We believe in freedom of expression which is why we regularly seek feedback from our customers about our balloon rides.
If we don’t know what’s broken, we won’t know it needs fixing. So, we like to get your thoughts on how we can improve our website when buying a balloon ride voucher. We also like to know what you think of your hot air balloon ride with us and your pilot.
As most of our balloon rides are bought as gifts for birthdays, presents, anniversaries etc it’s not always the person that pays that gets to experience the wonderful world of ballooning, so it’s good to get a different perspective.
To say thank you for helping us out each flying season we randomly pick someone who has taken the time to complete one of our surveys (which are emailed out weekly) and send them a lovely case of wine from Virgin Wines worth over £100, and as the flying season ends around November, this tasty treat arrives just in time for Christmas.
Win a great mixed case of Virgin Wine
The lucky winner last season was Kevin Eaton from Ratby in Leicestershire. Kevin was over the moon as he said it was the first time he’d ever won anything.
Well done Kevin!
Thanks to you and everyone who shared their opinions with us last year.
Visit our website to buy a balloon ride voucher from just £89!
A question we are often asked here at Virgin Balloon Flights is why we don’t offer hot air balloon rides in the middle of the day. We offer a number of different voucher options which all include only early morning or evening balloon flights. The answer? Simple science! 
First of all, the basis of how a balloon works is actually pretty easy to understand with the theory being that hot air rises. To make the balloon ascend, the pilot heats the air inside the nylon envelope (this is the actual balloon) which makes the air less dense and therefore lighter than the air that surrounds the balloon. The amount of buoyancy or lift the balloon gets depends solely on the difference in temperature between the air inside the envelope and the atmospheric air surrounding the balloon.
So why can’t this happen during the day? When conditions are calm, hot air balloon pilots can finely control the altitude of the balloon by heating or venting the air inside. But during the main part of the day the sun heats the ground and causes something called thermals. These columns of rising warm air spiral skywards and displace the air above causing up and down drafts which can sometimes affect the pilot’s level of control.
This process can also cause the mixing of calmer, slower winds closer to the curvature of the earth, with the generally faster paced winds higher in the sky. This ‘mixing’ can lead to strong gusts and unpredictable conditions.
Conditions do vary during the year and sometimes cooler temperatures at the start or end of the season (in March or October) allow flights at different times. These are what we call ‘Day’ flights. But generally we fly AM and PM hot air balloon flights from our 100+ launch sites throughout England, Scotland and Wales as this is when conditions are at their best.
So it’s not that we want to get you out of bed early or keep you up late for any reason other than to give you an unforgettable Champagne balloon ride.
Join us on an airborne adventure with national Virgin Balloon Flight vouchers from as little as £109 per person.
As we (just about) turn the corner in to summer, Virgin Balloon Flights shares the skies over our fair isle with a number of different air shows – and East Anglia in particular has a great number to choose from.
The Imperial War Museum at Duxford has no less than 7 different air shows ranging from Battle of Britain to Large Model aircrafts. Southend-on-Sea will also be hosting its 25th free air show over two days on 30 and 31 May. The display takes place along 2 miles of seafront and over 40 aircraft will be on display. The Clacton air show, whilst not as large as Southend, is held on the Thursday and Friday prior to the August bank holiday and the pier allows superb views of the displays.
Taking a photo from the basket
If you’ve ever thought about taking to the skies but the roar of a jet engine isn’t quite your thing, perhaps a hot air balloon ride might be a more sedate option? To learn more about what you can expect from a balloon ride over Essex visit the Essex Tourist Guide website. We’ve got several launch sites to choose from in Essex, so why not make a day of it: check out some of the other activities available in the area on the Essex Tourist Guide site, for an action packed day in this picturesque county.
Sunday April 25th 2010 will be permanently etched in my brain as the day that I endured THE most pain, ever, in my life. I’m sure many novice marathoners will totally agree.
Running a marathon is a full throttle assault on the senses and the body with the mental excitement and anticipation that is the culmination of months of training and the sheer physical endurance that it takes to run 26.2 miles.
This year saw lots of firsts for Virgin, with it being the first ever Virgin London Marathon. Both myself and our friend Bob Fear over at Virgin.com ran our first ever marathons and we had some great support from Virgin Balloon Flights who raised over £225 and £415 for our respective charities; Macmillan and Virgin Unite by holding charity auctions for hot air balloon rides. Thanks Virgin Balloon Flights!
Watch Bob’s brilliant London Marathon Virgin video which really gives you an idea of what it’s like on the day, what to expect and makes you realise that you can do it too!
Virgin Balloon Flights also had the very first Virgin Money balloon commissioned which looked fabulous on the day plus a brand new Virgin Balloon Flights balloon which spent the day bobbing merrily at the start line.
Here’s to the next one Bob?
Virgin Balloon Flights' Eve Ashwell still smiling at the end of the marathon
As aircraft go, there aren’t many that rival the serenity and sheer spectacle of a hot air balloon. Travelling some 30,000ft lower than your average civilian aircraft our passengers have been getting airborne from several of our launch sites across the UK this week amidst more lovely spring sunshine.
If you’ve ever spotted a hot air balloon peacefully wending its way above the beautiful British countryside have you ever wondered what keeps a balloon up in the first place? Well, the gas that generates ‘lift off’ in one of our big red Virgin balloons is propane. Once the balloon envelope’s been inflated with air that air is then heated with propane burners. The gas’s (now hot air) molecular behaviour alters making it less dense. This makes the air inside the balloon lighter than the air that surrounds it outside which enables the balloon to counteract the laws of gravity in what is known as The Gas Law; basic thermodynamics.
To learn more about how hot air balloons work why not build your own balloon? We don’t recommend this for unsupervised children or anyone wanting a half decent aerial view whilst on their hot air balloon ride. For this we’d refer you to one of our excellent balloon pilots. Chocks away!
A voyage in a hot air balloon can be one of the most romantic experiences of a lifetime and a unique way to celebrate your engagement or marriage. In the predominantly rural county of Cumbria, home to the Lake District National Park and beautiful scenery, it’s easy to understand why Virgin Balloon Flights’ pilot in Cumbria, Phil Claridge, has witnessed a staggering 7 proposals on board last season and said this number is increasing year on year! With stunning views of the Cumbrian countryside beneath the basket, what finer way to say “I Love You” and celebrate a proposal or marriage than by blissfully drifting 6000 feet in the air.
So what does a Virgin Balloon Flights ticket to the sky include? You and your special someone can look forward to around an hour in the air over one of 100 launch sites in England, Scotland and Wales including Newby Bridge (Swan Hotel), Dalemain (Lake District) and Kikby Lonsdale in Cumbria. You will complete your experience with a traditional champagne toast and receive a flight certificate signed by Sir Richard Branson and your pilot. What’s more you’ll receive a Virgin gift pack including shoulder bag, compact binoculars, cap, pen, key ring, pre-flight DVD plus an Italian-made engraved crystal champagne flute for an everlasting keepsake of your special journey… All tickets come in a luxury wallet with a souvenir brochure and offer 12 months to book your flight (flying season March to October).
A Virgin Balloon Flight makes a perfect present too, so go on, wrap this gorgeous gift in a ribbon and make your partner’s day or pop it on your gift list to inspire your wedding guests.
Create memories to last a life time!
Hot air ballooning was the very first way man reached for the sky… On November 21st in 1783, the first manned flight was made by young physician, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and army officer François Laurent d’Arlandes in a hot air balloon in Paris, France, created by the Montgolfier brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne. After around 20 minutes in the air, history was made and aviation fascination grew.
Since then ballooning has developed in leaps and bounds and now Virgin Balloon Flights alone take up thousands and thousands of passengers each year. Flying from over 100 different places in England, Scotland and Wales you never far from the beginning of your adventure. Follow in the footsteps of Jean-François and François Laurent and see the world from a totally new perspective.
Select your perfect ticket package and up, up and away you go!
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