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By Alex, August 10, 2012 1:31 pm

Tea was poured, cupcakes were nibbled and classical music drifted through the air as we successfully hosted the ultimate tea party in the sky at 1300ft.

We organised the unique event – believed to be the highest open-air airborne tea party – to the celebrate the Great British summer at Bristol International Balloon Fiesta today.

One of our huge Virgin balloons launched in a mass ascent with scores of others from Ashton Court – one of over our 100 UK locations for balloon rides – shortly after sunrise.

We served sandwiches and cream cakes to the lucky guests on china crockery and they enjoyed Twinings tea and English sparkling wine as they floated along, while classical string music played in the bunting-clad basket.

After an hour’s flight traveling south west of Bristol, Virgin Balloon Flights’ pilot Mark Simmons, of Atworth, near Bath, landed perfectly at a miniature airfield for radio controlled planes north of Yatton.

Mark, who has been flying for 23 years and already holds the record for the highest concert in a balloon, said the flight could not have gone better.

He said: “Every balloon flight is an adventure and today it all came together to be one of the most amazing flights I’ve had. The views were spectacular, the tea party was a great success and the lovely passengers seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

“It was a unique and fitting way to celebrate this Great British summer,” he added.

Karen Rowles, of Malmesbury, Wiltshire, won the flight for her and husband Alan in a competition on the Virgin Balloon Flights Facebook page. She said it was an unforgettable experience and had made her year.

“It was bizarre drinking tea, eating cake and having music in the background up there. It was great,” she added.

Another prize winner Richard Evans, of Langford, near Bristol, flew with wife Emma

He said: “It was really surreal and like nothing we’ve done before. It was certainly the most interesting cup of tea we’ve ever had.”

 

For more stories and pictures from the Virgin Balloon Flights Tea Party in the Sky plus news, offers and competitions visit www.facebook.com/virginballoonflights

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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 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 Eve, October 27, 2011 1:05 pm

Internet entrepreneur Jeanie and colleague Jackie were whisked high above the skies of Kent on their Wadhurst flight last month with pilot Damon Bridger.

Famous for her bright pink hairdo and savvy shopper website Mad About Bargains, Jeanie was originally scheduled to launch from the spectacular Bristol International Balloon Fiesta along with Jackie back in June after winning a competition hosted by Virgin Balloon Flights.  With gusty winds proving challenging for all pilots that day their original flight had to wait, not long though and within a matter of weeks they were experiencing what it is like to see beautiful Britain from above in a Virgin hot air balloon. We asked Jeanie what she made of her balloon ride and if geography and company were no object, where and with whom she would most like to fly:-

“It has been on my bucket list for some time and I enjoyed every minute.

I would love to do a balloon flight over somewhere really spectacular like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls (if possible) and I think the most interesting person to do the flight with would of course be Sir Richard Branson (and I am not just saying that). I have run various businesses since I was very young and I think he is a fascinating person.

Thank you again for the fantastic prize. It is something we will both always remember.”

– Jeanie, Founder, Mad About Bargains

After landing and enjoying the traditional Champagne toast that accompanies all of our flights, Jackie said:

“We had the most amazing experience and would like to thank you and everyone at Virgin Balloons again! We loved the Champagne, the whole experience was really lovely, they made everyone feel special.” – Jackie, Mad About Bargains

To see for yourself what a ballooning experience is all about visit our brand new Experience page to see videos, experience a 360° virtual tour from the air, view our gallery, read our pilot profiles and to read some of our passenger testimonials.

To enjoy a hot air balloon ride from just £89 from Kent or any other county within the UK visit our locations page to see which launch sites are available near you.

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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!