AIRXCITE - Key Persons


Alex Harvey

Alex first fell in love with hot air ballooning when he had the chance to hop on board a Virgin hot air balloon over Oxford as a passenger.

Ben Raven

From paramotor pilot to hot air balloon pilot, Ben flies our big red balloon in the beautiful Lake District and Lancashire. "Hot air balloons are the purest form of flying. There is no metal or glass to obstruct the view, no engine noise constantly droning and you float on the winds like a boat on a calm ocean." Ben fell in love with hot air balloon when he was invited to fly his paramotor around a host of balloons launching from an event, after which he was invited to hop in by some pilots to experience a flight for himself. "I loved the camaraderie and teamwork that goes into preparing balloons for take off and recovery, I loved the 'randomness' of the flight and when we landed, we met a wonderful landowner who was so welcoming and please to see us," he said.

David Tomlinson

Job Titles:
  • Actor Who Played George Banks in the 1964 Original Mary Poppins Film, Was Born and Raised in Henley - on - Thames
David Tomlinson, the actor who played George Banks in the 1964 original Mary Poppins film, was born and raised in Henley-On-Thames.

JMW Turner

Job Titles:
  • Artist

John Constable

Job Titles:
  • Artist

Rutland Water

Grantham (Belton) Experience the skies with a spectacular Lincolnshire hot air balloon ride across this beautiful part of the country. Take life higher on the airborne adventure of a lifetime when you hop on… Learn more about a hot air balloon ride Grantham A spectacular spot to start your Leicestershire hot air balloon ride, a flight from Rutland Water is…

William Wood

For our lake district balloon pilot William Wood, flying hot air balloons is practically written into his DNA. He has flown all over the world, both with his parents as a child and himself since gaining his pilot's licence in 2014, and loves the 'true adventure of flying'.