Your balloon ride with British School of Ballooning will now take place with Virgin Balloon Flights. While many of Virgin’s launch sites are in the same counties, the actual locations you fly from may differ.

Visit the Virgin Balloon Flights website for an up-to-date list of more than 100 locations they fly from.

Our privately owned balloon ride launch site is just north of Petworth in West Sussex. It is also our flagship site. The area we fly over from here is nothing short of jaw dropping. During your hot air balloon ride Petworth House with its wild deer roaming in the parkland will be your first aerial sight but you may also spot Cowdray Park with its sixteenth century ruins, Uppark House nestling in the South Downs, or views of the Isle of Wight. History abounds with Bignor Roman Villa and the Roman Road, Stane Street, and dotted here and there are tiny, perfectly formed villages, which are such a pleasure to explore before or after your balloon flight.

Our Millford balloon flight launch site is just south of Guildford in Surrey and is used occasionally when the wind direction means that we would reach the coast too quickly from our Petworth site. We wouldn’t want you to miss any of the area’s gorgeous vistas and from here your balloon ride may also drift towards Hascombe Hill or the Black Down to Haslemere and beyond.

Our Petworth launch site is also ideal for your corporate hospitality needs or for getting staff together for a team building or social bonding exercise. We can arrange for several concurrent balloon rides as an effective alternative to more traditional activities. In addition, we can tie this in with extra events from our premises such as helicopter rides and other outdoor events. At The British School of Ballooning we have links to superb hotels in the West Sussex area such as the Lythe Hill Hotel in Haslemere, or the Spread Eagle Hotel and The Angel in Midhurst. Also the newly refurbished Angel Inn in Petworth

The meeting place for West Sussex balloon flights is a private field situated 5 miles north of Petworth off the A283 adjacent to the Blackwool Farm Trout Fishery. It’s on a 130 acre country estate, with ample parking and portable toilet facilities. Feel free to arrive early with family and enjoy a picnic in the tranquil setting before you experience your balloon ride.

We can also offer hot air balloon rides in East Sussex just north and inland from Brighton.

Launch Site Map

Have a question? Speak to an experienced team member on 01428 707 307, or send us a message from the contact page.