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Our Story

Who We Are

Yorkshire Balloon Flights is a family run business driven from a passion to share the incredible experience of flight by balloon. Offering Champagne Balloon Flights over the beautiful city of York and surrounding Yorkshire countryside from April – October each year.

Originally, the business was called “Balloon Rides” and was established by the late Tom Donnelly in the 1980s. Now taken over by York resident, Oliver Webb who started working with Tom on his balloon operation as a crew person over 12 years ago.

Oliver has considerable experience flying in the UK and abroad and has great enthusiasm for the sport of hot air ballooning. After your flight, you will have no difficulty getting him to tell you a few ballooning stories.

Meet The Team

Oliver

Ollie is the Owner & Chief Pilot of Yorkshire Balloon Flights. He’s flown balloons in the UK and abroad and has many years of experience. Born and bred in York, Ollie is a true Yorkshire man and loves to show off his home city from the best views possible, by balloon of course!

Ollie said “There’s nothing more peaceful and serene than watching the world go by as you fly over the countryside in a Hot Air Balloon. The most rewarding part of piloting balloons is being able to share the experience and excitement with others.

Alison

Ali is Ollie’s mother and heads up the office operations. She’s always on hand to help you book your flight or answer any queries.

Kim

Kim is Ollie’s partner and manager of our office. She’s a friendly face who's always on hand to help and loves to fly!

Digsy Dog

Our sausage dog Digsy loves coming ballooning. He’s often around or sat in the Land Rover during inflation and take off! He loves the attention!

Four Reasons Why You Should Fly With Us

INDEPENDENT BUSINESS
We’re an independent, family-run business who pride ourselves on sharing our passion for ballooning with others whilst offering an unforgettable experience.​
FRIENDLY TEAM
This isn’t a job for us, it’s our life and passion and that comes across to our passengers every time we go out flying. You won’t find a friendlier team to fly with!​
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES
We fly from the heart of York, which is one of the most historic and beautiful cities within the UK. Offering incredible 360 views of the city and its beautiful surrounding countryside!​
WE DON'T OVER BOOK
Unlike other balloon companies, we don’t oversell flight vouchers. This means you will always find a flight date to suit your availability and won’t have to wait months for a date to come available. We also fly smaller balloons than our competitors, so you don’t have to share the basket with so many people, giving you a much more personal experience.​
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