Today our balloon flight ride over Norfolk would depart from our base at Wendling. Our passengers were all located from the west of the county of Norfolk so this seemed the most convenient location. The wind had been quite brisk for most of the day coming from the northwest, however our forecasters were confident this would ease later in the day. Another consideration this evening was that Stanford battle area would be live firing so we would need to keep west of the Army training area. We started to prepare the balloon for inflation with help from a number of local children who had arrived with their parents to watch the launch. The inflation was a little ‘playful' as the wind was still running at 11 knots, however at 6.10 p.m we were aloft and climbed out to 3,000 feet where all of Norfolk was in clear view from Kings Lynn across to Great Yarmouth. We headed overhead the village of Bradenham and on towards Saham Hills. As we approached the town of Watton we could over to Old Buckenham as a number of balloon were taking to the air from the annual festival from the airfield. If you get a chance each year a flying display is organised at the aerodrome and it is well worth a visit, a great family day out. We pass over Watton and start our decent once in Open County, the wind is now down to 5 knots. A number of stubble fields are in view and we make our approach to land. After just over an hour in the air we very gently land in the parish of Griston. The balloon is packed away and we enjoy a glass of chilled champagne savouring a lovely harvest sunset.

This evening our balloon flight launched from the Ken Stimpson playing field in Werrington, Peterborough. It was a perfect day with excellent visibility and a very gentle breeze coming from the northwest. The hot air balloon airborne at 6.15 pm and quickly climbed out to 2,000 feet. We could see out to about thirty miles to our north Stamford and Spalding and out across the wash and the Norfolk coast. Ely cathedral is always a prominent landmark and with Rutland Water to our east the aerial picture is beautifully framed. Our ballooning experience takes us between Eye and the brick works at Whittlesey. This evening has proved to be a wonderful opportunity to take some high quality photographs, hard to believe we have been in the air for almost an hour. The ground crew are instructed to move up to the dog in doublet pub and wait as we initiate our slow descent. A cultivated field is to our front at about a mile so the passengers take up their landing positions we land with a gentle bump in the parish of Thorney Toll.

Our Balloon Ride over Suffolk launched from Eccles Hall School adjacent to the snetterton race circuit. The wind was coming from the northwest with good visibility. The balloon was soon aloft and we climbed up to 3,000 feet to view the rolling landscape of East Anglia. We had a steady 20 knots so we were going to able to travel quite a reasonable distance. At this height we could clearly see the wash across to Norwich and down into Suffolk with Sizewell power stations dome in view on the Suffolk coastline. Out to the southwest the town of Bury St Edmunds and Ely cathedral we visible. The balloon passes high overhead Banham Zoo and we eventually cross the A140 north of Pulham Market. A quick look at the map and our track will take us north of town of Harleston. I update the ground crew via a radio link. Barley an hour has passed and we are crossing the Waveney valley at wortwell, they are a lot of livestock here so we keep high not to disturb them. To our front at about three miles we spot a number of large stubble fields looking ideal for our landing. Once in open country and away from any livestock we descend down to 300 feet and set up our approach to land, still pretty quick though running at 13 knots. Passengers are briefed to stow their cameras and adopt landing positions under 100 feet we slow to 8 knots and we are down in the parish of St Cross, Suffolk. I knew the ground retrieve team would be under a bit of pressure with this flight as we had covered a lot of ground. Our navigator in the land rover was the youngest member of our team a young sixteen-year-old man called Peter Matsell. He had the responsibility to guide a skilled driver through all the roads and country lanes to find us when we had landed. I must admit I thought the ground team would lose us for a while as this evening as we had travelled quite a distance so rapidly. Moments later Peter is on the radio ‘ We are on the road behind you! ‘Have located the land owner and will be back with you in five minutes'. Blimey that does not get any better so a big well done to Peter. Our passengers were in good spirits and help the crew pack up the balloon and we were soon celebrating the flight with a chilled glass of champagne watching a stunning Suffolk sunset.

A sunrise balloon ride over Norfolk is such a good way to start the day. This morning we ascended from Mattishall Golf Club just after dawn the surface wind was coming from the southwest at about six knots with a shallow layer of mist hovering above the tree tops this would soon burn off with the heat from the sun, but it does look so picturesque with the tops of houses and trees bathed in a thin layer of mist. As we pass 500 feet the wind is flowing quite quickly at 15 knots above the inversion, this is effectively a dense band of air or wind shear that keeps the surface wind reasonably calm for the first couple of hours after dawn. We turn left by 30 degrees and at 900 feet we have 21 knots, on and upwards we go and at 2,500 feet the wind slows down to 12 knots. Every balloon flight has different speeds and directions at various altitudes and this is how we can steer the balloon by ascending or descending, I guess it's a bit like three-dimensional sailing if indeed that makes sense. Our overall track is taking us up the town of Alysham and a quick radio call to the crew gives them an update as we have coved a lot of ground very quickly. As we descend the mid layer of wind is still flowing fast as we pass over Buxton common. In open country we drop under the inversion layer to 200 feet and our speed is a very manageable 6 knots. To our front there are some farm building a stubble field behind we are now down to 70 feet. The farmer is in the yard and I politely call down to him and ask if we can land in his stubble field, the answer was yes. We had a gentle stand up landing in the parish of Marsham.

This was a lovely evening for another balloon flight over Norwich and the Norfolk countryside. The wind was flowing from the northeast so Wensum Valley golf club was the ideal launch venue. Aloft at 6.40 p.m. we climbed quickly up to 3,500 feet with not a cloud in the sky we could see for miles. We drifted across the city of Norwich with wonderful views of the castle, cathedral and the Forum. The wash was clearly defined with glimpses of the Lincolnshire coast. The Norfolk Broads shimmered in the evening's sunshine with Hickling, Ranworth and Wroxham Broads most prominent. Our flights took us over the village of Easton and Barford. As the balloon approached the town of Wymondham we started to descend the old abbey is always a very impressive sight from the air. Crossing the A11 there appear to be a number of suitable fields to land in, as at this time of year harvest is well under way with lots of harvested fields. Our hot air balloon flight comes to an end with a gentle landing in the parish of Silfield after one hour five minutes in the air. With glasses held high we toast the flight with a glass of chilled champagne and savour the views of a beautiful harvest sunset.

Our Norfolk Balloon Flight Experience this morning launched from Mattishall Golf Club another super morning with a full complement of passengers. We were soon airborne and sampling the delights of the counties landscape. We ascended to 2,000 feet and from here we could easily see the Norfolk coastline from Kings Lynn across to Great Yarmouth, this is always such a wonderful photo opportunity. Our passengers were quite a chatty bunch with lots of questions. You will find we have a great deal of local knowledge so we were able to orientate our position by looking north out to Reepham and holt, south across to Wymondham then east to Cantley and the Breydon Water. Norfolk is such a lovely county to fly over. As we approached the city of Norwich we gained height to 3,500 feet and drifted over the north side of the city. We spotted an ideal stubble field to land in near Horsford. Norwich airports controllers aloud us to descend to land we gently came to a holt with the surface wind little more than 5mph. Our balloon retrieve crew we soon on hand and we had the balloon packed away in no time.