The day starts at 4:30 am as we curse the alarm clock for waking us again. Once we are awake and have managed to ascertain some coffee, we take all our radios, flying computers, GPS’, and other instruments off charge and pile them, and ourselves into the car. It takes us about half an hour to reach the competition centre, while outside we start to assess the weather and wind conditions to predict what our flight may look like this morning. At 6:00am we have our briefing, 22 ballooning teams pile into a small room and we are given a...

There really is no better time than sunrise to admire any city. As a photographer I usually look for a vantage point to capture the cityscape reflecting that glowy early morning light. However,  what if you can see and capture this while flying over the city? Literally. Well, if you’re in Melbourne, Australia, you can definitely do it. Actually, you have to do it!    I had my first hot air balloon experience here in Melbourne with Global Ballooning and all I can say is that it was wonderful. It surely is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and if I could recommend any...

I clearly remember my first thoughts whilst drifting over Camden on my first balloon flight in 1987 - ‘How cool would it be to travel Australia with a balloon and flying over some of this country’s spectacular landscapes’. I never would have imagined at the time the journey that was about to begin.   It has always fascinated me, as I barge my way through life, how being interested, determined and pro-active leads to manifesting magnificence. I have always suffered from adventure envy - that being - watching someone else engaged in amazing activities whilst I sit around dreaming....

There is nothing more majestic than experiencing a kaleidoscope of colour on the horizon watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon. Personally, I can’t think of a more invigorating way to begin my day. If you have ever been in a hot air balloon you will appreciate the peaceful floating experience that is associated with ballooning. So, you will understand my personal intrigue when I heard of a Hot Air Balloon Competition. Unlike many sports a hot air balloon competition is not about speed but more about the methodological skill of the pilot and in some instances just sheer...

  We are proud to announce that a new mobile app is in place now for our passengers, allowing them to Check-in for their flight without having to follow outdated procedures. This custom build mobile app means that communication between passengers and pilots/ crew is two-way and eliminates uncertainty as well as translation difficulties.  In the past, passengers were required to call a nominated voice message service to listen to the instructions for the flight the next day. Although for many years this worked brilliantly, with the increase of international visitation and 21st Century technology reliance, we decided to embrace some changes...

A Hot Air balloon experience is something i regularly organize for my clients, however never had I had the opportunity to do so myself. During a work trip in Melbourne, perfect weather and with the following morning free, i thought this would be the perfect time to experience an (early) sunrise flight. The team at Global Ballooning were quick to confirm my booking and completely hassle free, one email sent and 10 minutes later i had received my confirmation letter and a text from the company confirming my pick up time, must knows and additional info. Off i headed to...

The spectacle of enormous bulbous shapes emerging from the predawn chill of darkness to become towering giants looming over you is something to see.   Photographing the launching of hot air balloons is most definitely an adrenalin pumping experience for any enthusiastic photographer. From the darkness these magnificent giants sway gently above and around you, with their murky colourless shapes presenting an ominous presence. The crew fire their burners into the sleeping giants suddenly awakening them; they explode into a burst of colour and movement. The burners sound like jet fighters taking off, the activity to launch them is frenetic...

Waking up 2 hours before sunrise does not sound like the best start to the day. But don’t be fooled. Today we’re going on a hot air balloon ride. And this is the only way to do it. By the end of the flight I won’t even remember any gripes about rolling out of bed at an unholy hour. I’ll only remember the ethereal sensation of floating above Melbourne, Australia. I’m telling you this so you don’t hit “snooze” and miss out on an experience recognised in the “Hall of Fame” by the Victorian Tourism Awards… 3 years in a row....

Over the course of our lives, the amount of physical gifts given for birthdays, Christmas, weddings, is astronomical.  Most of us would prefer to share an experience and create lasting memories with the ones we love.   According to the University of Toronto, "The reason experiential gifts are more socially connecting is that they tend to be more emotionally evocative." The emotional response gained from receiving an experience gift is more intense than a material gift. This is because we put ourselves in the situation of the experience first-hand. For hot air ballooning, common emotions include: Excitement Happiness  Joy Grateful shock/ surprise These are...

Global Ballooning's own, Paterson Saunders competed in the 2017 Northam National Ballooning Championships from September 2 - 10. The newly designed Zonzo Racer balloon took to the skies skies, with Paterson finishing up in 9th place.  Paterson, age 21, has already experienced flying balloons in France, Ireland, Slovenia, Qatar and the North Pole.  “Competitions are completely different to drifting across the sky without a care in the world, they require tremendous planning, focus and a solid understanding of GPS mapping technology.” Paterson said. “Given my upbringing, I was predisposed to be a natural wanderer. It is my hope that my...