Up, up and away

Imagine the scene; it’s early September 2004, a glorious evening over the Tamar Valley, and a deep pink-orange sky is touching highlights of Cornwall to the west, Dartmoor to the east, Plymouth Sound ahead and the rolling fields of north Cornwall behind us. Descending quickly from 5,000ft I was attempting to hit a friend’s field below.

I braced myself for a hard thump, but with a short prayer, a light brush through the tree tops, the basket slowed and we were gently delivered to a freshly cut field. Here, in the middle of nowhere, it was Harvest Festival at a nearby rural chapel; the sounds of worship were on the breeze, and pausing to give thanks for our lot, it was the moment that the vision for the Jesus Loves You hot air balloon first came.

I’d been around ballooning for years, but only recently progressed to a commercial rating for corporate advertising, special shapes and stunts. Trinity Balloons was born out of that corporate ballooning journey. Friends from church trained...