Questions & Answers
When do hot air balloons fly?
Our ballooning season runs from March to November inclusive, the approximate flight times are just after sunrise for our morning flights and 2 hours before sunset for our afternoon/evening flights. We fly at these times because this it when the air is more stable therefore providing us with calmer winds.
How long do we fly for?
Your balloon flight will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour, Please allow 4 hours for the whole experience which includes the setting up procedures and the champagne toast after your flight.
What shall I wear?
We suggest that you wear clothing and footwear suitable for the time of year and similar to what you would wear for a walk in the country, please wear suitable footwear, no stilettos please; also some passengers find it a bit warm on there heads so we recommend you bring a cap for extra comfort.
Can I choose our launch site?
The launch site is chosen by the pilot a few hours before your flight depending on the wind direction, balloons fly with the wind so this is taken into account to provide you with a safe and lengthy flight path.
What will happen if our flight is postponed due too poor weather?
If the weather is not suitable for your flight then all you have to do is call our booking office to arrange another suitable date. Most people fly on there first attempt whilst others with just a few attempts. please don’t wait for good weather before booking as we may not have availability, book in advance and your pilot will decide on the day if the conditions are suitable.
What will the landing be like?
Balloons fly in calm wind conditions so that the landing speed is low as possible, most of our flights have very gentle landings, very occasionally if the wind speed is slightly higher then the balloon basket will drag for a short distance before coming to rest on its side, this is what we call an “active landing” and usually follows with the passenger laughing with excitement.
How far will we fly and how high?
The distance we travel depend on the upper wind speeds, on an average flight you can expect to travel 5 to 10 miles. We often fly up to 5500 feet and also fly at treetop level.
Can our friends and family watch us take off?
Yes, you are more than welcome to bring your friends to see you launch, once we take off your friends may chose to wait at the launch site for your return or find a local village public house while you are on your epic adventure.
Can we take our cameras?
Yes, a balloon flight makes the perfect platform for amateur and professional photographers. Once airborne on most of our flights your pilot will take an in flight photograph of you in side the basket, how is this done you are thinking, you will have to wait and see.
Are we insured?
Merlin Balloons is fully insured with personal public liability and third party cover, we must point out that any personal belonging such as cameras and mobile phones are not covered by our policy.
Is there an age limit for ballooning?
An age limit is not a factor providing you are reasonably fit and able bodied and can stand in the basket for an hour, children must be above 7 years old and higher than 1.2 metres.
How do we get back to our vehicles after the flight?
Once you have landed and celebrated with a glass of Champagne your crew will drive you back in our mini bus, your driver is a qualified PCV (passenger carrying vehicle) licence holder and you will be fully insured for this journey.
Technical questions.
What is the balloon made of?
The Basket:
For many years they are still constructed with cane and willow, strengthened with steel cables, and topped with padded suede, they have partitions for passenger comfort and safety.
The Envelope:
The main part of the envelope is made of a hardwearing nylon material called hyperlast or rips stop nylon. The lower panels closer to the burner flame are made with Nomex, this is a scorch resistant fabric. The weight of the basket carried beneath the envelope is spread evenly over the surface by load tapes and wires.
The Fuel System:
Our fuel is liquid propane the same used in domestic gas cookers and heaters, carried in stainless steel fuel cylinders, and then vaporised before being ignited by a pilot flame.
The Burner:
This is our power plant. All balloons have a burner unit, small balloons may have 2 burners and the larger passenger carrying balloons have up to 4 burners as it take a lot more heat to fill the envelope, which produce a power output of approx 30,000,000 Btu.
How do you navigate a hot air balloon?
A balloon will always travel with the wind,. The wind direction, however, is usually different at height to that on the ground so your pilot will use these variations to change the track of the balloon. The general rule is the higher you climb the more right you will drift, this is opposite in the southern hemisphere. Your balloon will be equipped with GPS, altimeter and radios to speak to air traffic control.
The envelope is not very aerodynamic on the top so the climb rate I limited, passenger carrying balloon scan climb at approximately 500-600 feet per minute and can descend at around 900 feet per minute, but it does not feel very fast and all you will feel it a light breeze in your face.
How do I become a pilot?
All pilots start out qualifying with their private pilots licence, this means they can fly friends and family for fun but not for hire and reward. Some choose to gain their commercial pilots licence and then be employed by Merlin balloons and fly passengers as their career, before hand you will need to build flying ours and experience and undertake another set of exams and a flight test before qualifying with your commercial pilots licence, Merlin balloons would be happy to advice anyone looking to choose ballooning as their career path.
Who are we governed by?
Merlin balloons and other operators are governed by the CAA (Civil aviation authority) and also the British balloon & Airship club, we are inspected regularly and undergo annual audits by the CAA to check on our administration procedures, pilots and our equipment.