01823 778 127 - info@flyawayballooning.com
01823 778 127 - info@flyawayballooning.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
Passenger Requirements
Weather & Cancellations
Booking and Terms
The Balloon Flight
The Balloon
Passenger Requirements
What if I have a medical condition?

You must not fly if you are suffering from any significant medical condition or if you have recently undergone major surgery. We advise you to first talk with your doctor to ensure you're fit to fly and we may ask you to provide proof of your fitness to fly from your doctor. 

We require you to tell us about any medical or physical condition that could be considered to affect your safety or the safety of others.

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Passenger Requirements
Is there an age limit?

Whilst there is no maximum age limit for ballooning, a child under the age of 7 years is not able to fly with us due to safety regulations. 

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Passenger Requirements
Am I insured to fly?

Yes, all our experiences include complete ground and flight insurance. You can read more about our safety and operational procedures here.

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Passenger Requirements
Is there a weight limit?

Please contact the office on 01823 778 127 if your weight is over 18st/115kg. 

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Passenger Requirements
What should I wear & bring?

We recommend clothes suitable for a walk in the country depending on the time of year and on the specific day you are flying.

Generally warm, comfortable layers are a good idea, plus a cap for the warmth from the burners. Depending on conditions, you may be walking in wet, muddy fields so sensible shoes or trainers you don't mind getting a little dirty are essential.

Don't forget your camera! 

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Passenger Requirements
Can I fly if I’m pregnant ?

Unfortunately for safety reasons we cannot fly you during any stage of pregnancy. If you find out that you are pregnant during the validity of your voucher, please contact us to extend your voucher by 9 months. 

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Passenger Requirements
Can I fly in a hot air balloon if I have recently had surgery?

You must not fly if you have recently undergone major surgery. We require you to tell us about any medical or physical condition that could be considered to affect your safety or the safety of others.

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Passenger Requirements
Am I fit to fly?

Generally anyone can partake in ballooning. You need to be able to climb in and out of the basket, stand unassisted for an hour and be able to bend your knees and hold on. Passengers must also be able to fully understand and follow all instructions given by the pilot.

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Passenger Requirements
What are the ideal weather conditions for ballooning?

Ideally we require light winds, good visibility, dry weather and firm ground conditions. We do not fly in marginal or unsafe weather conditions. 

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Passenger Requirements
How do I know if my flight is going ahead?

Your pilot will aim to contact you with a weather update and to confirm the meeting time and location by 16.00pm the day before your flight. However, due to the unpredictability of the British weather and the need to sometimes wait for later aviation forecast updates this can sometimes be as late as 22.30pm the night before your morning flight or as late as 15.30pm the day of your flight. We aim to contact everyone with as much notice as operational procedures allow. 

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Passenger Requirements
Why would a flight be cancelled?

We really regret having to cancel and rearrange flights as we know the disappointment that comes with it for our guests. However, your safety is our top priority and our duty of care is to operate in a safe manner.

Hot air ballooning is entirely weather dependent. As a commercial balloon operator we do not fly in marginal or unsafe weather conditions. 

Your flight could be cancelled for reasons such as visibility, wind speed or direction and generally unsettled weather. 

In the unfortunate case your balloon experience is cancelled due to bad weather you will hear from your pilot. This will be followed by a one-click reschedule link which allows you to view all available slots and choose another date with ease. You can also call the office on 01823 778 127 to reschedule. 

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Passenger Requirements
What happens if my flight is cancelled?

Hot air ballooning is weather dependent so your flight can be cancelled if the weather does not make it safe to fly you.

In the unfortunate case your balloon experience is cancelled due to bad weather you will hear from your pilot. This will be followed by a one-click reschedule link which allows you to view all available slots and choose another date with ease. You can also call the office on 01823 778 127 to reschedule.

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Passenger Requirements
I saw another balloon flying so why was my flight cancelled?

As a commercial balloon operator we do not base our decision to fly on what other balloonists are doing. All our pilots are very experienced commercial balloon pilots and make their decision to fly on specific aviation forecasting and experience. 

The safe operating limits for commercial ballooning are far more stringent than that of private flying. 

In the unfortunate case your balloon experience is cancelled due to bad weather you will hear from your pilot. This will be followed by a one-click reschedule link which allows you to view all available slots and choose another date with ease. You can also call the office on 01823 778 127 to reschedule.

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Passenger Requirements
Can I get a refund?

We now offer a refund option for £47.50pp for our shared Bath balloon rides. All other shared balloon rides and vouchers are valid for 2 years and are non refundable. This is 12 months longer than our competitors giving you two full seasons to take your flight. 

We offer a refund guarantee on all our private experiences which can be purchased during checkout. This allows you a full refund in the event your flight has to be cancelled due to bad weather. Private experiences are also valid for 2 years. 

Terms & Conditions

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Passenger Requirements
How to redeem a gift voucher?

Congratulations! To redeem your gift voucher please go through the usual booking process and enter your code in the 'offer code' section during checkout. During the booking process you will be asked for the passengers names and weights. 

Please note that all our gift vouchers are valid for two years from date of purchase. You must have tried to book onto at least 10 flights during this validity which have been rescheduled due to bad weather for it to be extended.  

Redeem your voucher

Terms & Conditions 

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Passenger Requirements
How long is my voucher valid for?

All our hot air balloon rides and vouchers are valid for 2 years. This is 12 months longer than our competitors giving you two full seasons to take your flight. 

Please note that you must have booked onto at least 10 flights which have been postponed by us during the validity of your voucher for it to be extended by a further 12 months.  

Terms & Conditions

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Passenger Requirements
If I need to postpone my flight how much notice should I give?

You may postpone your booked flight attempt no later than 5 days prior to flying. Please do this during office hours by calling 01823 778 127. 

Terms & Conditions

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Passenger Requirements
Can I buy now and choose a date later?

If you are unsure when you would like to fly you can select 'choose date later' as shown below. This will then give you the option to select 'This is a gift'. If selected you can add the names of the recipients and a message. The vouchers will be emailed to you.

Book Now

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Passenger Requirements
How long in advance do I need to book my flight?

All our flights are subject to availability which is live on our website. To secure a date it is best to book as far in advance as possible. However, we do often have last minute availability which can be booked as late as 8 hours before the flying slot, either on the website or by calling the office on 01823 778 127.

Book Now!

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Passenger Requirements
How to add additional passengers to my booking?

To add additional guests to your booking please call the office on 01823 778 127. Please note that spaces are subject to availbaility so it is best to contact us as soon as possible. 

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Passenger Requirements
What is your cancellation policy?

You may postpone your booked flight attempt no later than 5 days prior to flying. Please do this during office hours by calling 01823 778 127.

Terms & Conditions

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Passenger Requirements
How do I book a balloon flight?

Book a private experience

Book a shared balloon ride

Please note to book your flight we need the names and weights of those that are flying with us, you have to enter these during booking. 

All the information you need should be available during booking. To book over the phone or for help please feel free to contact the office on 01823 778 127.

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Passenger Requirements
How do I rebook?

In the unfortunate case your balloon experience is cancelled due to bad weather you will hear from your pilot. This will be followed by a one-click reschedule link which allows you to view all available slots and choose another date with ease. You can also call the office on 01823 778 127 to reschedule.

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Passenger Requirements
What are the best times of year to fly?

Clear crisp winter mornings are just as beautiful as warm summer evenings. Generally flights are more likely to go ahead in spring, summer and autumn. It is totally personal preference so there is no 'best' time! 

Choose an experience to see live availability.

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Passenger Requirements
What times do we fly?

All balloon flights take place either in the morning or evening and are dependent on sunrise and sunset times. Arrival times will vary throughout the year. In the mornings we can meet as early as 5am to as late as 8.30am or in the evenings as early as 4pm and as late as 6.30pm.

Our live booking calendar shows the meeting time for each flying slot throughout the year. Choose your experience to see availability. 

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Passenger Requirements
How often do we fly?

We schedule flights from March 1st to September 30th morning and evening, seven days a week. Please note availability is split between private and shared experiences and all flights are weather dependent. You can view a live calendar of scheduled flights on our bookings pages. 

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Passenger Requirements
Can I fly over my house?

We unfortunately cannot guarantee that we will fly in any particular direction due to the weather dependancy of hot air ballooning. With our private experiences we do offer the opportunity to fly from your own property or a specific area, please contact us to arrange.

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Passenger Requirements
How high does the balloon fly?

Usual flying height is anywhere between 500ft and 5000ft. Your pilot will vary the height to give you a well rounded experience. The true magic of hot air ballooning is often flying low and traversing the countryside something that we love to do when it is safe to do so. 

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Passenger Requirements
How long is the hot air balloon flight?

You can expect to be with us for around 3.5 - 4 hours. This includes setting up, the balloon flight, packing up, a complimentary drink and driving back to original meeting location. The balloon flight lasts for around 1 hour. 

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Passenger Requirements
How do we get back to the launch site after the flight?

After the flight Fly Away Ballooning will return you to the original meeting location approx 3 - 4 hours later.

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Passenger Requirements
How far will we fly?

Balloons travel with the wind so each balloon flight varies depending on the wind speed. You could fly a relatively short distance or perhaps as far as 20 miles.

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Passenger Requirements
Where will we land?

As balloons can’t be steered in the traditional sense you’re never quite sure where you will land. The destination is irrelevant, the adventure is everything! Your pilot will be looking for suitable landing spots after 50 minutes.

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Passenger Requirements
What’s the landing like?

More often than not the landings are calm and gentle but sometimes on landing the basket can tip and/or drag along before coming to rest. This is how balloons have been landing for over 200 years and is perfectly normal. The landings are exciting and many people say it is their favourite part of the flight.

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Passenger Requirements
How do we get in and out of the basket?

You climb in and out of the balloon by the foot holes in the basket. If you feel you might have problems climbing in, please let our crew know and they will help you. 

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Passenger Requirements
Can people come with me to watch?

Sure, bring your friends or family along to watch but please advise them that there may be no lavatories or other facilities on the launchsite. They are also not to drive onto our launch or landing fields.

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Passenger Requirements
How many people will be in the basket?

Unlike our competitors who fly balloons carrying up to 16 passengers we fly smaller balloons that carry a maximum of 8. This makes for a much more personal ballooning experience allowing all onboard to have a more enjoyable, fun and comfortable flight in a far less commercial way. 

Book your experience with FAB!

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Passenger Requirements
Does the balloon basket have doors?

Coming soon!

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