FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

All of our pilots have been trained to the highest possible standards and hold a UK Commercial Pilot Licence. They will each have a certain amount of flying experience before they fly any of our balloons and also have regular flight tests. Our company is licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority and gets regular company audits to make sure everything is as it should be.

On our balloons we have a camera that suspends outside of the balloon looking towards the basket. Your pilot will take a number of photos and videos during your flight, which you can purchase later. We ask for a suggested donation of £20, but you can of course donate as much as you want. All of the money from these sales goes towards the Down’s Syndrome Association and the MND Association (Motor Neurone Disease). Exclusive balloon flights will include these photos as standard, but of course you are welcome to make a donation as well.

Of course! It’s great to see so many people watching our hot air balloons launching. We would ask them not to follow the balloon though, as our experienced ground crew will chase the balloon and bring all the passengers back to the launch site.

The simple way is to call or email us and let us know. However, we would like as much notice as possible so that we can try to fill your basket space. If you are booked onto a flight and you do not turn up, but the flight goes ahead, you will forfeit your voucher and will not be able to book onto another flight without purchasing another voucher.

We ask people to be prepared and dress as if you are going for a country walk. A decent pair of sturdy shoes is a must – no high heels or flip flops! We don’t know where we will land, and it could be in a field that is a little muddy. Layers are a great idea, too. It will be cold in the mornings but it will soon warm up. Equally, in the evenings it may start off warm but once the sun goes down and you are enjoying your Champagne, it will start to get a little chilly. A hat is sometimes good to protect your head from the heat of the burners and it’s always a good idea to bring a bottle of water.

We can fly anyone from the age of 9 to 109! There is no limit on the age, but you need to be able to see over our basket which is around 4ft 4” tall. Anyone under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by an adult. There is no weight limit either, but we do ask for your weight when you book your flight. This is just so that we can make sure we balance our weights across the basket evenly with other passengers.

Unfortunately, we are not able to fly anyone that is pregnant at any stage. We appreciate that disabilities are wide and varied and we would like to be able to take you flying if we can, so please do get in touch before booking and we can discuss the possibilities.

Once you are booked onto a balloon flight, we will keep in touch with you about the weather. We will personally call or email you, rather than getting you to call to a pre-recorded message to tell you if the flight is called on or off. If the weather isn’t suitable for a flight, we will tell you as soon as it is possible to know. That way you can rebook your flight straight away and not have to wait.

We tend to fly early mornings around sunrise and early evenings a few hours before sunset. This is when the air is at its most stable, so we can get the best of the calmer weather in the day. You’ll be advised of the meeting time when you’re booked onto your flight.

We aim to fly for around an hour, but expect the whole experience to last between 3 and 4 hours. We think our passengers get much more out of their experience when they help out with the inflation of the balloon and packing away at the other end as well. You’ll be given a full safety briefing before your flight and of course we’ll all get to enjoy a glass a Champagne afterwards!

We have two hot air balloons: one has a capacity of 5 passengers; the other can be booked to take 2 people on their own private flight.
We choose our launch sites depending on the wind direction on the day. With that in mind we have a number of different places that we can launch from, and you can see that on our Where We Fly page. Currently, our launch sites include Bristol, Bath, and Stroud.
In short – no idea! The balloon travels with the wind and it is this that determines the direction of travel, and thus towards a landing spot. The pilot will look for somewhere suitable with no animals, crop, or anything else that could be a hazard.
We fly as often as the weather allows us to. Generally, through the months of April to October we have better weather, but if we get a nice cold crisp winter’s morning there is nothing to stop us from making the most of it! Our vouchers are valid for 12 months, giving you plenty of opportunity to take a flight. But please get in touch if you need to extend your voucher.
Some people are lucky enough to have flown over their house, but as hot air balloons go where the winds take them it’s unlikely that this will happen. However, you can choose where you want to fly from, so you will recognise the surroundings if you live in the area.