.

The weather is always of the upmost importance, as storms are very hazardous for balloons with the possible threat of a lightning strike. Even rain is a problem, because it reduces visibility and damages the balloons fabric. Pilots tend to fly when the weather is near ideal and when the skies are clear and wind conditions are close to normal.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You can book your balloon flight up to 60 days in advance on the date availability page or by phoning the office and gift vouches can be bought at any time.

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.

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.

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.