About Merlin Balloons

Our Chief Pilot and owner of Merlin Balloons, Matt Wady gained his comercial pilots license in 2000. Since then, Matt has clocked up over 1500 hours of balloon flights and flown well in excess of 10,000 passengers; not only in Kent but also Spain, Hungary, Italy and France. Matt has lived in Kent for 37 years, so has extensive local knowledge and will point out any places of interest and local landmarks throughout you flight. Matt is also a keen microlite pilot and has flown over the English Channel a number of times.

Your retrieve crew are trained well beyond the level recomended by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and most have been working for Merlin Balloons for many years, making us one of the most profesional balloon companies operating in the South East.

Merlin Balloons has just got a new sponsor on board; HR GO plc is a nationwide recruitment company. The HR GO branded balloon was manufactured in Spain and brought into service for the 2009 season.

Once you have landed and enjoyed a celebratory glass or two of Champagne you will be returned to the launch site in our 17 seater, fully PSV licensed, minibus. Most balloon operators will return you to your vehicles in the back of a landrover or similar vehicle where you will not be comfortable, and more importantly, not insured. Merlin Balloons are one of the few balloon companies that hold an operators licence solely for this service and all our drivers hold current PSV licenses, giving you peace of mind and a comfortable journey.

Member of the British Balloon and Airship Club

Certified Air Operator