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By Kirsty, June 14, 2011 6:02 pm

Here is a word for word account from one of our true fans Toni Wadman;

Where do I start, flying with Virgin Balloons is such a great, WOW experience.

Where my parents live they often see balloons over their house and dad would often say he would love to do a flight. In February 2009 my dad was going to be celebrating his 65^th birthday so we decided to get him a balloon flight.  We chose Virgin Balloons because we saw adverts in our local papers and flights take off from Grimsthorpe.

So our first flight was on Sept 6^th 2009 am for my dad’s 65^th birthday treat (I had to go along to hold his hand!).  We decided to fly from Grimsthorpe Castle as it is only a few minutes drive from home. I work for a local printing company and my dad is a retired farm worker and having lived the area for over 35 years we wanted to see our local area from above.  Our flight took us from Grimsthorpe to Surfleet with such amazing views over fields, villages etc.  We even got to fly up through the clouds, stunning.

Our second flight was on May 17th 2010 pm, again from Grimsthorpe (3^rd attempt after 2 cancellations due to weather).  On this flight we didn’t travel too far but got to see a lovely sunset.

Our third flight was on 22^nd June 2010 am, this flight took us over Edenham (where my parents live). The weather was perfect with clear blue skies so I got some lovely pics of our local area.

We did book onto 2 further flights in October last year but unfortunately these were cancelled due to bad weather

Our first flight this year was on April 20^th am (a 40^th birthday treat for me), it was a misty start but as the skies cleared it was stunning. We travelled in a totally different direction from before.

We are hoping to book onto another flight in August from Rutland Water or Grimsthorpe and if we get to fly maybe another in September/October.  When we can we both go up to the castle if we know a flight is scheduled to watch the take-off and say hello to the crew.

All our flights have been from Grimsthorpe Castle, it is such a beautiful site to take off from, in front of the castle, near the lake, so peaceful in the early morning.  Even though all our flights have been from this launch site, each flight has been special for various reasons, an adventure.

We have such an amazing time and always look forward to our flights, always hoping that the weather is on our side, it is very disappointing when you hear the flight has been cancelled due to the weather.  It’s lovely to meet other passengers, one lady in particular called Rose on her first flight at 90 years of age.  I’ve recommended work colleagues and friends to do a balloon flight and some have booked flights with Virgin Balloons.

Three of our flights have been with Alan Lusty and our last with Martin.  True professionals in what they do, very informative of everything going on.  Andy and Peter the ground crew are great guys and always make us feel welcome, it always nice to have a catch up with them all.

We would both like to say a very big “thank you” to all involved, Customer Services, Ground Crew and especially our pilots Alan / Martin for such memorable flights.  We are absolutely amazed by the whole experience from helping with the preparation of the balloon before and after the flight to the flight itself which are totally amazing, such brilliant experiences.  On all occasions we have had a wonderful time, something we shall both talk about and remember for a long time.  It’s so nice to get away from the stress of work for 3-4 hours and do something we both enjoy

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By Kirsty, June 13, 2011 5:57 pm

Eight year old Olivia Staveley is the lucky winner of a pair of Virgin Balloon Flights to treat

her deserving Dad with for Father’s Day this coming Sunday! The Cliviger school girl entered the Draw Dad competition though the Burnley Express newspaper and judges picked her drawing as the ultimate Dad image.

You too can give Dad an experience of a lifetime with Virgin Balloon Flights, this super Father’s Day gift starts from just £89 per person. With over 100+ launch sites to choose from, Dad’s adventure is never too far from home. Show him just how much you care and see beautiful Britain from a totally new perspective.

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By Kirsty, June 8, 2011 2:05 pm

Known worldwide for his daredevil motor cycle stunts Eddie Kidd completed the 2011 Virgin London Marathon surrounded by friends, family and celebrities on the Mall on Tuesday night.

Tragically a motorbike  accident in 1996 left Eddie with serious head injuries, however he’s been back on his feet (with the help of a custom made walking frame) and has made it round the 26.2 mile marathon route supported by his wife and a team of carers.

Virgin Money Giving have been following Eddie’s story, keeping up to date on his progress, and with the finish in sight the Virgin Money Giving team were there to cheer him to the finish line and present him with a certificate and letter of congratulation from Sir Richard Branson.

So far he’s raised over £85,000 for CHILDREN with CANCER UK and the Eddie Kidd Foundation.

You can still donate via his Virgin Money Giving page here uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EddieKidd.

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By Kirsty, June 7, 2011 1:02 pm

Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!

The world’s biggest triathlon will be swooping back into London during the height of the British summer. On Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July, this iconic event features more than 13,000 competitors swimming, cycling and running around the ExCeL Centre and Royal Victoria Docks.

To kick start the training Virgin Active gym’s across the country held an indoor TRYathalon day enabling triathletes and non-triathletes to compete against themselves for super-duper prizes and have some fun along the way! Of course Virgin Balloon Flights were supporting the event with our lovely flights as one of the prizes.

Congratulations to the lucky winners:

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By Kirsty, June 6, 2011 4:52 pm

On our pit stop tour of our most northern launch sites Virgin Balloon Flights had the privilege of   visiting Glamis Castle in Angus! The spectacular start point for a Virgin hot air balloon ride over the seamless Scottish countryside was certainly one to remember. Shakespeare, Royalty and a tale of ghosts and ghouls is merely the beginning of what one of HRH Prince Charles of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla’s haunts has to offer.

Glamis Castle, with its many turrets and spires, and its links with history,  Royalty and legends is one of Scotland’s most impressive visitor attractions. This is the ancient seat of the Earls of Strathmore, the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the birthplace of HRH The Princess Margaret and the legendary setting for Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. Impressed? So were we!

Like most castles, the history of Glamis infrastructure has been one of additions, alterations and reconstructions to satisfy the needs and aspirations of its owners and the architectural fashions of the day. Today, it remains a welcoming home lived in by members of the Earl of Strathmore’s family.

You too can enjoy an amazing birds’ eye view of Glamis from as little as £109 per person with Virgin Balloon Flights. Why not spend the day viewing the superb interior, exterior and grounds of the castle pre or post flight. Walks have been created to take in a mixture of habitats ranging from parkland and policies in the immediate vicinity of the castle to the formal Italian Garden, mixed woodland and pinetum to the north east. At Glamis the visitor has the opportunity to see a wide variety of wildlife including; otters, salmon, herons, kingfishers, hares, kestrels, red squirrels and stoats, to name a few.

Why not tie in your flight with one of Glamis Castles’ many upcoming events this summer? For further information visit their website, blog page, Facebook or Twitter accounts.

Come on board with our Scotland pilot Brad Smith and see this super spot for yourself by calling 01952 212750 or visiting www.virginballoonflights.co.uk