Yes, really, we have good news! Hot air ballooning will resume very shortly in England for both private and commercial balloons. Here's a summary of the latest government plan for the return of ballooning and the 3 main stages, the dates of which will already be familiar to you.
Hopefully it won't need to happen, but these dates could be pushed back. Face coverings and social distancing guidelines must still be followed at all times.
Some flights have already taken place recently around Bristol / Bath; these have been commercial recency flights (ride balloon pilots getting recent and ready for the flying season).
Step 1 (29th March)
- Return to flying for private pilots with members of their household or bubble
Step 2 (12th April)
- Return to flying for commercial balloon operators with maximum 6 people in a basket from same household (smaller balloons only)
- Training flights for all pilots can resume
Step 3 (17th May)
- Return to flying for large commercial balloons (as rule of 6 increases to maximum 30 people outdoors)
- Outdoor events can return with maximum capacity of 4,000 people
View more about the roadmap out of lockdown on the government website.
If anything changes we will let you know. We are looking forward to an amazing year of flying ahead and hope you'll come along for the ride with us!
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If you live in Bristol or Bath, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Although our Live Flight Updates are still paused, we will be posting as soon as balloons are airborne so you can look out for them!
