With in excess of 100 carefully selected launch sites throughout the UK - nobody offers greater choice when seeking to fly.

Additionally, nobody puts more effort in to getting you airborne than Virgin. In response to our customer's desire to fly at the first attempt, we specifically created what we call the Satellite Site System. It's the reason our balloons are often flying whilst others are not and why more of our passengers get airborne on their first attempt.

Very occasionally fickle wind conditions or localised showers may be forecast that can sometimes prevent a launch from a specific site, but our Satellite Site System, allows complete flexibility, vastly reducing the likelihood of a flight cancellation due to inclement weather.

Not content with a solo launch site in any given area, we recognised the need for two or more equally high quality venues, 'satellites', a few miles apart, within certain weather- sensitive areas.

The reasons for this are simple and so too is the system we've developed, but it works. Think of it in terms of two local cricket matches taking place within a mile or so of each other, one match is able to go ahead and be played perfectly normally whilst the other is rained off.

It's all about location and the same local influences that can affect a summer cricket match also apply to hot air ballooning, a mile or two in either direction, ensures the game or flight goes ahead! That's why some of our launch sites offer the benefit of the Satellite Site option.

When you make a reservation, please select your preferred launch site.

If the website flags up that this is one of our special satellite sites it will show the booking from either your selected site OR ---------, the alternative being as close as possible.

This will give you a better chance of getting airborne first time!

A Booking Confirmation Email/Letter will then be sent to you confirming your details, the date of your flight; the approximate time of your flight and your chosen launch site, with appropriate Satellite Site/s.

The decision in terms of which site you fly from, will be made by your pilot the night before a morning flight, or the morning before an evening flight.

We will inform you of this decision on the Flight Information Line outlined in your Booking Confirmation Email/Letter. This Flight Line will: confirm if the flight is going ahead, the exact meeting time and which site we have selected based on the conditions forecast for the day of your flight.

Our Launch Site Maps do clearly state where launch sites offer the advantage of the Satellite Site System.

Our Cornwall and Devon sites have a shared rendezvous point from which you will be escorted by the balloon team to the relevant launch site, deemed appropriate for the conditions on the day of your flight.

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