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By Alex, May 20, 2013 10:26 am

Motor racing fans at the Silverstone Classic 2013 will be able to experience a bird’s eye view of the famous circuit as hot air balloon rides are on offer for the first time.

Virgin Balloon Flights has been announced as the official balloon ride supplier and will be taking people skywards on all three days of the event (July 26-28), weather permitting.

Hot air balloons have been a feature of the Silverstone Classic – the World’s biggest classic racing festival – for years, but this is the first time commercial balloon flights have been available.

Lucky passengers will enjoy around an hour’s balloon flight over the Towcester circuit and countryside beyond then a traditional Champagne toast after landing. The balloon rides will take place on Friday evening, early morning and evening on Saturday and early Sunday morning.

We took a shiny new balloon basket along to the Silverstone Classic Media Day at the Silverstone Wing on May 8 where we rubbed shoulders with greats of the racing world such as F1’s David Coulthard and TV personality and former racing driver Tiff Needell.

This year’s event will include 24 action-packed races including historic Formula 1, a Le Mans revival, a tribute to racing legend Jim Clark, a 90s Super Touring Car comeback, plus a massive 50th anniversary parade of Porsche 911s. Headliners of the music programme will be sixties chart-toppers The Hollies supported by top tribute bands.

Virgin Balloon Flights’ pilot Mark Shemilt said: “We take people flying from sites all around the UK, but this rare opportunity to fly from the Silverstone Classic and to see the world famous racing circuit from above is very special. We’re delighted to be taking part in such a prestigious event and the views from the basket will be spectacular.”

Hot air balloon flight spaces are very limited and a Silverstone Classic ticket for the corresponding day is required and are available from £35pp + booking fee for adults.

Balloon flights are £149 per person + booking fee and can be booked online at www.silverstoneclassic.com/VirginBalloons where full details and terms are also available.

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By Alex, May 7, 2013 10:51 am

If you’re planning to pop the question to your partner, you might be feeling the pressure. The gesture could be the most important you’ve ever made and, if everything goes to plan, it’ll be something you and your other half remember for the rest of your lives.

The important thing is to prepare properly. You don’t want to rush the proposal and then regret it.

The ideal setting

First and foremost, you’ll need to think about where to get down on bended knee. Rather than going for something run-of-the-mill, why not consider hot air balloon rides? These majestic and romantic airborne experiences are unlike anything else.

Especially if your partner has never taken to the skies like this, she’ll be amazed by the journey – and your romantic gesture will be the icing on the cake.

You’ll ascend into the sky hand in hand and get to marvel at the undulating and green countryside. This certainly beats a simple picnic in the park!

Decisions decisions

Of course, you’ll need to decide which take-off spot to set off from. Perhaps you think your other half would like to experience local sights from a new, airborne perspective, or maybe a trip further afield would be better.

Here at Virgin Balloon Flights we offer over 100 locations across England, Scotland and Wales.

Complete the experience

Whether you choose to make the most of hot air balloon rides in Kent, flying experiences in Yorkshire or anything else, it’s a good idea to finish the trips off in style. You might decide to take your partner out for a luxurious meal, or maybe a romantic stroll around the surrounding countryside would be perfect.

For a truly indulgent experience, you could book a luxurious hotel and stick around for a couple of days.

Don’t forget the ring

It might sound obvious, but one thing you’ll need to keep right at the top of your checklist when the big day draws near is the all-important engagement ring. Imagine feeling the thrill of your balloon ride, seeing the expression of awe and amazement on your partner’s face and then realising you’ve left the ring at home or in the car. Not good.

As the excitement of your balloon ride and imminent proposal builds, make sure you keep this important detail at the forefront of your mind.

Act cool

Also, so that you don’t give the game away, try to act cool. If you seem shifty or distracted, your other half might start to get suspicious and the element of surprise may be lost.

A toast

The great thing is, when you land after your balloon flight, you will be handed a champagne toast, or a soft drink if you’d prefer. This is the perfect way to celebrate your engagement. Let’s just hope she says yes!

To find out more about the flights we offer, just take a look around the rest of our website. You’ll soon see why we’re number one for hot air balloon rides in the UK.

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By Rob, May 2, 2013 2:49 pm

We’ve got plenty of sunshine at our Shropshire HQ at the moment and it seems our flyers have been enjoying the fine weather too.

On Saturday 20th April pilot Gavin Chadwick flew thirteen passengers from historic Berrington Hall in Herefordshire and lucky for us he got a few photographs from the flight.

If you can’t think of anything better than sipping Champagne after a balloon flight at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire or any of our other 100+ sites across the UK please visit us at www.virginballoonflights.co.uk or call 0844 844 8080

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By Rob, April 26, 2013 12:20 pm

Given the recent ‘Great’ British weather, it’s not everyday that holidaymakers at beautiful Offenham Holiday Park in the Vale of Evesham have something bright in the sky. However, last week those enjoying Evesham’s green surroundings had the pleasure of the shining sun and a bright red Virgin balloon above them.

Last Saturday Virgin Balloon Flights pilot Russell Collins flew north east from Evesham’s Crown Meadow taking in the sights of the River Avon including Offenham Park where holidaymakers got a close-up view of the balloon in flight; waves were exchanged and many a photo taken. We would like to thank Vernon Lloyd for sending in these fantastic photo’s.

“We had a beautiful flight out of Evesham, flying over the river Avon. We were waving and everyone was taking lots of photo’s. I even called down that they should send them in to Virgin Balloon flights and lo and behold they have, excellent!” – Pilot Russell Collins

To find out more about Virgin Balloon Flights from Evesham or any of our other sites across the UK please visit www.virginballoonflights.co.uk or call 0844 844 8080.

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By Kirsty, April 8, 2013 9:59 am

It’s not uncommon to celebrate a birthday with balloons, but Jessica Bill celebrated her 24^th aboard a 100 foot tall hot air balloon floating 3000 feet up in the sky.

Jess and boyfriend of two years, Nick Crosby, 29, from Gamston, took to the skies from Stoke Rochford Hall, in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in an iconic red Virgin balloon last week.

The sunrise voyage marked the achievement of a lifetime ambition for the couple, who bought the balloon ride vouchers for their first anniversary.

“We’ve both always wanted to go on a balloon flight. Everyone was great and really looked after us and, even though we met up at 6am on a freezing cold morning, they we really upbeat and fun. When we told them it was Jess’ birthday they all started singing happy birthday to her, the rest of the passengers joined in too,” said Nick.

Jess added: “My favourite bit was the views, they were amazing and something I’ll never forget. The champagne toast after we landed was great too.”

Travelling around eight miles to the east during the hour-long flight, the balloon landed land near Belvoir Castle before experienced pilot Martin Collinson presented Jess and Nick with their personalised flight certificates.

Martin, 46 from Grantham said “It was great to have Jessica and Nick on board, there’s something special about singing happy birthday in the open air over the countryside, it’s magical! After the snow we’ve had, a beautiful clear balloon ride was a special way to celebrate her day; I’m delighted they enjoyed it.”

The couple, who are due to be married in August next year, said they were now keen to experience another balloon ride as part of their honeymoon.

Balloon flights are available from sites across the UK including Nottingham from £99pp via www.virginballoonflights.co.uk or on 0844 844 8080.

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By Alex, April 7, 2013 9:21 am

The Lake District is one of the most beautiful areas in the United Kingdom and well worth a visit. The beautiful landscapes are packed full of exciting things to do and see. One of the best ways of seeing the Lake District is by booking a place on one of our hot air balloon rides. When it comes to hot air balloon rides Lake District, some might claim that there are no finer sights on the planet. Experience a bird’s eye view of the rolling hills and stunning fresh water lakes by booking a place on one of our Lake District flying experience days today. Once you have seen the area from the air you will no doubt want to explore it on the ground. Here are some of the top places to visit in the Lake District.

1. Windermere

Windermere is quite possibly the best known place in the Lake District thanks to it being the subject of hundreds of books and poems. The stunning Lake is brimming with water sports activities. Take a trip on the ferry that crosses the Lake at regular intervals, or hire a rowing boat and take to the water yourself. The small bustling town of Ambleside is only a mile away and is packed full of inviting shops and tempting cafes for you to enjoy.

2. Coniston Water
Coniston Water is approximately five and a half miles wide, and is well known for being the place where Sir Donald Campbell tragically lost his life in his attempt to break the world speed record in his Bluebird. Rowing boats are available to hire on the water, but if you fancy something of a more cultural nature you could always take a trip to the Ruskin Museum in Brantwood, or The Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead.

3. Helvellyn
If you enjoy hiking then Helvellyn will be a treat for sure! As the third highest peak in the England, the mountain attracts walkers from all over the world. Striding Edge is one of the best scrambling routes in the country, but is also one of the most dangerous. Make sure that you are properly equipped before you go out onto the hills as the weather can change in an instant. You may not reach the top, but you will certainly find some fantastic photo opportunities no matter how high you reach.

4. Keswick
Just north of Derwent Water, Keswick is a friendly market town which dates back to the 13th century. The town hosts an annual beer festival and mountaineering race. The highly respected Theatre by the Lake also operates in Keswick and attracts thousands of theatre goers to its stages every year. It is also home to the Cumberland Pencil Museum which holds what is claimed to be the world’s largest pencil! Being the Lake District, there are plenty of outdoor activities to try in Keswick and there is no need to worry about being short of equipment due to the high number of outdoor shops.

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By Kirsty, April 5, 2013 10:57 am

Hot air ballooning is one of the world’s most romantic forms of aviation, especially when you fly over a heart-shaped lake set in beautiful British countryside like Lisa Barnett, of Shadwell, North Leeds, whose airborne adventure was much more than she could have wished for…

Floating up to 3000ft above the Yorkshire landscape with boyfriend of eight months, Greg Armstrong, Lisa looked out over the edge of the basket of the Virgin balloon she was travelling in, hoping Greg was enjoying the flight she’d bought him as a Christmas gift as much as she was. Their sunrise champagne balloon ride from the city’s famous racecourse certainly provided them with some fantastic views including the sea and the Humber Bridge on the horizon. But that was just the beginning…

 Lisa said: “The tranquility of the flight was breath-taking. As I turned around, Greg was on one knee and had secretly asked a fellow passenger to capture the event on camera, how wonderful that the lady agreed and she was herself a photographer; the morning could not have been better! Whilst she was unbeknownst to me snapping away, Greg popped the question. I was so shocked that I cried. I of course wanted to say yes, but I was so overwhelmed, that after composing myself & a few cuddles I said I’d be honoured to marry him.”

With the seal of approval from Lisa’s father a few weeks before 39-year-old Greg, who works in IT solutions, happily put the ‘stand-in’ ring on Lisa’s finger whilst the rest of the passengers congratulated them.

Lisa, a National brand manager, went on to say: “We couldn’t believe we flew over a heart-shaped lake too – I was convinced this was in Greg’s itinerary, but the pilot Dave obviously knows the area well, mother nature was clearly on our side as she blew our balloon in that direction!”

The couple who plan to tie the knot late summer or early autumn this year came back down to solid ground and shared a Champagne toast with the rest of the passengers before the ground crew presented them with a keepsake balloon made from the Champagne cork and clasp.

Following the excitement of their magical hot air balloon ride the couple visited Elements in Hebden Bridge where they began work with master jeweller Dawn on the design of the ‘real’ engagement ring. Later the couple sipped more Champagne with their families at a celebratory party organised by Lisa’s sister.

Lisa, 40, added: “A massive thanks to pilot Dave Sutcliffe and the rest of the team for the kind gift, photos & champagne, plus the amazing passengers on the flight that made our morning so special. Everyone individually congratulated us after the flight, so thank you everyone who made our balloon trip so memorable. We would highly recommend a Virgin Balloon Flight to anyone.”

Looking for a special way to pop the question? You too can take to the skies in a Virgin hot air balloon from as little as £99 per person, simply call 0844 844 8080 or visit our website.

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By Alex, April 1, 2013 12:01 pm

Following this morning’s ‘revelation’ that Virgin Atlantic will be introducing glass-bottom planes for domestic flights, the possibility of spotting Scotland’s mysterious Loch Ness monster has been getting people excited.

Teams from across the Virgin Group have been coming up with ideas of how they could in theory join the hunt for Nessie, so we thought we would throw our hat into the ring.

How about we introduce glass-bottom baskets and float over Loch Ness giving people an unforgettable ballooning experience and the scintillating possibility (however small) of seeing the humps of the beast from the deep…

Although, such a thing exists, we’re not sure a glass-bottom basket is going to be everyone’s cup of tea and we don’t fly from Loch Ness.

However, if you fancy a flight in a good old fashioned hot air balloon with a reassuringly solid basket from one of our 100+ UK sites (from£79pp) fly over to our website.

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By Kirsty, March 27, 2013 1:01 pm

At the beginning of this year we announced a brand new hot air balloon launch site for Doncaster at Cusworth Hall. Well, it would seem our lovely passengers are keen to experience the city and surrounding area from the sky, so we’ve added another new site for Yorkshire folk, or those further afield, to fly from!

You can now book a flight with pilot Chris Oxby from the beautiful Best Western Mount Pleasant Hotel. The charming AA 4 star hotel is set in 100 acres of woodland that homes courtyards, fountains and even its own stream. Balloon rides from Mount Pleasant let you explore the south side of Doncaster from a totally unique perspective offering a mixture of suburban chimney tops and countryside woodland.

The hotel is a family affair and has been owned by the McIlroys for three generations since 1938. Priding itself on a personal approach, the hotel will deliver the perfect spot for starting your airborne adventure in Doncaster.

Richard Tyas, General Manager of the hotel, said: “We’re very much forward to working with Virgin Balloon Flights and adding to our unique offering at Mount Pleasant as a hot air balloon launch site.”

Fancy giving the gift of flight? Hot air balloon rides from Doncaster start from as little as £79 per person, simply call 0844 844 8070 or visit our website.