Shopping Around
Shopping around for a balloon flight?
You should read this first!
British School of Ballooning is the longest running balloon ride company in the UK and has been
operating for over 25 years. During this time we have seen balloon companies come and GO. If you are undecided on a location or company to fly with, take a few minutes to read our helpful tips and advice so that you can make an educated decision before you part with your money.
Check how often the company flies its balloons in your area
Larger operators advertise that they fly from over 100 launch sites nationwide. The reality is that no company has 100 pilots (more like 15) so something’s got to give. If you have booked a location of your choice it is likely that you’ll either be asked to move up to an hours drive away to their “preferred” launch site or chances are you’ll be cancelled and flown when it suits them. After this has happened a few times and your voucher reaches it’s expiration date you will have lost your gift and money. This is a major problem with the nation wide companies in our industry so be aware.
Across our advertised regions, British School of Ballooning makes more flights and carries more
passengers than any other operator. This gives you peace of mind that when you book a flight with us you WILL get to fly, and from your chosen location. The only factor that grounds our flights is the weather.
Pilot experience
British School of Ballooning is the only company in the UK that can boast having ALL their FULL time pilots with at least 1000 flying hours or 10 years flying experience. This is imperative when it comes to flight safety, reading the weather conditions, and being shown a great flight in your area. In ballooning experience counts for everything.
Local family business, or call centre?
We’re a family business; Graeme Scaife has been the owner and chief pilot since 1987 and has instructed many of the young and old balloon pilots flying today. Call our office and you are likely to speak to Graeme, Judy his wife (aka the Boss!) or Matthew his son not forgetting our friendly experienced sales girls. Graeme’s two sons Matthew and Roddy also fly for the business. With nationwide companies you’ll be transferred to a call centre where you are just another ticket number. We pride ourselves in tailoring your booking to suit you.
So be careful out there and keep in mind some of these points when choosing a balloon flight
operator. Some companies are very good at selling you a voucher, but not so good at providing you with a complete personal balloon flight experience.
What next?
Select a voucher from the right hand side of the page
