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By Kirsty, September 10, 2010 4:21 pm

Meet one of our lovely south west hot air balloon pilots
Simon Redman who flies  Virgin Balloon Flights passengers from Dorset, Devon and Somerset launch sites. Simon has been flying balloons for eight years and during his career so far, the 46-year-old father of two has piloted all over Europe, including flights amongst the challenging Swiss and Austrian Alps.

Simon, a carpenter and kitchen fitter by trade who caught the ballooning bug after crewing for a hot air balloon pilot he knew, said “A balloon flight is like nothing else you’ll ever experience, it’s amazing!

“I was lucky enough to fly the Channel single-handedly in 2006 as part of a charity challenge too. Me and some other pilots launched from Kent and it took around 55 minutes to reach the French coast.
“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 incredible.”
Although his ballooning career to date has allowed him to see some fantastic places, Simon still insists, “The most spectacular sight to see from the air is Dorset’s famous Jurassic Coast.”

For your chance to see the Jurassic Coast from the basket of a Virgin hot air balloon call 01952 212750 or visit virginballoonflights.co.uk

See you in the sky!

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By Kirsty, September 7, 2010 3:15 pm

The summer holidays are always a time filled with adventure for school children who go back to class armed with exciting show and tell tales to share with their friends and teachers. This week school boy Stephen Johnson, age 8, got the chance to tell his Yorkshire classmates of his airborne adventure with Virgin Balloon Flights to end his summer break.

Stephen, who lives with his parents and two brothers in York, had gone to watch the son of a family friend take a hot air balloon ride for his 18th birthday at our York Racecourse launch site. Luckily for Stephen, the hot air balloon basket had a couple of spare spaces left that were offered by pilot Martin Collinson to onlookers.

Stephen’s Dad Mark said “Stephen was very keen that we didn’t miss the opportunity. I asked if Stephen was old, or big enough, and was reassured that he was and with that Stephen was straight up into the basket.”

The flight which launched on the 1^st of September at 07:45am, drifted to Elvington landing at 08:55am and “Stephen particularly recollects seeing local buildings and sights he knows, such as the River Ouse, the Archbishop’s Palace at Bishopthorpe and Elvington Airfield. It struck him that from great heights things like trees almost looked like they were not real” added Mark.

Stephen sums up the flight as “Ten out of ten, the best thing ever.”

Thanks Stephen, we hope to see you in the sky again in the future.

More information about your chance to take to the skies in Yorkshire is available here.

* Passengers must be over 7 years of age and at least 4’6” in height to fly with Virgin Balloon Flights.

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By Kirsty, September 7, 2010 12:35 pm

So the pilot and passengers have floated up into the sky and the job of the crew has only just begun. Former Virgin Balloon Flights crew and guest blogger Jess Baughan tells us what happens next.

Once the balloon has taken off, the crew will load everything that doesn’t fly back onto the trailer (this includes the inflation fans and various other bits of equipment) and keep an eye on the balloon to get a fix on the general direction and speed that the balloon is going at.

Once a rough speed and direction have been calculated, friends and family of the passengers are told what area to head for if they want to be close when the balloon lands. They are also told two other important bits of information…

1. Please don’t follow the crew vehicles, if we make a wrong turn its already tricky to reverse an 18 foot trailer up a country lane to turn it around, an extra 10 or so cars behind the trailer make it even more of a challenge.

2. If they get to the exact spot where the balloon lands, please do not enter the field that we have landed in unless the crew invite you to enter.

What happens next depends on the wind. If it’s calm, the crew may talk with the friends and family of the passengers answering ballooning questions and sharing experiences before leaving to chase the balloon. If it’s breezy (and the balloon is heading off fairly quickly) then the crew will not hang around and will start to chase the balloon as soon as possible.

The chase – while the balloon is in the air the crew’s job is to stay as close as possible to the balloon on the ground, in most cases playing a game of leapfrog where the crew get ahead of the balloon, let it pass over them and then get ahead of the balloon again. This continues for around an hour before the pilot lands the balloon, always looking to avoid fields with livestock or uncut crop.

Once the balloon is on the ground again the fun of getting to the balloon starts for the crew, where possible the pilot will keep the balloon standing upright so that it can take off again if the need arises.

In most cases the crew will need to find the landowner in order to gain permission to enter the land and retrieve the balloon (strictly speaking permission is not normally required because of legal complexities surrounding commercial passenger aircraft, so this is done more out of courtesy and as it follows the Code of Conduct agreed between the BBAC and NFU). Landowners are generally very friendly and will come up to the balloon, often with a camera and a smile.

Once the crew are in the field with the balloon the envelope will be deflated and packing the balloon away begins, this is pretty much the reverse of setting it all up, the basket is loaded back onto the trailer, the envelope is rolled up and put in its bag and put back on the trailer and everything is strapped down.

Depending on the landing site, Champagne (and soft drinks) may be bought out at this point for the traditional toast before everyone is transported back to the original launch site to bid a final farewell.

Once the flight is over the crew will take the balloon back to their base and the whole thing starts again. All being well the time is now around 10am. The next flight will probably be around 7pm.

Just enough time for the crew to catch a bit more sleep, Zzzz …

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By Kirsty, August 20, 2010 9:01 am

One of our wonderful pilots Mark Shemilt , 46, wowed the listeners of BBC Radio Berkshire yesterday afternoon with tales of world records, big red balloons and cloud hopping above Berkshire and the surrounding counties.

Susanne Courtney known on the show as ‘Suze’, interviewed Virgin Balloon Flights pilot Mark for around 40 minutes allowing him to choose the records they played between talk time. True to the nickname Suze gave Mark as ‘Balloon Obsessive’, his choices of songs were of course ballooning related.

The first of Mark’s picks was non-other than ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ by The Rolling Stones blaring out it’s ‘Gas, Gas, Gas’ reference mid chorus, next on his playlist was Crowded House track ‘Weather With You’ signifying the plea pilots have for good ballooning weather each day.

Recognised by listeners in the Berkshire area, father-of-three Mark was pleased to hear a lady called Sylvia had phoned in mid interview to say she had had an amazing flight with Mark in her home county.

To listen to Mark’s interview simply follow link to BBC iPlayer or visit www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer and select Phil Gayle’s show on Thursday 19th August .

Although he was nervous before his interview, we’re pleased Mark did a great job educating listeners about ballooning and hot air balloon rides with Virgin in the area.

Impressing the show host too, Mark has been invited to go back to BBC Radio Berkshire and share his experiences of his up and coming world record break set to happen in February 2011 with fellow Virgin Balloon Flights pilot Kenneth Karlstrom.

You too can fly with Mark in Berkshire , Hampshire , Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire , more information is available here.

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By Kirsty, August 10, 2010 9:54 am

With their direction and speed determined by the wind, hot air balloons require highly skilled pilots to select a suitable landing spot after a sky-high trip. Skills like those of Virgin Balloon Flights’ pilot Martin Collinson, who couldn’t have landed his balloon in a more appropriate place on Sunday morning…

His AM flight from York Racecourse drifted on a northerly wind showcasing spectacular views of the county. Passengers enjoyed a bird’s eye view of Bishopthorpe Palace which sits beside the River Ouse and is the official residence of the Archbishop of York.

After an hour-long airborne adventure pilot Martin was on the lookout for a large flat area to land which had easy access for the ground crew and a road close by to transport the passengers. As always, he was careful to avoid fields with livestock, crop and any other obstacles, allowing for a safe and straightforward landing.

Martin spotted a long strip of flat grass with a lane for access and a road just a stone’s throw away for the passengers. So, without further ado, he brought the balloon down on the mentioned spot in the town of Riccall.

Much to Martin’s surprise, when the crew pulled in to retrieve the balloon and passengers they informed him that the nearby lane was actually called ‘Landing Lane’! Talk about the perfect spot.

More information about flying with Martin and hot air balloon flights over Yorkshire is available here.

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By Kirsty, August 4, 2010 10:09 am

W E Johns’ adventure book series truly came to life
yesterday morning as a James  ‘Biggles’ Bigglesworth tribute jumped on board one of our balloons with pilot Martin Collinson in Yorkshire.

The hero character, a pilot and adventurer, had a lengthy fictional career spanning nearly 100 volumes from his debut ‘The Camels are Coming’ (1932) to his final adventure in ‘Biggles Air Ace: The Uncollected Stories’ (1999).

The Biggles fan who enjoyed a hot air balloon ride with Virgin Balloon Flights was Mr Andrew Hayden of Redcar north Yorkshire who is originally from Cleveland, and an obvious adventurer himself. Pilot Martin said:

“He carried off the part with great humour…”

On the same flight yesterday morning which launched from
York Racecourse, the 15 lucky  passengers got a splendid bird’s eye view of Elvington Air Museum which is the largest independent air museum in Britain and is also the location of The Allied Air Forces Memorial.

A truly educational hot air balloon ride in real aviation spirit! The passengers enjoyed a Champagne toast after landing, sipping to the history of flight before packing away the balloon and being taken back to their original launch site.

You too can take to the skies in an iconic red balloon in Yorkshire or from one of 100+ launch sites in England, Scotland and Wales. Start your airborne adventure with Virgin Balloon Flights!

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By Kirsty, August 2, 2010 4:12 pm

Yorkshire balloon pilot Martin Collinson who flies one of our iconic red hot air balloons over the county, yesterday celebrated ‘Yorkshire Day’ in style by flying the white rose flag!

The celebration of Yorkshire promoting the historic English county has been commemorated since 1975 on the 1^st of August each year. Virgin joined in the fun by being the only hot air balloon on Yorkshire’s skyline and boasted an all-Yorkshire pilot and crew.

The flight launched from York Racecourse on Sunday evening for an hour long ride at around 3000 feet, they then landed on the banks of the River Derwent in a lovely grass field where the passengers packed away the balloon and enjoyed the usual Champagne toast.

Passenger Robert Bell, 55 from Easingwold in York said “The flight was brilliant, I really enjoyed it. It was my first time in a hot air balloon and I was lucky enough to receive my flight voucher as a birthday gift from my wife and two children.”

“The views were fantastic and I loved that we were just floating in mid-air. It’s surprising how quiet and peaceful it is when you’re up there,” he added.

Not being from Yorkshire originally, Mr Bell, a construction manager in the north east, wasn’t familiar with celebrations for the county. We’re sure he won’t forget it now after his experience of a lifetime with Virgin Balloon Flights.

Further information regarding Virgin Balloon Flights in Yorkshire is available here.

We hope all you Yorkshire men and women enjoyed your celebrations.

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By Kirsty, July 31, 2010 3:24 pm

Tuesday morning this week was something of a first for Derbyshire Virgin balloon pilot Neal Parry. After a 20 year career in corporate finance, the last 16 years piloting balloons and a stint flying in Kenya’s Masai Mara, this was the first time Neal had literally had the earth moved for him!

His early morning balloon flight had launched from Bakewell showground, and drifted peacefully above Derbyshire for around an hour. The dad-of-two started to descend the balloon and picked a spacious landing spot on Chesterfield’s Grassmoor Golf Club to bring down the passengers and toast their wonderful flight.

Once on the ground, the pilot and passengers began to pack away the balloon whilst the ground crew gained access to pick up the balloon and basket and to ensure passengers were returned to their original launch site.

A nearby landscaper working on the golf club terrain appeared like a knight in shining armour and created a path for the retrieval crew to get to the balloon.

“The nice digger man (who described the digger as his “baby”!) smoothed out some of the extreme hard landscaping he was working on at Grassmoor Golf Club in order to make it easier for the crew, it was a bit of a surreal experience to have the earth moved for us!!” said pilot Neal.

Thank you to Grassmoor Golf Club for being so wonderfully accommodating.

Further information regarding hot air balloon rides from Bakewell, Derbyshire is available here.

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By Kirsty, July 30, 2010 2:51 pm

The saying ‘red sky at night shepherd’s delight’ was this week  for pilot Martin Collinson more like ‘red  sky at night, balloon passengers delight,’ as Virgin hot air balloon passengers ended their flight with a spectacular red sunset scene.

Martin, 44 from York, launched with a basket full of excited passengers from the city’s racecourse on Wednesday evening at 19.55hrs for an hour long balloon flight which travelled east.

“It had been raining before the flight, after the usual hour in the air we spotted one of the first cut wheat fields of the season and prepared to land there. There was a large dark cloud in  sight as we descended, but when we touched down the basket turned around 90 degrees and we were faced with a simply spectacular sunset!” said pilot Martin.

“The passengers enjoyed helping to pack away the balloon and then we had a Champagne toast in front of the red ‘Virgin-esque’ skyline, which was framed by a rainbow!” he added.

What a wonderful way end an experience of a lifetime!

More information on flying from York Racecourse is available here.

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By Kirsty, July 23, 2010 11:13 am

It’s normally whisky, bagpipes, tartan, haggis or the thistle and kilt amongst other things that spring to mind when thinking about the beautiful country of Scotland. There is no better way to see the dramatic landscape that ranges from mountains to plains and lowlands to highlands than from 3000 feet in the air in an iconic Virgin hot air balloon.

The diverse culture, historical landmarks and interesting geography is so much better from a bird’s eye view, so we have given you the choice of five fantastic

counties to fly from and revel in your airborne adventure;

Aberdeenshire’s Castle Fraser offers a spectacular backdrop for the launch of your Virgin balloon flight. As the most elaborate ‘z plan’ castle in Scotland the  architecture as well as the eye-catching landscaped gardens are as beautiful by foot as from up in the air.

Similarly, Angus’ Glamis Castle offers a delightfully romantic setting to see Scotland beneath the basket and drift over the castle’s 600 years of history. With a full programme of events throughout the year, you can explore the castle and gardens after your hot air balloon ride topped off with a Champagne toast.

The wonderfully grand Falkland Palace in Fife is another of our Scottish launch sites to start your hot  air ballooning experience with Virgin. The property belongs to Her Majesty the Queen, so try out your royal wave as you drift above the palace and over the county. 

Lanarkshire’s Biggar is yet another option where you can rise to the sky and gaze down at the famous site of the Battle of Biggar where William Wallace defeated the British. The fantastically rich landscape offers a lot to spot too.

Perthshire presents not one but two launch sites for you to choose from, with the airfield and city launch sites both allowing you to see some of the very best bits of Scotland … how ever will you choose?! 

We hope to see you in the sky above stunning Scotland!