Confirming once again its reputation as the UK home of hot air ballooning, July 9 saw the city of Bristol play host to a hot air balloon world record-breaking attempt.
The event saw dozens of hot air balloon take flight from the airport’s runway 27. All in all, 31 balloons took to the skies, smashing the world record for the largest mass ascent from an international airport runway.
Though the weather conditions were not perfect, and permission had to be sought from North Somerset Council for the feat to be attempted, the event went off without a hitch. Balloons of an array of colours and shapes took to the skies early in the morning to successfully win this world record. In order to keep the event safe, final details of the mass ascent were kept a closely guarded secret. Pilots only found out the exact location of the endeavour at the last minute in order to keep the crowds away.
Following the ascent, the balloons took part in a ‘hare and hounds’ race. In this race, balloons compete to land as closely as possible to a marker planted on the ground by a lead balloon. These events can be enjoyed by onlookers from the ground and help to promote Bristol as the definitive place to explore hot air ballooning in the UK.
For those that want to head off on their own hot air balloon adventure, Bath, Bristol and other parts of the southwest offer fantastic views.
