Lake District Sports - Lake District Hot Air Ballooning
You can hike it, bike it, skim across it or dive under it, but if you’re really going to appreciate the scale, complexity and
incredible variety of the Lake District and its environs, there’s really only one way to experience it. From the air. Once you’re up there,
you’ll see what an embarrassment of riches Cumbria has, in such a relatively compact and accessible area. Perhaps you’ll trace the path you took
up Scafell Pike or spot the place you launched your canoe. Or maybe you’ll be planning your next excursion as you float with the
breeze.
A flight with a local balloon operator is the experience of a lifetime. If you want a relaxed commentary on the scenery, your pilot
will oblige. If you’re a budding Branson, you’re welcome to assist the crew. Since you drift with the wind, no two flights are ever the same –
but one thing you can predict is the traditional champagne toast on landing.
Operators
High Adventure, Pleasure in Leisure Ltd
Most hot air balloon launches are made during the cooler hours of the day, at dawn or two to three hours before sunset. At these times of day,
the winds are typically light making for easier launch and landing of the balloon. Flying at these times also avoids thermals, which are vertical
air currents caused by ground heating that make it more difficult to control the balloon. In the extreme, the downdrafts associated with strong
thermals can exceed the ability of a balloon to climb and can thus force a balloon into the ground.
Parts of a balloon flight
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