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Before the Flight
And We Have Lift Off!Once you are all on board, and the final checks have been made, the Pilot will operate the balloon release mechanism and the balloon will drift off over the countryside. During the Flight The Pilot will be happy to answer questions and will usually talk about the flight and what is going on. Normally the hot air balloon will fly between 500 and 3000 feet above the ground and we aim to fly for at least an hour. The Pilot has absolute responsibility for the conduct of the flight and will use their experience and judgement in the interests of safety. A Great Photo OpportunityHot air balloon flights are excellent platforms for photography. We frequently find that you use more film or memory than you expect, so be prepared! How Long Does the Entire Experience Take?The whole experience usually takes three to four hours and occasionally more. When Do You Fly? Our Flying SeasonWe regard April to October as the main flying season and during this period we offer the opportunity to book morning and evening flights seven days a week. We do not schedule flights from each and every launch site on a daily basis. Demand and the time of year affect the number of flights available from any area, so please ask about flight availability. During the period from November through to March the possibilities for flying tend to be more heavily influenced by the ground conditions, as well as the weather, than during the rest of the year, so we mainly operate at weekends, from a restricted range of sites, solely on a stand-by basis. Will I Fly on the Date I've Booked? The Civil Aviation Authority sets limits on the wind and weather conditions in which we can operate balloons and over sixteen years of passenger flying experience has shown us the type of conditions that we feel are reasonable and safe to fly you in. Your safety and well being are your Pilot's responsibility and will be a major element when deciding on whether or not to fly. Are There Restrictions on Who Can Fly? You do need to tell us if you or the intended passenger have any form of disability or medical condition, even if YOU do not consider that it is a disability. This enables us to respond to our duty of care for your safty. We do recommend that you discuss with us any doubts and concerns that you may have. Who Will I Be Flying With?We operate balloons that variously carry between 2 and 16 people. The balloon baskets normally have passenger bays that provide room for 2, 3, or 4 people. In the usual course of our activities we book out the spaces available as the demand arises, so the passengers in a balloon will normally be a mixture of couples, single people and small groups. We can make specific arrangements for groups large enough to occupy the whole basket and we are prepared to fly from your own site, subject to its suitability and practicality. What Should I Wear? It may be necessary to walk over rough or wet ground so strong shoes or walking boots are recommended; sandals or shoes with high heels are completely unsuitable. The balloon moves with the air mass, so there is no breeze. There will be a fair amount of radiant heat from the burners, most noticeable in summer, so some form of headwear can be an advantage, especially for those who are tall or who may be a little thin on top. Can You Accommodate People in Wheelchairs?We are not currently able to provide flights to those in wheelchairs simply because our baskets aren't certified to carry them, but we know someone who can! Give us a call and we'll point you in the right direction. What if I Want to Fly in Another Area?Through our membership of Balloons Over Britain we can offer you the opportunity to fly from over 70 launch sites throughout the UK. Phone us on 01789 488219 for details or purchase a Balloons Over Britain National Voucher here. Do you want to find out more? Do you want to purchase a flight voucher? Our office hours are 10 AM to 5 PM Monday, 9 AM to 5 PM Tuesday to Friday and also 9 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays between April to September. An answering machine is available to take messages outside office hours.
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The
pilot will normally greet you then and assemble the passengers for
the required safety briefing. The experience begins with the assembly
and preparation of the hot air balloon and then the initial inflation
of the balloon envelope using petrol driven fans; this is something
you can join in with if you want to. The Pilot will then be able to
do the necessary pre-flight checks before using the propane burners
to fully inflate the balloon. All of this usually takes about an hour.
The distance and direction flown will completely depend on the conditions
at the time of the flight and how the Pilot uses them. 
Hot Air Balloons float in the air much as boats float on water. They
move solely with the movement of the air. The warmth of the sun creates
thermals and turbulence, so, for the Pilot to have full and safe control,
flights are usually made within an hour or two of dawn and dusk to
take advantage of the lightest winds and the most stable air conditions.
The actual time will vary throughout the year. 
Ballooning
is completely weather-dependant at any time of the year and it may
require several attempts to achieve a flight. This is what makes a
balloon flight such a special adventure. Enter into that adventure,
throw off the shackles of convention, discover the thrill that exists
when the weather conditions become right, experience that little flutter
of anticipation as you realise you're airborne. That's when you appreciate
that one of the best experiences in life is better still, because
you have made a little effort to achieve it! 
Ballooning involves some physical activity and is regarded as a risk
sport. Almost anyone can fly, but the nature of the balloon basket
means that passengers need to be sufficiently agile to climb into
and out of the basket using the footsteps provided, to assume a crouched
position for landing and be capable of coping with the bumpiness of
a firm landing. You need to be able to stand for about an hour, though
you can lean on the basket rim during the flight. We are unable to
fly children less than 4' 6" / 1.4m tall or expectant mothers.
Wear
clothing suitable for walking in the country appropriate to the time
of year. It is necessary to wear garments that give full cover to
arms and legs and the CAA recommends wearing clothes made from natural
fibres. The temperatures experienced in the air will be little different
from those felt on the ground. We rarely fly high enough for any change
to be noticed. 
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Certified Air Operator
BL005
BL005