As our balloon rides will now be fulfilled by Virgin Balloon Flights, while many of the below FAQs remain relevant, for up-to-date information about your balloon ride, please visit Virgin’s website here.
Sensible outdoor clothes as if you were going for a walk in the country. Do not wear skirts, shorts, synthetic fibres such as nylon and loose jewellery. Ideal footwear include flat shoes, or even better Wellingtons or walking boots, especially in Spring and Autumn, when fields may be damp. Temperatures in the air are warmer than those on the ground due to the heat of the burners so do take a hat to avoid the heat from the burners
We have no upper age limit but ballooning is an outdoor sport requiring a degree of agility. We recommend that people should be fit enough to climb in and out of the basket and to stand for about an hour.
We use partitioned baskets specially designed to ensure safety, comfort and a superb view. Baskets are about 1.1 metres (42 inches) high, and have footholes to assist entry. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult on the flight and must be over 8 years old, and their height must exceed 1.4 metres (4'6"). In the interests of safety and operational requirements we cannot undertake the carriage of passengers whose declared weight exceeds 18 stone (114kg).
Balloon flights are made either early morning or evening. Times depend on sunrise and sunset, so vary throughout the season. Typically in May, we meet you at 6am for morning flights, and 6pm for evening flights.
For a successful flight we require light winds, no rain and good visibility. Call us at the time specified in your map pack to confirm if the weather permits us to fly, and if so the meeting time and place. Should we have to cancel your flight at short notice for reasons such as bad weather, we reschedule your flight as soon as possible to suit your timetable.
Yes! A balloon flight makes a wonderful gift for a relative or friend for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc.
Our full colour gift voucher is ideal to give them on the day and is valid for 12 months. The recipient then makes the flight at any time during our season. Or you may wish to arrange a complete surprise flight for a special date.
Call our office on 01962 774422 to make a booking and receive your gift voucher by return of post. Or book online by credit or debit card if time is short.
Our flying season is from April to October although we may start slightly earlier and finish later if ground and weather conditions permit. We usually recommend about two weeks notice if you wish to book a specific date. It can be less if you are not restricted to weekends. You can log in to our balloon flight dates page to book onto flights.