Comments (0)

By Kirsty, August 2, 2011 11:27 am

Virgin Balloon Flights have been supporting our friends at Virgin Media, who have raised a whopping £5,137 through a national staff raffle as part of their Charity Day on 20th July.

The raffle was a major element of Virgin Media’s first ever Charity Day and caused a lot of interest with generous prizes donated by us Virgin Balloon Flights, V Festival and Virgin Money. We sent off a pair of Champagne balloon flights to medias cause worth over £300! The national flight vouchers means the lucky winner can use them at anyone of our 100+ launch sites in England, Scotland & Wales and enjoy a glass of bubbles and receive a personalised flight certificate signed by their pilot post flight.

As well as the raffle, activities ran across 60 sites across the UK and 7 abroad, involving over 12,000 staff as well as partners, customers and members of the public. Initiatives ranged from Hawaiian fancy dress to hula hooping competitions to sponge-soaking of senior staff! The total for all activity across the day exceeded £45,000.

Local staff elections were held across the different sites to decide which charities were supported by the activity. There will be over 90 charities benefiting from the total sum of money … WELL DONE VIRGIN MEDIA!

Comments (0)

By Alex, July 28, 2011 1:45 pm

Teenaged aviator Chloe Hallett, daughter of Virgin balloonist Lindsay Muir, has become the youngest balloon pilot in the country.

The budding ballooning star, from Bishops Castle, picked up her licence on her 17th birthday to claim the accolade, having started learning at just 15.

Lindsay, who pilots balloon rides in Shropshire and Cheshire, is a former British national hot air balloon champion and has been teaching Chloe everything she knows.

Lindsay said: “It came quite naturally to Chloe and she was very, very relaxed about it. A lot of students coming into it are very tense most of the way through.

“Chloe would chat away, look over the side of the basket, burn, talk about something else… and then tell her mother to shut up because she needed to concentrate on the landing.”

Chloe followed in the footsteps of Milli Karlstrom, daughter of Virgin Balloon Flights chief pilot and CEO Kenneth Karlstrom, who became youngest pilot when she gained her licence in October last year.

Chloe said: “It’s good that I’m a girl. There haven’t been many female pilots and it’s good to be a record breaker,” she said,

“I think I’ll get my commercial licence which means I can fly passengers, but I don’t think I really want it as a job, just as a part-time thing really.”

Chloe is hoping to take part in competitions for pilots under 25 starting next year.

Congratulations to Chloe from everyone at Virgin Balloon Flights!

To book a balloon ride in Shropshire with Lindsay visit the Virgin Balloon Flights website.

Comments (0)

By Alex, July 28, 2011 1:21 pm

A high-flying Kent hot air balloon pilot is celebrating another happy landing – but this time it’s the arrival of a cuddly four-legged new born with a famous name.

When Damon Bridger, from Gillingham, isn’t taking people on champagne balloon rides over Kent for Virgin Balloon Flight, he’s busy with his other unusual occupation; breeding and rearing alpacas. Damon, 50, and partner Clare West bought their first two alpacas two years ago with plans to breed more and sell them or to use their soft fleeces for wool products.

They set up Great Oak Farm Alpacas near Maidstone and now have six of the animals including the recent new addition, a black coloured baby or ‘cria’ which they’ve called Richard, after famous entrepreneur and adventurer Sir Richard Branson.

Damon said: “We’ve decided to call the new ones after famous airborne adventurers and, having been a pilot with Virgin Balloon Flights in Kent for 15 years, Sir Richard was obviously top of the list.

“The new cria was quick to explore his surroundings and seemed naturally inquisitive, so the name was perfect. Two more cria are due soon and we plan to name a girl after American pilot Amelia Earhart.”

Damon, who has flown balloons all over the world and now takes passengers up from Maidstone’s Mote Park, Wadhurst, Headcorn and Sutton Valence, said balancing both jobs was hard work, but meant every day was exciting.

“Nothing can beat the feeling of flying in a hot air balloon, but alpacas are amazing animals and seeing one being born is always a special experience,” Damon said.

A duck, a sheep and a cockerel were on board the first recorded hot air balloon flight in France in 1783, but despite the adventurous alpaca’s name, Damon has no plans to take Richard skywards.

“It’s a funny idea, but I’m not sure what the other passengers would think!” he added.

Visit the Virgin Balloon Flights website for more information or to book a balloon ride in Kent with Damon.

Comments (0)

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.

Comments (0)

By Kirsty, July 14, 2011 3:17 pm

A group of Midlands based footie fans are playing a 12 hour football marathon next month in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice and Virgin Balloon Flights flew in to give them a helping hand to raise some extra cash for their cause.

Richard Lewis, team manager & event organiser said “Last year myself and 6 others participated in our first 12 hour five-a-side football marathon on behalf of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice. This involved us playing 12 different teams consecutively; with each opposing team playing only one hour to ensure their legs were fresh. With sponsors help, the event raised in excess of £2,600 for a worthwhile cause which justified our pain and injuries.”

“The setup is the same this year, another 12 five-a-side teams all against us. Only difference is this year we are supporting Acorns Children’s Hospice,” he added.

Hoping to better their fundraising total this year the boys are hard at work getting corporate sponsors to donate things, prize donations for  raffles and of course you can pledge your cash at http://www.VirginMoneyGiving.com/football-marathon2011

Keep your eyes peeled at their fundraising events for Virgin Balloon Flight hot air balloon rides and copies of Sir Richard Branson’s internationally bestselling autobiography ‘Losing My Virginity!’

Give the boys a helping hand to make life better for the children at Acorns through Virgin Money Giving.

Comments (0)

By Kirsty, July 5, 2011 10:32 am

33 year old Mani Manota of Leeds, Yorkshire, yesterday popped the all important question to long-term girlfriend Maria,25, at 1200ft above York!

The happy couple who met six years ago whilst working in a bar had both talked about the prospect of marriage but Maria had no idea what Mani had planned.

“I thought about Paris and the Eiffel tower but everyone seemed to have done that and for some reason it seemed too cheesy. I was nervous about the whole thing and having one date cancelled due to weather I was nervous right up until the night before when the message from pilot Dave Sutcliffe said the flight was going ahead, no turning back now!

Maria didn’t know anything about the Balloon ride. I asked her to wear warm but clothes she wouldn’t mind getting dirty, she assumed I was going to take her horse riding or visiting a farm, she had no idea until we turned up at York Racecourse and I pointed out the baskets. Much to my relief she was ecstatic at the prospect of going up in a hot air balloon, a first for us both,” said Mani.

At 1200ft the moment Mani had been waiting for arrived and as Maria turned away he dropped to one knee! Of course, she said yes and they celebrated with a traditional Champagne toast after landing.

“The flight was brilliant, very peaceful up in the air with no engine noise letting just the wind direct us, we had brilliant views over York, we could see for miles.  We both liked the fact we were involved in everything from getting the balloon off the trailer to the inflation and then helping to get it deflated too. The overall experience was brilliant and would recommend it to anyone. I’m glad I chose Virgin.”

Congratulations to you both! The team at Virgin Balloon Flights wish you the very best for your wedding and future life together.

For information regarding hot air balloon ride launch sites and prices simply visit www.virginballoonflights.co.uk or call 01952 212750.

Comments (0)

By Kirsty, July 4, 2011 4:10 pm

Virgin Balloon Flights pilot, Martin Collinson gave his chief crew member Neil Marshall the picture perfect opportunity to capture these fantastic photographs this morning after an early morning flight that ‘floated’ over Rutland Water lake.

‘The Great Tower’, a monumental sculpture created by Alexander in 1980, stands at the edge of the 3’100 acre manmade lake, which is the largest reservoir of its kind in Western Europe.

Neil grabbed the chance to whip out his camera and capturing these super snaps before pilot Martin landed the balloon just outside the Rutland Water butterfly farm.

Details on hot air balloon flights from Rutland Water can be found at virginballoonflights.co.uk. To book simply call 01952 212750.

Comments (0)

By Kirsty, July 4, 2011 12:13 pm

An unusual request from Virgin Balloon Flights HQ here in Shropshire this afternoon … we are looking  for any passengers who flew on the 3^rd of July 2006 in one of our lovely hot air balloons from our Sywell Aerodrome launch site in Northampton.

Whatever for, I hear you say! Well, at the end of May this year we received a lovely letter from a gentleman (Mr Davies) who lives in Northampton, who had recently bought a ‘fairly old’ digital camera from a local charity shop.

The camera, to his surprise, still contained a memory card. After scanning the photographs Mr Davies was keen to find the owner to return their pictures. Now here is the link… the  photographs on the memory card were predominantly of a hot air balloon ride with Virgin Balloon Flights on the 3^rd of July in 2006.

Amongst the balloon ride images there are also pictures of family members, a dog and lots of cactus and tomato plants, the camera is a Pentax Optio 330RS.

Are these your photographs? If so, drop us a line at  marketing@virginballoonflights.co.uk or give us a call on 01952 212750

Let’s hope we find the owner!

You too can fly from Sywell Aerodrome from as little as £109pp, simply visit www.virginballoonflights.co.uk.

Comments (0)

By Kirsty, June 21, 2011 11:42 am

How fitting that Virgin’s ‘Summer of Love’ is upon us and pilot Mark ‘Nobby’ Simmons had an engagement on board one of our lovely balloons over Bath!

Happy couple Lee Hall, 35 and Carly Jenkins 25 from Hampshire, originally hooked up the 21^st century way by meeting on match.com, going on their very first date in December 2009. Flying to celebrate Carly’s 25^th birthday, the whole experience was a complete surprise and became a double celebration when nervous Lee popped the big question.

“I’ve always wanted to propose this way! I’ve wanted to fly on a balloon for years and I’ve always planned this would be the way once id met that special someone – it just so happened that Carly has always dreamed of flying in a hot air balloon too… so, with her 25th birthday looming (11th June day of the flight) i felt this would be my perfect opportunity to ask,” said Lee.

“I was so nervous as everything was weather pending! It had been raining ALL week in Southampton and i had everything set for this one day, i wanted it to be a birthday that she’d always remember and i honestly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! I was so happy when i found out the night before that the flight was a GO… I didn’t sleep a wink!”

Nodding and bursting into tears, Carly (of course) accepted the proposal in front of the beautiful sky high backdrop before floating into the distance together, how romantic! Mr and Mrs Hall to be have already planned to get hitched next year and said they would love to fly with us again.

“The flight was amazing; we both loved every minute of it. It was like you were floating on air, fantastic experience! Even now i can get over how peaceful and quiet it was. I don’t think any other form of flying comes close. I’d recommend it to everyone and we’d defiantly do it again!

Thank you once again, from the very first phone call to organise the flight, Nobby’s piloting skills and to now you’ve all been brilliant, really helpful.”

Thanks Lee, and CONGRATULATIONS from all of us here at Virgin Balloon Flights.