• Business
  • Life
  • Celebrity
  • Sport
  • Blog
  • Auto
  • Tech
Stories from SWNS
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Karim Tahseen Khayat: Seeds Training Services and Digital Services

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    From HID to LED

    From HID to LED

    Dying woman granted final wish to be reunited with her beloved horse and pet dogs one last time

    Dying woman granted final wish to be reunited with her beloved horse and pet dogs one last time

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Business
  • Life
    • Celebrity
  • Tech
    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    Improve Your Financial Prospects With a Forex Trading Course

    Improve Your Financial Prospects With a Forex Trading Course

    Adsterra Malware Protection: How Does Adware Work?

    Adsterra Malware Protection: How Does Adware Work?

    How to Sell Your Online Store for Maximum Profit

    How to Sell Your Online Store for Maximum Profit

    From HID to LED

    From HID to LED

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Review

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay on the Nintendo Switch

    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review

    macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year

    Hands on: Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 review

    The Last Guardian Playstation 4 Game review

    Intel Core i7-7700K ‘Kaby Lake’ review

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Karim Tahseen Khayat: Seeds Training Services and Digital Services

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    From HID to LED

    From HID to LED

    Dying woman granted final wish to be reunited with her beloved horse and pet dogs one last time

    Dying woman granted final wish to be reunited with her beloved horse and pet dogs one last time

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Business
  • Life
    • Celebrity
  • Tech
    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    Improve Your Financial Prospects With a Forex Trading Course

    Improve Your Financial Prospects With a Forex Trading Course

    Adsterra Malware Protection: How Does Adware Work?

    Adsterra Malware Protection: How Does Adware Work?

    How to Sell Your Online Store for Maximum Profit

    How to Sell Your Online Store for Maximum Profit

    From HID to LED

    From HID to LED

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Review

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay on the Nintendo Switch

    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review

    macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year

    Hands on: Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 review

    The Last Guardian Playstation 4 Game review

    Intel Core i7-7700K ‘Kaby Lake’ review

No Result
View All Result
Stories from SWNS
No Result
View All Result
Home News

First ever glass-bottomed hot air balloon takes flight

by
August 12, 2010
in News
4
0
SHARES
19
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

These stomach-churning images capture the moment the world’s first glass-bottomed hot air balloon took its maiden flight today ahead of the 2010 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.

The traditional wicker four-man basket has a completely transparent floor – providing passengers with heart-stopping views of the scenery below.

Yesterday the balloon took to the skies for the first time over historic Bath, Somerset, to mark the start of the 2010 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.

The basket was the brainchild of pilot Christian Brown – who has 18 years experience flying balloons – and admitted the flight was a ”terrifying experience”.

He said: ”We’ve done tethered trials before, which usually end with passengers shrieking and screaming in fear, but this is the first time we’ve actually taken to the skies unaided.

”It was a terrifying experience.

”Ordinarily, you would look over the edge of the basket to peer at the ground below but there is something very disconcerting about seeing it right beneath your feet.

”It certainly isn’t for the feint-hearted, but this is a totally unique experience and we have added a new dimension to ballooning.”

The balloon was designed by Shropshire-based Lindstrand Balloons and is made made using 12 miles of thread and covered with enough material to cover three double decker buses.

A traditional wicker basket carries up to two passengers and two pilots who stand on just two-inch thick glass.

Christian, 44, travelled the world in a balloon with tycoon Richard Branson and currently holds the tethered altitude world record after flying at 10,000ft on a mountain in Chile.

He added: ”We designed it for Alpine flying as it would give incredible views of the scenery below.

”We also hope to use it to break the altitude world record and fly at over 10,000ft, which will be incredible.

”We’re in the very early stages at the minute and are getting feedback from passengers but hope to roll them out to the public next year.”

Jo Chambers, 31, from Bath, who was the first to go up in the balloon yesterday, said: ”It was absolutely incredible and offered beautiful view below.

”It was unnerving and the basket creaked slightly which was slightly disconcerting.

”It is an incredible site to see the ground slowly disappearing directly beneath your feet as you ascend.”

Tags: 2010 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Previous Post

Google Street View girl explains face-down joke

Next Post

Jordan’s husband Alex Reid fuming over Peter Andre joke

Next Post

Jordan's husband Alex Reid fuming over Peter Andre joke

Comments 4

  1. Paul S. Stumpf says:
    12 years ago

    SORRY, THIS IS NOT THE WORLDS ONLY GLASS BOTTOM HOT AIR BALLOON GONDOLA. I built the WORLD’ FIRST glass bottom hot air balloon gondola in 1980. It was published on the cover of Ballooning magazine (official publication of The Balloon Federation of America) in the MAY/JUNE 1982 Issue. The gondola is still airworthy. –Paul S. Stumpf Andover, VT USA

    Reply
  2. etsisk says:
    12 years ago

    Not for the "feint-hearted"?? FEINT-hearted?? Y'all don't have editors? Relying on the ol' spell-check, are ya??? Really, folks, come on…

    Reply
    • Anonymous says:
      10 years ago

      That’s the correct spelling? If you’re not english that might be why as we often spell things different for example colour instead of color.

      Reply
  3. Julie Graham says:
    12 years ago

    At the age of 34 I have been involved with hot air ballooning for over half my life on and off. My Dad has a balloon himself and flies and works for a Michigan Hot Air Balloon Company. So anyway I do have a fairly abundant knowledge of Hot Air Ballooning.

    I do have to say I'm surprised you did not go with plexi-glass or a more forgiving form of glass for the bottom of the basket. I know in Michigan at least landing can get a little rough. I suppose if the pilot very experienced can help avoid a hard landing, but I have a pilot with over 25 years of experience get caught off guard with and unexpected downward thermal, thus taking out the luggage rack on a truck with attempting a landing at a local school.

    Also I am curious about the design of the balloon. Why go with a special shape? Again I would think winds may catch you more off guard with it? Harder landings?

    Sorry to ask such questions, I'm no expert but thought I would ask and comment. After all I’m sure these are issues you have already worked out before you got to this point anyway.

    On a more positive note… It is a marvel idea and one I would love to experience too. But with my years of being around balloons for so long I would like to wager I don't get as freaky about it as most. Laugh out Loud!

    Thanks for listening to my ranting’s.

    Julie Graham.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected test

  • 111 Followers
  • 60k Followers
  • 168k Subscribers
  • 23.5k Followers
  • 99 Subscribers
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Women love cheesy chat up lines, a study has revealed

Top 20 cheesy chat-up lines ladies really love

March 5, 2014
The top ten most well-known bingo phrases

The top ten most well-known bingo phrases

January 21, 2014
The horses thunder towards a jump at the Grand National

Amazing racehorse names which never made it

April 23, 2014
HGH Injections Brands: Which Ones Are Best?

HGH Injections Brands: Which Ones Are Best?

January 14, 2019
Chris Fear, 33, outside the Coral betting shop which is refusing to pay out on his 485/1 winning bet

Boycott Coral! Bookmaker faces protest after refusing to pay out on a football fan’s 485/1 bet

184
Women love cheesy chat up lines, a study has revealed

Top 20 cheesy chat-up lines ladies really love

147
Women feel invisible to the opposite sex at the age of 51, researchers found

Women begin feeling invisible to men ‘when they turn 51’

138
UKIP candidate claims Jews murdered each other in the Holocaust in masterplan to create State of Israel

UKIP candidate claims Jews murdered each other in the Holocaust in masterplan to create State of Israel

105
Living and Working in a Small Canadian Town Like Banff

Living and Working in a Small Canadian Town Like Banff

May 13, 2022
Top 5 risks of addressable media advertising

Top 5 risks of addressable media advertising

May 6, 2022
The top 5 UK shopping centres with the highest footfall (and how this can help your business)

The top 5 UK shopping centres with the highest footfall (and how this can help your business)

May 4, 2022
How to build customer relationships and increase loyalty

How to build customer relationships and increase loyalty

May 4, 2022

Recent News

Living and Working in a Small Canadian Town Like Banff

Living and Working in a Small Canadian Town Like Banff

May 13, 2022
Top 5 risks of addressable media advertising

Top 5 risks of addressable media advertising

May 6, 2022
The top 5 UK shopping centres with the highest footfall (and how this can help your business)

The top 5 UK shopping centres with the highest footfall (and how this can help your business)

May 4, 2022
How to build customer relationships and increase loyalty

How to build customer relationships and increase loyalty

May 4, 2022
SWNS

SWNS all rights reserved. Copyright 2020

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Auto
  • Blog
  • Business
  • Celebrity
  • Gaming
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Pictures
  • Property
  • Review
  • Sport
  • SWNS
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

Living and Working in a Small Canadian Town Like Banff

Living and Working in a Small Canadian Town Like Banff

May 13, 2022
Top 5 risks of addressable media advertising

Top 5 risks of addressable media advertising

May 6, 2022
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Real Fix is a trading style of South West News Service Limited.
Copyright © 2020 South West News Service Limited.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business
  • Life
  • Celebrity
  • Sport
  • Blog
  • Auto
  • Tech

Real Fix is a trading style of South West News Service Limited.
Copyright © 2020 South West News Service Limited.