Where can I find out about hot-air ballooning online I would like to plan a surprise trip for my dad, who lives in Berkshire

asks atwood2

A. One of the best sites for booking surprise trips can be found at Horizon Ballooning. It organises hot-air balloon trips around the south of England� - in Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey.

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Each trip lasts about an hour and follows a dedicated course over countryside and villages, but what you see will actually depend on where the wind takes you. After the trip, you celebrate your success with a glass of champagne (family members can meet you at the end if it's a birthday gift). Flights take place all year round, in spring and autumn they're just after dawn and�two hours before sunset. In winter, flights take place throughout the day to take full advantage of daylight hours. You will be issued with a flight certificate once your balloon trip is over.

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Horizon is a member of both the British Balloon & Airship Club & the British Association of Balloon Operators. All of its pilots hold commercial licenses and are subjected to annual medical and flight checks with a CAA examiner, to demonstrate their skills and to maintain professional standards. Children under the age of�six are not allowed to fly, and any child under 16 has to be accompanied by an adult.

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It costs �125 per person to fly in a hot air balloon with Horizon, with the price reducing if more people fly on the same booking. Vouchers can be purchased as gifts and are valid for one year. You can either book online via its secure server or via telephone if you prefer.

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Go Ballooning is another good site to check out. It runs Champagne Balloon Flights all over the UK�- you can find out the nearest destination to where you live by using its scroll menu of locations. Once you've found the nearest place to you, it redirects you to another website in your local area, so for Berkshire you'll be redirected to its sister site www.balloonsoverberkshire.co.uk.

Once you've been relocated the site will give you lots of details on your actual flight�- including meeting your pilot and the ground crew, who will give you a tour of the balloon before you set off and tell you how the inflation process works. You'll be encouraged to become involved with the inflation of the balloon so you feel really part of the whole process.

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Once you are airborne, flights last for approximately one hour and every balloon is followed via radio. Once your flight is complete, you will be picked up at your landing site and returned by car to the starting point, where you will be served champagne. In Berkshire, flights take off from Reading, Newbury and Hungerford and cover all of the county's main landmarks.

All pilots hold full commercial pilot's licences and have many years of experience in professional ballooning. All balloons and pilots are regularly and rigorously examined by the CAA.

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Gift packs are available, and flight vouchers are valid for one year. All flights take place at dawn or two hours before sunset, and flights take place all year round. If you have friends or family that want to follow the flight they can do so, by driving behind the retrieval vehicle. Flights start from �139 per person.

You can also by lots of balloon-related gifts from this site, eg balloons, calendars, pens etc.

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Skybus Ballooning: Another site worth checking out is Skybus Ballooning. Flights take place twice a day and all flights are authorised by the CAA. Although they concentrate on the Kent and Sussex area, it is worth checking out if you live in Berkshire as these flights are cheaper, at �120 per person. This� will work out better if you're booking multiple flights at once, as groups of�four people or more cost �110 per person. Skybus will not take more than six people up in one balloon at one time, but you can book three balloons all at once, eg�if you're planning a big affair. Flights last about one hour.

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Skytrek Ballooning: This company specialises in hot-air balloon trips in Kent, Surrey, London, Essex and Sussex. Flights are �125 per person, �120 for more than one person.

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Virgin Balloons: In Berkshire, Virgin will fly from Reading and Wokingham. Flights start from �135 per person (bronze voucher) and flights last for approximately one hour.

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Q. How far do you usually fly on a one-hour trip

A. Depending on the speed of the wind, it will be roughly ten miles (but can be up to 30) as the crow flies.

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Q. How cold will it be in the air, and what should I wear

A. It is usually warmer than on the ground in a balloon, so you should wear outdoor clothes suitable for walking at the time of year of your flight. Most balloon companies will not fly in the rain, so waterproof clothing is usually not required. If you the weather is bad on the day of your flight, it will be cancelled and your flight rescheduled.

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by Karen Anderson