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By Jade, July 26, 2012 5:02 pm

Our pilots here at Virgin Balloon Flights  don’t just fly for fun and to give passengers the ride of their lives. Following in the footsteps of our brand’s founder Sir Richard Branson, many of them have taken part in competitions all around the world, breaking and setting new world records. Here are a few of their previous titles and exploits:

Pilot Dave Sutcliffe has a particularly proud memory of winning the Great British Long Jump title in 2005 along with co-pilot Ian Swift. The pair set the record for the longest single flight in the UK with an impressive stretch of 168 miles from County Durham to Bedfordshire, meaning they were airborne for a total of 6 hours and 20 minutes! Not only did Dave and Ian win but they were awarded the Frog title, which is awarded to the outright winner. In 2004 he also took part in the World Gas Balloon Championships when he and his co-pilot flew the whole length of Poland.”We flew from south of Berlin all way up to Kaliningrad and I think it took us around 16 hours. It was a hell of an experience,” he says.

In 2008, pilot Mark Shemilt flew the small AX-02 balloon in Morzine, France where he hovered over the French Alps. This flight broke two world records, the first for duration as he flew for 7 hours, 26 minutes and 56 seconds and the second for distance, flying a total of 182.34km! in 2010, Mark broke another record for distance when he flew 120 miles from Leicestershire to the Suffolk coast.

Pilot Lindsay Muir is one of the most successful female pilots around holding many records and titles. In 1988 she became the first female pilot to become British Champion and once again won the championship in 1996. In 1990 she won the first Ladies World Cup, a title which she retained for the following two years and regained in 1996. Lindsay has set records including world women’s distance, altitude and several duration records. The most recent record was set in France on a flight lasting 19 hours, 7 minutes and 55 seconds back in 2000.

Lindsay recalls the challenging but exciting flight. It was an attempt to complete a 24 hour flight but an unexpected problem occurred; when it became dark the fuel consumption doubled meaning an early landing was essential. She ended up trying to land the balloon in pitch black at about 1.30 in the morning. Her crew called her to say the field below was clear for landing but she still couldn’t see the ground at all. After an intense descent, Lindsay managed to skilfully land the balloon in the field and even packed everything away before the heavens opened!

Mandy Dickinson also holds some fantastic records; Mandy broke the duration record for a 90,000 cubic feet balloon, having flown for 10 and a half hours straight! Not stopping there, she also won the Great British Long Jump competition in 2003 after flying 247 miles from Scotland to Kettering.

Not only breaking records but our pilots have also accomplished some other fantastic achievements. Another female pilot with us, Rebecca Cains achieved a balloon “long jump” of 192 miles from Fishguard to Peterborough around six years ago, and plans to break some ballooning records in the future.

Simon Redman took part in a major charity challenge to raise money for the Hospice in the Weald in Kent. Along with some other pilots, Simon launched from Kent in a small sports balloon and reached the French coast in just 55 minutes. He reflected on the flight:

“We flew at around 2,000ft above the water all the way across and from the moment I reached that altitude over the white cliffs of Dover I could see France clearly in the distance. The view was spectacular.” “I was enjoying it so much that I carried on for two and a half hours before eventually landing. There I was greeted by a really friendly local farmer and his family who gave me lunch while I waited for the retrieval crew to come across on the ferry and pick me up.”

Even though our pilots already hold some amazing world record titles, they never stop searching for an adventure and still continue to break and set new world records. So watch this space!

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By Jade, July 25, 2012 1:05 pm

Imagine if your ‘office’ was a floating basket, mid-air above the British countryside and your role involved meeting new people everyday and making their dream of flying come true. Pretty good job right?

Well that’s exactly what our hand-picked pilots get to do. Ballooning is one of the most magical experiences and not only do they enjoy regularly flying a basket full of lovely passengers, but they’ve also had the chance to break world records, fly special shape baloons and float over famous landmarks all over the world. We recently spoke to some of our pilots and asked what their most memorable, exciting or different flights were.

Pilot Brad Smith remembers one of his most adventurous flights in Kenya, flying over the Masai Mara where he flew over the Big Five wild animals. He said “When I landed the balloon, the passengers climbed on aboard the 4×4 and then lions started to circle the empty balloon!” Luckily Brad got away to fly another day and doesn’t see too many lions where he flyings northern Scotland.

Experienced pilot Bart D’Hooge has flown in many special places over the years but says the one flight he will never forget is his first solo flight. “I really had a sense of freedom I had never experienced before.” Bart now enjoys this unique sensation when flying passengers in southern Scotland.

Pilot Chris Oxby has had the opportunity to fly a variety of balloons, including the 150ft tall ‘Bertie Basset’ special shape. But says, his most memorable flight is flying over a rain-forest on the Caribbean Island of Antigua and taking off from an altitude of 10,000 feet on the Dachstein glacier in Austria. He recalled, “There were about 12 balloons launching altogether. It was a fantastic flight, we went up to 14,000 feet at one point, and finally landed 6000 feet lower than the launch site!”

Chris Wood has had so many interesting flights, he had to think for ages until deciding the flight that sneaks into first place is a flight over the Alps back in 2006 from Dobbiaco in Italy to Munich in Germany. He remembers the excitement as “En route we had planes flying under us into Innsbruck, Austria and we cut out 150 miles of our road journey home, but unfortunately not for the chase crew!”

Damon Bridger’s most interesting flight was one he did with Blind Date in Italy, he said it was particularly memorable as the couple he flew ended up getting married! They were only one of three couples to ever get hitched from the show so it really must have been something special.

Des Bimson chose his most memorable ballooning experience as the four hour flight over the Swiss Alps, he said “It was one of those days where the conditions were perfect, the views across the Alps were stunning’.

Russell Collins has a rather sentimental memory of flying his family and close friends across the channel from England to France in 2011. He said “The flight, as well as being conducted in fantastic conditions, marked a defining moment in a progression from a childhood desire to fly balloons to the long awaited reality of flying my nearest and dearest across the channel personally in my hot air balloon. It was special to share such a flight with my passengers that day. The flight was also part of a world record breaking mass balloon crossing of the channel which raised good money for various charities. A fine day.”

Experienced pilot Mark Simmons(also known as Nobby!) found it hard to choose just one flight as he has flown over 2500 times. He couldn’t pick the one flight but he managed to pin do wn to two, one recent memorable flight on Christmas Day in 2011 – his first ever flight on Christmas. The flight took place over the Temples of Bagan in Burma and he remembered the overwhelming heat of 30 degrees at 6am! The second flight was flying Beverley Knight at Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2011. “She did an amazing acoustic set at 1000ft high, her voice echoed inside the balloon and sounded great.”

Rebecca Cains told us her most memorable flight was definitely over the Palmyra in Syria which is located in an oasis just outside Damascus. She recalled “The ancient ruins of the Arabic city provided the most amazing views from the balloon.”

You too can experience a flight with one of our fantastic pilots and create a ballooning memory of your own. If you’ve already flown with us and want to share your experience, visit our facebook page as we’d love to hear your story!

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By Alex, July 20, 2012 2:41 pm

Here at Virgin Balloon Flights we’re celebrating the Great British summer by hosting a unique tea party in the sky and are offering one lucky winner the chance to be a guest.

The special flight will take place at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 2012 on August 10 at Ashton Court in Bristol – one of Virgin Balloon Flights’ 100+ UK locations for balloon rides.

Passengers will be served finger sandwiches and cream cakes on china crockery as they float over Bristol in a spectacular mass assent with scores of other balloons. Twinings tea, English sparkling wine and traditional lemonade will also be poured instead of the usual champagne.

Weather permitting, the balloon will soar up to at least 1000ft in the air and the event is thought to be one of the highest open-air tea parties ever organised.

Virgin Balloon Flights’ pilot Mark Simmons, from Atworth near Bath, will fly the 100ft tall balloon for the unusual tea party. Mr Simmons, who has been flying for 23 years and holds the world record for the highest concert in a hot air balloon, said it promised to be an unforgettable occasion.

Mark said: “There is so much positive patriotic energy around at the moment and, as our balloon rides give people a unique way of seeing beautiful Britain, we wanted to do something fun to capture that feeling. What better way than with a tea party in a hot air balloon, following in the fine Victorian traditions where an impressive venue was just as important as the china, doilies, scones and cream teas. I think we’ve got that covered!”

Twelve passengers will be on board the flight and Virgin Balloon Flights are running a prize draw offering one winner and a guest the chance to take part, including a hotel stay the night before. They will also receive a Tea Hamper, courtesy of Twinings, and a copy of the new ‘Great British Bake Off – How to turn everyday bakes into showstoppers’ book by Linda Collister, out on August 2, published by BBC Books.

To enter visit the Tea Party in the Sky competition page on Facebook and where you will find more details and full terms and conditions.

There are still limited places available on flights at Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2012 between August 9th – 12th. Call 0844 844 8080 for more information or to book. To buy a flight voucher or view our other locations visit the official Virgin Balloon Flight website.

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By Jade, July 18, 2012 12:30 pm

Between the 9^th and 12^th of August this year, the 34^th Annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is set to take place. One of our largest Virgin hot air balloons will be there to whisk our passengers skywards on a Champagne balloon ride.

The first ever Bristol Balloon Fiesta took place in 1979 when a small gathering of like-minded balloonists came together to launch their balloons from Ashton Court. Onlookers were wowed by the mass ascent of 27 balloons and enjoyed many other flights that took place throughout the weekend. Since then, interest has increased in the Fiesta more and more each year, until gradually growing into what is now Europe’s largest annual hot air balloon festival.

Pilots from all parts of the UK and the rest of the world bring their balloons to Ashton Court to participate in the event. Recent fiesta’s have gathered over  100 hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes to entertain more than 500,000 spectators who attend the  three day event. Spectacular take-offs happen twice a day, one to enjoy the sunrise and one just in time for sunset. There are also two spectactular night glow events on the Thursday and Saturday evenings.

At Virgin, we’ve had some exciting flights at the fiesta such as a fantastic mid-air performance from singing sensation Beverley Knight who joined us last year for an exclusive performance for Virgin Red Room.

“I enjoyed every minute of the flight and really didn’t want it to end. It was nothing like I thought it would be because I expected to hear the wind and for it to be bumpier, but it was smooth, silent and so clear up there. I would love to do it all again tomorrow!” Beverley told us.

Virgin Balloon Flights pilot Mark Simmons, from nearby Melksham, is a regular participant at the famous balloon event.

He said, “Virgin Balloon Flights are set to take part in Bristol Balloon Fiesta this year and we’re delighted to be involved again because it’s a spectacular event and a real showcase for ballooning. I’m looking forward to it!”

This unique event provides tons of entertainment including fairground rides, daredevil motorcycle stuntmen, parachutists leaping from helicopters and of course amazing airborne antics from over 100 beautiful hot air balloons.

You can join Virgin and be a part of it all by purchasing a special Bristol Balloon Fiesta ride voucher for £180 per person. Existing customers can also take part by upgrading their existing voucher. Spaces are very limited and are available on a first come, first served basis, so don’t hesitate to book your flight now! Call our office on 0844 844 8080 for more information.

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By Jade, July 16, 2012 10:45 am

If you’re the curious type like ourselves, you’ve probably wondered how and why balloons fly? Well look no further, here are your answers.

A hot air balloon is a wonderful and unique way to travel. So, how does it work? The principle is simple; hot air rises. By heating the air inside the balloon with the burner, it becomes lighter than the cooler air on the outside, causing the balloon to float upwards. To land, the air inside is allowed to cool meaning the balloon slowly begins to descend.

There are three main types of balloons, the first is the Montgolfier type which uses fire to heat the air inside the balloon to gain lift. The second is the hybrid balloon which uses hot air in the same way, but also has a compartment of helium or hydrogen gas in the top. The final kind is a pure gas balloon which doesn’t use hot air and the altitude can only be controlled by dropping ballast or venting the gas. Hybrid and gas balloons are best used for longer distances as they require less fuel to stay airborne for extended periods of time. All of our balloons here at Virgin are the Montgolfier type.

Hot air balloons have three main components; the first is the balloon itself, also known as the ‘envelope’. The ‘envelope’ is a fabric bag made of a strong, light nylon with an opening at one end called the mouth. The biggest passenger balloon we hold is our Virgin ‘400’ balloon which towers over 120ft tall when inflated. Balloons are most commonly shaped like an ‘inverted tear drop’ but some brands do have ‘special shapes’ for advertising purposes. The second component is the basket which is connected to the balloon by strong metal cables. Our baskets have reinforced steel frames and are traditionally clad in woven wicker which is light, strong and durable. Our baskets hold between 10 and 16 passengers and are split into comfortable compartments for 3-4 people ensuring everyone has a fantastic view.

The final and perhaps most important part of the balloon is the ‘engine’ which is the burner that sits under the mouth of the balloon. The burner mixes liquid propane from pressurised gas tanks with oxygen and ignites it. The pilot pulls a small valve which fires the flame of the burner into the mouth of the balloon to heat the air inside. Our balloons have two burners; the ‘whisper burner’ is designed specially to be quieter and is used when flying over residential areas or livestock.

One of the most exciting bits about ballooning is that you’ll never take the same journey twice. As balloons cannot be steered in the normal sense, the wind your main guidance. The direction of the wind varies at different altitudes so pilots skilfully use this as a way of changing direction by burning to go up or cooling to go down so to catch different airstreams at different heights. This also means the landing point is always unknown until the pilot sees a safe open space to land, often in the countryside. The basket touches back on ground, sometimes with a bump, a skid and occasionally the basket can tip onto its side. This is all perfectly safe and normal and after a serene hour of floating in the skies, many people thoroughly enjoy the excitement of the landing!

Now you know how and why, but the only way to truly learn about hot air balloons is to experience it for yourself! So don’t hesitate, you can book your flight now for as little as £89pp.

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By Jade, July 13, 2012 12:08 pm

Here at Virgin Balloon flights we teamed up with Daffodil Waves Photography to offer one loved-up couple the chance to win a photo shoot in skies on board one of our balloons.

The competition asked couples for their proposal story and a picture from their engagement. The lucky winners were Zoe Westerman and Richard Griffiths from Sully in Cardiff. Their fantastic photo showed Richard’s proposal to unsuspecting Zoe on top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

“It happened on Christmas day. It was all a complete surprise to me, my amazing fiancé had arranged it all in secret, and he even asked my dad’s permission without me knowing. I have always dreamt of going up in a hot air balloon, however, it is something I have never got around to organizing. This is the perfect surprise prize for my other half, after all the great surprises he has organised for me over the last 12 months!”

On the peaceful evening of 25^th June,  Zoe and Richard took to the skies from Berrington Hall in Herefordshire. Their shoot began on the ground in the beautiful surrounding gardens; photographer Nicola (Daffodil Waves Photography) captured the their excitement with some action shots of the pair together pre-flight. Richard got stuck in straight away, helping to unpack the balloon before taking a step back to enjoy the magnificent inflation.

Zoe and Richard told us their favourite part of the flight was the take-off and landing. “It wasn’t what we expected as it didn’t really feel like we were off the ground until we peered over the basket to realise we were mid-air!” Floating in the skies, they were relaxed as ever, looking out the basket to the superb sites below. The soon-to-wed couple said their pilot Des Bimson was very knowledgeable and they were impressed with the seamless landing just south of Leysters.

Pilot Des Bimson shared his views on the flight.

It was a beautiful evening, the visibility was excellent which meant that the view at 3000ft was stunning. The light winds meant that we exited the grounds of Berrington Hall at a very slow pace, giving the passengers a good chance to take in the views of its beautiful grounds. Initially, we travelled towards the south west however due to the variable direction of the wind, we ended up flying East over the scenic village of Kimbolton. The Zoe and Richard were great and all in all it was a perfect flight.

The couple who are set to wed next year said they would definitely do another balloon flight and next time would love to try a different location. We wish you all the best for the future and we will hopefully see you up in the air again soon!

Climb on board with us from as little as £89pp, visit our website or call us in the office on 0844 844 8080 to book now.

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By Jade, July 11, 2012 10:17 am

On the calm Monday evening of 9^th July, one of our balloons floated across the sky and took our passengers above the evening celebration of the torch relay in South Park, Oxford.

Two of the lucky passengers on the flight were sisters Jackie and Alison Jordan. After their Mum flew in a hot air balloon a couple of years ago, ballooning was something the pair had always wanted to do. As a birthday gift, their family bought the sisters a balloon flight, perfect to celebrate Jackie’s 50^th and Alison’s 40^th. Oxford was their chosen launch site as they wanted to enjoy beautiful, familiar surroundings. Jackie, who works for the University of Oxford, was particularly excited as the balloon actually travelled over her department meaning she got some excellent shots of the University.

Friends and family below the basket spotted the balloon flying above the torch ceremony and captured some great photos. Alison and Jackie loved their balloon flight experience, telling us

“It was wicked, we loved every moment!” and they have already recommended it to all their friends.

Adding to the British celebrations, the winds swept the balloon North East over Oxford, meaning the passengers also caught a glimpse of some sites where past British records have been set. The first infamous landmark was Iffley Road Track, where Rodger Banister set the record for the first sub-four minute mile. Another spot from the sky was Christchurch meadow where James Sadler launched England’s first ever balloon flight 1784.

Pilot Mark Shemilt said he always enjoys his flights over Oxford as there is so much to see. On this particular flight he told us “There was a great bunch of people and everyone got involved.” He added that there was more even more of a buzz on board as he was constantly in contact with air traffic control because the airspace is particularly busy due to the rehearsals for Farnborough Airshow. Alison was impressed with the serene landing of the balloon on the edge of Bicester, as she expressed,

“The flight was thoroughly enjoyable with amazing views, even the landing which was expertly controlled.”

You too can enjoy a balloon flight over Oxford or any of our other 100+ launch sites for as little as £89pp. Just call us in the office on 0844 844 8080 or visit our website.

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By Jade, July 10, 2012 4:20 pm

When blog fanatic Becky Arber took the skies in a Virgin balloon over Norwich – the 23- year-old wife and mum was delighted to cross a hot air balloon ride off her extensive bucket list!

So how did Becky become a blogging superstar? Originally from Leeds, Becky studied at Sheffield to become a qualified primary school teacher. After graduating and getting hitched to photographer husband Tom, Becky extended her family with the birth of daughter Holly and thought it a good idea to share their life’s adventures with friends and family on a blog. However, their stories have proved to be just as endearing for others who have stumbled across ‘Ar-Blog’, and the followers keep on coming.

Recently Becky decided to start herself a bucket list. “I wanted to write down all the things I want to achieve. It gives me things to work towards, to push myself and feel elated when I try something new,” she said. A balloon flight was always going to be something on the list, Becky told us. “It’s something I’d always wanted to try; I wanted to have that surreal floating feeling where you leave the world behind. I remember seeing hot air balloons as a child and just thinking they were magical.”

After receiving a Virgin Balloon Flights voucher for her 21^st birthday from her mother-in-law, Becky floated into the skies on a peaceful June evening this year from Old Buckenham Airfield, Norwich, with our pilot Robert Keron.

“Helping to unpack and pack the balloon is great as it gets everyone involved and laughing from the start.” The highlight for Becky was the initial take off “…when you weren’t sure if you were still on the ground. It was amazing to stand up and watch the world get smaller.” Passengers on the flight were lucky enough to spot a few light aircraft take off into the sunset.

Hot air ballooning, running 5k and getting a degree have all been ticked off Becky’s list. Remaining challenges include a 10k run, skydiving and reading the ‘100 books to read before you die’. However, she would love for her parents to join her on another balloon ride, perhaps next time from one of our Yorkshire launch sites.

You too can enjoy the magic of ballooning from over 100+ launch sites in England, Scotland and Wales from as little as £89pp. Simply visit our website or call 0844 844 8080.

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By Jade, July 9, 2012 4:06 pm

Here at Virgin Balloon flights, we keep adding new launch sites to give you an even bigger choice of where to begin your airborne adventure. Boughton House, near Kettering offers another excellent starting point for those looking to fly from Northamptonshire.

Nestled in the historic village of Weekley, in a beautiful corner of countryside, is Boughton House which combines village-like Tudor courtyards with palatial French-style features. The family home of the Duke of Buccleuch is set in 150 acres of parkland landscape meaning immaculate lawns, enchanting walled gardens, ancient lime avenues and water features will pass beneath the basket. The estate continues beyond this with 2345 acres of woodland and miles of open farmland, all remaining untouched over the last two hundred and fifty years.

Where you’ll float and what you’ll see is up to the wind, but from the offset you’ll be swept away by the magnificent views of a 300-year-old avenue of trees, fresh green lawns and striking waterscapes. As your journey continues, you may enjoy a panoramic view of attractions such as the bustling Wicksteed Park, Rockingham Castle or you could catch a glimpse of the conspicuous wildlife coming from Pitsford Reservoir Nature Reserve.

Boughton House has become a popular site to visit in itself. After viewing it from a unique perspective up in the sky, why not get a closer look and visit the grounds for a walk in the park, a tour of the house or to see the wonders of Orpheus’ – a unique 21^st Century Landscape feature.

Why not visit our website and book your balloon flight now? Or if you haven’t already got a voucher, you can fly with us for just £89pp.