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By Alex, February 6, 2012 7:02 pm

Some of our pilots have arrived back in the UK after the annual Virgin Balloon Flights training and assessment camp in Mondovi, Northern Italy, during January.

Each year we organise the winter event in Cuneo in the shadow of the alps so pilots can do their baseline checks, required by the Civil Aviation Authority, and catch-up before the new UK season begins.

It also gives pilots who are moving up to a larger balloon a chance to take advantage of the excellent flying conditions and complete their assessment.This year the weather was particularly kind and everything was achieved in good time.

Customer service rep and operations assistant Ryan Laing accompanied the group of pilots to assist on the trip and took a few snaps while he was out there.

view of the alps from the basket

Ryan said: “It was a fun week learning more about the other side of Ballooning, especially how much time it takes before and after flights, setting everything up and packing away and then refuelling ready for the next flight. The flying itself was spectacular with good views of the Alps. It was great to meet the new pilots who have joined us.”

balloon launch

Pilot briefing

Meet some of our Virgin balloon pilots here

If you fancy a balloon ride in Italy, you can fly with our sister company Ballooning in Tuscany.

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By Alex, January 10, 2012 4:50 pm

Virgin Money have launched a fantastic new advert on national television entitled ’40 Years of Better’ following the acquisition of Northern Rock and we’re over the moon to say a Virgin hot air balloon plays a starring role!

The beautifully-created commercial, which marks the start of Virgin Money’s ‘quest to make banking better’, celebrates the rich history of the brand, particularly in transport. We feature alongside Virgin Records, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains and, after helping out with the hot air ballooning part of the ad, we were excited to see how it turned out. We certainly weren’t disappointed and you can see for yourself on YouTube here or via the Virgin Money banner on the Virgin.com homepage or look out for it on prime time TV.

40 Years of Better - TV Ad Launches Virgin Money

On Monday, we exhibited at the lovely Virgin Money offices in Newcastle, formerly Northern Rock’s HQ, where Sir Richard Branson hosted a launch event for the 2,000 staff. Donning a  football shirt of Newcastle United, now sponsored by Virgin Money, Sir Richard gave a speech welcoming everyone to Virgin and said the combination of Northern Rock and Virgin’s experience plus the Virgin brand meant the bank had an exciting future.

Newcastle United players, including Shola Ameobi and Steven Taylor, also made an appearance at the event to speak to fans and sign autographs.

At the Virgin Balloon Flights stand the balloon challenge computer game proved popular and Paul Kavanagh from Virgin Money Mortgage Processing team won the grand prize of a champagne balloon flight for two with an unbeatable score.

We also told staff about our nearest launch site for balloon rides in the North East at Witton Castle, Bishop Auckland. Flights are currently available from just £99 per person from our website. National vouchers are also on sale from £109 per person. Visit the Virgin Balloon Flights website here.

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By Alex, December 19, 2011 3:10 pm

Well, the festive season has landed and 2011 has simply flown by here at Virgin Balloon Flights. (New Year’s resolution: no more balloon puns!).

It’s been a fantastic 12 months with thousands of new airborne adventurers, fantastic personal achievements by staff and charity campaigns galore! Enjoy some of our highlights in pictures below.

January

Steve Dubois of SteveOnTheRun.co.uk,  from Virgin Media in Cambridge, visited Virgin Balloon Flights HQ for a training run with our Eve (who ran a half marathon this year for Hope Hope) and Sue as part of his preparation for the Virgin London Marathon. Entrepreneur Mark Pearson, of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk fame, told us about his unforgettable balloon flight in Surrey the previous season.

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By Alex, December 7, 2011 3:13 pm

A high-flying 25-year-old has won a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa with Sir Richard Branson to visit an inspirational business-led charity.

Kirsty Mills, who works at our Virgin Balloon Flights HQ in Telford, will fly out to meet the famous adventurer and businessman at The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg tomorrow (December 8).

There she will spend time with Sir Richard and learn all about the charity which was founded in 2006 by Virgin Unite – Virgin’s not-for-profit foundation – to nurture promising entrepreneurs, grow businesses and create jobs in deprived areas.

Marketing executive Kirsty is also a volunteer Virgin ‘Insider’ – one of a select band of Virgin employees tasked with making businesses a force for good from within – and won the opportunity as recognition for her work on charity projects at Virgin Balloon Flights and across the wider group.

These included a campaign which raised almost £8,000 for Hope House Children’s Hospices, a series of community events for Mandela Day and a hit squad to help children’s charity Starlight. She was also nominated for a Virgin Star of the Year Award in 2010.

On Saturday (December 9) Kirsty will also assist at the South Africa launch of Sir Richard’s new book ‘Screw Business as Usual’ – all royalties for which will go to Virgin Unite – by becoming Virgin Unite’s representative on Twitter for the day. Follow her progress @virginunite

She said: “Since joining Virgin Balloon Flights in January 2010, I have had some amazing opportunities, but going to South Africa and working with Richard will take some beating. I just can’t wait.

“The Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship is an amazing charity which is using business to make a real difference for people in deprived areas of South Africa, so it will be fantastic to visit and see for myself how it works.”

More information about Virgin Balloon Flights in Staffordshire and around the UK is available at www.virginballoonflights.co.uk

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By Alex, November 18, 2011 1:07 pm

I headed to London on Wednesday for the Virgin Social Marathon with a whopping 20 #FirstTimes still to complete in order to get the big 50 for Virgin Unite.

Thanks to the help of the brilliant Virgin Balloon Flights team, our fantastic colleagues from other Virgin businesses, wonderful customers and a large slice of luck, I did it!

I worked on a train (juice trolley duty with Virgin Trains), did a Sudoku (eventually!), went busking, roller  bladed (like Bambi on ice),  visited the Tate Modern, went on a motorbike ride (with Rhys from Virgin Limobikes), learned to make tasty Hollandaise and fed flamingos (not Hollandaise!) at the Roof Gardens, swam in a lake, had my hair coloured and eyebrows plucked, played poker (responsibly online with Virgin Games), ate dragon fruit, ate jellied eels (not recommended). Facebooked @ Facebook HQ and tweeted ‘a poem’.

A rickshaw ride and frogs legs eluded me, but were replaced with winkles and pickled herring and being an impromptu newspaper street seller. We also threw in a celebrity encounter by meeting former MP Lembit Opik of ‘I’m a Celebrity Fame’.

I finished off by telling Sir Richard Branson a joke (via Twitter) ‘What do you call a nun on a treadmill?’ A Virgin Active. He replied ‘Haha! Great effort & well done for your 50 #FirstTimes‘

What a day!

Thanks to everyone who helped with this weird and wonderful charity challenge including Facebook and Virgin.com plus all those who have sponsored me. Hopefully, we’ll creep to the £1,000 including gift aid (sponsor me here) and then it’s over to you Virgin Unite!

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By Alex, November 17, 2011 6:29 pm

So I’ve completed my 50 #FirstTimes charity challenge yesterday in aid of Virgin Unite (the-not-for-profit foundation of the Virgin group) while the Virgin Social Marathon was in full swing. Here are the next 10 challenges I (just about) got through…

Working in a charity shop (thanks Barnardos!), making a coffee like a barista thanks to ‘We Are Mud’ in Bearwood, Birmingham, working on a stall, being a vet nurse at Bridgnorth Veterinary Centre, pulling a pint at the Kings Head, working in a hairdressers at Red Salons Bridgnorth, having his nails painted, bareback horse riding and kissing a pig at the Heath Farm in Great Bolas and eating a banana split!

#FirstTimes No.20-30 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Thanks to all the people and businesses who helped out.

See loads of videos of my challenges at our Virgin Balloon Flights YouTube channel and you can still time to sponsor me on my Virgin Money Giving Page.

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By Alex, November 14, 2011 2:02 pm

Well, my challenge to do 50 First Times in Five Days for Virgin Unite leading up to the Virgin Social Marathon on Wednesday (Nov 16) is underway.

So far, I’ve been hit with a custard pie (watch this on YouTube), learned some Swedish, had a family photo shoot, made pasta from scratch and rewired a light switch (with supervision from an electrician!) all for the very first time. But this is just the start – there’s a long way to go.

Next it’s a 10-mile run followed by a refreshing ice bath! Having my legs waxed and eating a banana split will be a doddle after that.

Follow my progress on Twitter, on Facebook and sponsor me on my Virgin Money Giving Page.

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By Alex, November 11, 2011 6:21 pm

Hi there,

I’m Alex Ferguson (the real one – not a certain grumpy Scottish football manager!) and I’m head of marketing at Virgin Balloon Flights in the UK. I’d love you to help me raise money for Virgin Unite.

When was the last time you did something for the first time? It was probably just this morning. Was it cool, fun, interesting, surprising, scary, disgusting or totally unforgettable? Life is made up of first times and the first time is often the best. Life also tends to be more fun if you’re open to trying new things, even if they take you out of your usual comfort zone. I’ve recently become a dad for the first time – so this has opened up a whole new world of first times!

Like life, there could be some hiccups along the way and this list may change a bit (some things are more difficult to arrange than others and some substitutes), but I will definitely do 50 Firsts Times and I may even add some bonus ones along the way…making myself look extremely stupid for your viewing pleasure.

I really appreciate all your support and thank you for any donations.

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By Alex, October 18, 2011 3:11 pm

One of our top hot air balloon pilots is walking on air after winning an award for his airborne achievements and being personally congratulated by Sir Richard Branson.

Mark Shemilt, from Henley-on-Thames, was named as our Virgin Balloon Flights Star of the Year for providing exceptional customer service for passengers on his balloon rides and breaking two world records for ballooning.

The 46-year-old received the award and met Richard at a glitzy party at Kensington Roof Gardens in London last month where Stars from across the Virgin Group were rewarded for their fantastic efforts.

Mark swapped stories with Richard who became synonymous with hot air ballooning in 1987 when he was the first to fly across the Atlantic.

Mark has been ballooning since 1988 and takes people on Champagne balloon rides in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.

He broke his first world record for duration by hovering over the French Alps in a special small balloon for over eight hours and another for distance when he flew 120 miles from Leicestershire to the Suffolk coast.

Mark said: “It was an honour to meet Sir Richard and talk about my ballooning world records with him as he knows more than anyone what’s involved and how challenging endurance flying is.

“He gave me a lot of praise and really encouraged me. He also said how much he loved hot air ballooning and that he wished he had time to do more.”

For more information about hot air ballooning experiences across the UK visit us at www.virginballoonflights.co.uk.