WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
You will not feel any colder in the air than you would on the ground. Dress as though you are going out for a walk in the countryside. We recommend comfortable, outdoor, natural fibre clothing be worn suitable for the time of year and practical footwear. We also advise that your arms and legs should be covered. You may like to bring a hat as well as there is some radiant heat from the burner. You will be climbing in and out of the basket so trousers rather than a skirt for ladies. You also need to be wearing flat shoes.
HOW LONG IS THE FLIGHT?
The flight is about an hour but you should allow up to four hours for the whole experience. There is a briefing and the setting up of the balloon beforehand. An average flight takes the balloon about 10 miles so after the balloon has landed and we have packed it away we then transport you back to the Squirrel Inn, Hurtmore.
WHO CAN FLY IN A BALLOON?
We have a lower age limit of 7 years old. There is no upper age limit. Pretty much anybody can fly in a balloon. If you have any medical concerns please give us a call.
AM I INSURED?
We are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority and hold an Air Operator’s Certificate. Our balloons and pilots are certificated and checked on an ongoing basis. All pilots hold a commercial license to fly passengers. All our balloons are insured and you are insured as a passenger flying in the balloon.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO FLY?
Our main flying season runs from Spring through to Autumn so our main flying months are from March through to October. During the winter months it is possible to fly but the weather is not usually suitable most of the time. Good ballooning weather is a nice day with fairly gently winds and no rain.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW MY WEIGHT?
We have to do weight calculations on the balloon for loading so we need to know your weight, but it doesn’t matter how much you weigh!
WHERE DOES THE BALLOON TAKE OFF?
We meet for all our flights at The Squirrel Inn, Hurtmore, just off the A3 a couple of miles south of Guildford. There is a field behind the pub that we launch from. Depending on the wind direction there are occasions where we use other launch sites which are all fairly local within about 15-20 minutes drive. If we move to another launch site we organise this for you and we bring you back to the Squirrel after the flight.
WHAT TIME OF DAY ARE THE FLIGHTS?
Flights take place at either end of the day when conditions are best for ballooning, meeting early in the morning or in the afternoon/early evening depending on the time of year. The times vary depending on the time of sunrise and sunset. During the summer months morning flights meet up early at about 5.30am/6.00am and evening flights meet at about 6.00pm. During the winter we can usually fly right through the day.
CAN MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY COME AND WATCH ME GO?
Any relatives and friends are welcome to come along and watch the pre-flight preparations and lift off.