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By Eve, October 3, 2011 7:51 pm

Most days in the Virgin Balloon Flights office are pretty exciting, and the last couple of days have certainly been no exception!

We’re delighted to announce that our brand new hot off the press shiny new website has now gone live.

October the 1^st heralded a new online beginning for Virgin balloons with a much brighter, more social, more engaging new website that is faster, more customer focussed and more informative than ever.

Would be balloonists can find out which launch site locations we fly from all over the UK and see a fully interactive Google Map giving and indication of what might be in store on their balloon ride.  Of course no two balloon flights are ever the same and depending on the will of the wind who knows what sights will come into view.

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As well as offering fabulous hot air balloon experiences from over 100 UK launch sites,  our new site offers a wealth of ballooning information… so if you don’t know your skirt from your envelope you can find out fast on our Ballooning Science pages and if you need to gen up on your knowledge of who flew the first hot air balloon then take a look at our Ballooning History pages.

With new Gift Extras to add to our balloon flights and a new online registration system to make booking flights even faster, the thrill of ballooning can begin even before our passengers take to the skies.

To find out more about our latest offers and to take a flight in a beautiful iconic red Virgin balloon visit www.virginballoonflights.co.uk where you can fly from just £89!

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By Eve, September 15, 2011 4:27 pm

It must be poetic justice that this beautiful white dove decided to pay us a visit at our Shaftesbury hot air balloon launch site this morning.

We often refer to our balloon rides as providing our lucky passengers with a unique “bird’s eye view over beautiful Britain”.

As if by magic, this solitary pure white Dorset dove decided to give us a little display of bird-like friendliness against a backdrop of a stunning cloudless blue sky to prove that it too admires the view from a balloon, in this case from right at the very top!

Hanging around to watch the post-flight Champagne toast enjoyed by the 10 Shaftesbury passengers;

“the dove remained perched on top of the balloon for over an hour and half and only decided to fly away once the balloon was being deflated”.
- said pilot Simon Redman.

During this time it was possible to view a pretty silhouette of the dove through the red fabric of the balloon, clearly seen below.

We can only assume that on this cool and misty autumn morning the warmth from the hot air inside the balloon provided our dove with a welcome warming perch for its feet.

To fly with Simon over fabulous Dorset from just £99 visit our website virginballoonflights.co.uk.

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By Eve, August 19, 2011 5:38 pm

Jeanie and Jackie from Mad About Bargains enjoyed a Sunday afternoon out of the ordinary at this year’s Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. Over a quarter of a million people turned up on the Saturday evening to witness the spectacular ‘night glow’ and over half a million visitors 
attended overall!

After winning a competition the pair joined Virgin Balloon Flights at the event and as well a watching a breath-taking aerial display from the Red Arrows also got to meet our very own pilot ‘Nobby’ who flies from Ashton Court in Bristol regularly and explained how he became the UK’s youngest hot air balloon pilot at aged 19 back in… ooh we really couldn’t say. This year’s free Fiesta was the 33^rd annual event of its kind and the 34^th has already been scheduled for the 9^th – 12^th August for

next year!

With tons of entertainment from fairground rides to daredevil motorcycle stuntmen and women jumping over flaming hay bales, parachutists leaping from helicopters and of course amazing airborne antics from over 100 beautiful hot air balloons this really is an event like no other.

To celebrate 40 years of balloon making, Bristol based Cameron Balloons undertook the impressive challenge of building a hot air balloon during the duration of the Fiesta; 4 days! We thought this was an incredible achievement and what a lovely balloon it was too – we were there to see it being inflated for the very first time.

To fly from Ashton Court in Bristol with Virgin Balloon Flights or any of our 100+ launch sites throughout the UK visit www.virginballoonflights.co.uk or call 01952 212 750.

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By Eve, August 13, 2011 6:00 am

Our friends at Mad About Bargains are looking forward to a hot air ballooning extravaganza at this year’s 4-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta after winning a Virgin Balloon Flights competition.

The balloon enthusiast’s dream opened its gates at midday on Thursday 11^th August 2011 and promises a wealth of fabulous ballooning events from mass balloon launches to the famous night glows to an exhilarating display from the spectacular Red Arrows.

Following in the footsteps of the UK’s Queen of Soul Beverley Knight who took to the skies in our balloon on the second day of the Fiesta to perform an aerial rendition of her latest track ‘Cuddly Toy’, Jeanie and Jackie from the popular family-run site are scheduled to launch into the skies above beautiful Ashton Court in Bristol in Sunday evening’s mass balloon ascent.

Friday morning saw 63 balloons simultaneously ascend and similarly Sunday’s flight promises to be a rainbow of colour and a truly unforgettable balloon ride for the bargain savvy pair.

We’re really looking forward to the flight and can’t wait to see the pink hairdo for real.

Cheers ladies!

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By Eve, July 25, 2011 4:26 pm

Hello my name is Bailey, Bailey Jones,

For those of you that have already met me out in the ballooning field and for those of you have yet to, I thought you might be interested in learning about my exciting hot air ballooning lifestyle.  Well, why wouldn’t you?

As a rule, I have two types of day depending on whether or not I am chasing the big red thing.  If I’m chasing it, it means getting up very early indeed. Sometimes too early for an old fellow like me (I am 8 but sometimes I feel like I am 12, other times I feel 3; just depends what mood I am in).  I then sit in the back of this big black thing that takes me from one place to another.  Not sure what it is but it is very high off the ground and has comfy seats inside.  To get into it I have to place my two front paws upon the seat and then my human owner very kindly lifts me up.  If only he knew I can do it all by myself he he!

We then arrive at this lovely big field and I can’t wait to jump out of the big black moving thing. I then meet lots of nice humans who pat me and stroke me. Some of them even have dog biscuits with them which is brilliant!  I’m not sure why they have them but I’m not complaining. Once the humans have said hello to me I’m put safely back in the moving thing and I watch them set up this big red thing. Personally, I can’t work it out.  There’s a big flame, the red thing gets big and then the humans jump into a big basket and off they float into the sky.  I just watch, it’s most perplexing.  Once the big red thing is in the sky I jump out and have a good run around the field.

After a while I get back in and off we go again. I watch the fields pass by my window until we stop at another field and the humans who floated off into the sky are all there again. Wow! It’s amazing – how did they get there?

Maybe the big red thing took them all there which sounds pretty exciting to me.  Anyway, if it’s safe to do so I’m allowed out again to stretch my legs and find the lovely humans with the dog biscuits.  Yum! I never forget which ones they are.  Sometimes I sit down and raise my paw, do you know it works every time! Once the humans have packed up the big red thing off we go for breakfast which I love. More treats if I’m lucky.

Then it’s sleep time; dreams of fields and humans giving me biscuits, bliss.  If the big red thing is needed in the sky again later in the day we do everything all over again (but without the breakfast of course).  I sleep very well on those long exciting days but it isn’t long before my human owner soon appears wiping the sleep from his eyes saying “Come on Bailey, here we go again!”. I don’t mind though, it’s so much fun.

The human in charge of the big red thing I have to chase is called Neal, he is always smiling so I guess he must love doing what he does.  To find out more about me and to see more of my hot air ballooning photos from my adventures with Virgin Balloon Flights you can visit my very own Facebook page. I very much look forward to seeing you there, bye bye for now.

   Love Bailey x

PS: Don’t forget the dog biscuits if you come to see me, I’m not fussy with the flavour.

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By Eve, June 15, 2011 3:28 pm

Working at Virgin Balloon Flights HQ in Telford Shropshire has its highs (no pun intended); it’s a great place to be with lots going on constantly and there’s never a dull moment, not even a second!

However, right now I am blogging live to you from deep within stunning Ironbridge Gorge, working from a beautiful building on the site of the Coalport China Museum surrounded by lots of lovely people all with very different working agendas…

I’m at my very first Jelly! ‘Your first what?’ I hear you cry.

This particular Jelly is the Shropshire Jelly based at Enterprise HQ in Coalport, Shropshire. The brainchild of Social Media Expert Jan Minihane this is an opportunity to work as a group but not as you know it. This is not networking, this is simply co-working and a great opportunity for people normally based at home, freelancers, small business owners and office based workers alike to get together to work. Hopefully with some good conversation, a mutual sharing of ideas and of course some tweets along the way.

You never know who you are going to meet at a Jelly – a solicitor, a translator, a vehicle financing solutions expert, who knows? (All people I’ve met today).

Originally an American concept that began around 15 years ago, Jellies can now be found in various places throughout the UK.

Right now I have the pleasure of sitting next to Jill Ming of Building Beginnings who researches the history of houses, a job I must admit I never even knew existed.  Ever wondered what stories your home could tell you? Emma Mellor, or rather @DigitalDoris, makes things easier to read and Carole Anne Carr writes fabulous children’s novels such as First Wolf which tells about hero Toland’s journey to an incredible world (wonder if he’s ever flown in a balloon!)…

Cakes were served at elevenses and then there’s the tempted waft of lunch emanating from the Enterprise HQ kitchen.  Overall this is an excellent way of getting lots of work done in a very pleasant, business friendly and collaborative environment.

You can find out more about a Jelly near you by visiting the UK Jelly website meanwhile thanks go to Hollie Whittles, Jan Minihane and Enterprise HQ for hosting a wonderful event for local business people here in Coalport. Next time we’re up in a balloon over Shropshire we’ll definitely give you
a wave!

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By Eve, May 23, 2011 2:11 pm

Mid-May saw Perth Racecourse’s most glamorous event of their vibrant calendar; Ladies’ Day.

As well as an exhilarating day at the races, race-goers relish the opportunity to vie for coveted titles such as ‘Best Dressed Lady’, ‘Best Hat/ Fascinator’, ‘Best Dressed Gentleman’ and, to mark the Ladies Day association with Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the award for ‘Best Pink Outfit’.

Being dressed to impress certainly paid off for these lucky ladies who all won prizes for their outfit efforts. We look forward to welcoming Debbie Anderson (seen here on the right) from Aberdeen aboard one of our iconic Virgin balloons on a Champagne balloon ride as the prize winner for the ‘Best Dressed Lady’. Other prizes awarded were a £500 VIP personal shopper experience at Perth Debenhams, weekend camping tickets to the 80’s Rewind Festival at Scone Palace Park, a private cookery demonstration provided by the Anglers Inn and a round of golf for four at Murrayshall Hall Golf course plus may others. Fabulous!

Ladies Day saw seven races and in-between each race race-goers were treated to live entertainment, a Zumba presentation and a multitude of fashion shows.

Perth Racecourse is situated in the stunning parkland of historic Scone Palace, a short distance away from our Perth Airport launch site at Scone. A flight from Perth in a hot air balloon is a truly magical experience with views over this breath-taking region affording birds’ eye views of the Palace grounds, panoramic views over Perth city and the Racecourse over to the River Tay.

Visit our site to hop into a hot air balloon and fly from Perth.

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By Eve, May 17, 2011 2:24 pm

Next week sees the celebration of National Balloon Week commencing May 22^nd 2011.

A balloon is simply a flexible bag inflated with a gas such as helium, hydrogen or oxygen and can be made from material such as rubber, latex or nylon. Even dried animal bladders have been used in the past to make balloons; lovely!

In 1824, whilst experimenting with different gases, Michael Faraday invented the most common type of balloon, the rubber balloon.

In 1782, whilst watching a bonfire the French Montgolfier brothers, realised that warm air was lighter than cool air and set about filling a bag with hot air to see if it would fly. The rest is history as they say.

In contrast, in the 1970s, metalized plastic film began to be used to create pretty decorative floating foil balloons filled with helium.

As well as for fun, balloons are used as flying machines for transport, pleasure trips, defence and meteorology.

It goes without saying that here at Virgin Balloon Flights we love balloons, not least because balloons tend to conjure images of colour, happiness and celebration.

Balloons can also symbolise something special; a birthday, a party, happiness, togetherness and in
the case of hot air ballooning – daring, romance and adventure! Just visit our gallery and you’ll get
the idea.

So to experience a magical balloon ride in one of our beautiful big red iconic balloons and feel part of ballooning history, take a look at our range of balloon flights that take off from almost every corner of England, Scotland and Wales.

You can also find out more about the ballooning experience by visiting us on Facebook and by following us @VirginBalloons on Twitter.

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By Eve, April 28, 2011 3:04 pm

It’s not every day  that us Virgin folk get the chance to all work together under one roof. Spread out all over the UK we sometimes meet for meetings but never before have we met in one place to work towards one common objective for the good of the brand.

Enter, the Virgin Social Marathon! The very day after the Virgin London Marathon, on Monday 18th April 2011, Richard Branson kicked off a day of social interaction with a difference with a video tweet.

Virgin Media turned charitable private member’s club The House of St Barnabas in London’s chic Soho into ‘Our House’; the ultra fast 100Mb fibre optic broadband came in very handy with all of us tweeting for 7 hours non-stop!

Virgin’s digital teams tweeted and Facebooked their collective fans and followers to build brand awareness, grow fan bases, start the Twitter trend #ifvirgindid to encourage new ideas for the Virgin group and to give away the Ultimate Virgin Lifestyle Prize which included amongst other things a place in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon, flights to New York, balloon flights and free Virgin Active gym membership (lucky Tom Chalet won!).

Richard Branson’s famous ‘RBT’ mugs were dished out to people who tweeted photos of themselves with their boring old office mugs or who actually came to Our House for a cuppa with us.  The guys back at the office got stuck in too.

Nobby the pilot and his passengers achieved the accolade of ‘highest tea break’ with a photo of his passengers enjoying a tea break in the sky.

Even singer Josh Groban made an appearance and got tweeting too…

Virgin Balloon Flights gave away prizes to people who got involved online including David Cruise from California who only seemed to sleep for a few hours before waking and tweeting us again, local Social Media expert Jan Minihane who published a blog post on her site about the event and Michaela who tweeted that she would most like Alan Carr #inmyballoon.

We particularly liked the post by one budding entrepreneur who tweeted #ifvirgindid Olive Oil, which made us chuckle.

The day was a great success in scoring yet another Virgin first, raising our profile across the social media networks, increasing all of our fans and followers online but most of all we would like to say how amazing it was for all of us to just work together in one place, let’s hope it’s not the last time.