SHUTTERSTOCK
Have you ever fantasised about escaping to the clouds, away from all the hustle and bustle of the world below? The owners of the around 1,500 hot air balloons registered in the UK get to do just that, revelling in the peacefulness of wafting through the sky. And 60% of those who hold a Balloon Pilot’s Licence are over the age of 50.
Britain’s first modern hot air balloon, the Bristol Belle, was created in 1967. Throughout the Seventies and Eighties, ballooning became a popular pastime, creating familiar polka dots in our skies. Now, the pilots who trained during this boom are late lifers. And those who grew up admiring them from the ground have time to get involved as they embrace, or approach, retirement.