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.
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Passengers must be over 7 years of age and at least 4’6” in height to fly with Virgin Balloon Flights.
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 1st 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.