Longleat has smashed the UK record for
the most hot air balloons aloft simultaneously.
The record was broken on the morning Saturday 15th September, as part of the Wiltshire estate’s three-day Sky Safari event when 169
balloons of all shapes and sizes took to the skies.
A total of 210 balloons were launched
or inflated over the weekend, which also saw the unveiling of a brand new
koala-shaped hot air balloon in honour of a colony of the iconic Australian
marsupials which is arriving at Longleat later this year.
The koala was one of a host of
animal-inspired balloons that took part in the event alongside Simbaloo, the
Longleat lion, penguins Puddles, Splash and Tall Steve, Wes the wolf and an
owl.
Sky Safari, which is run by Exclusive Ballooning, also featured a pair of Bertie Basset characters, a giant 120ft
Hunter Wellington boot, an orange, an Aston Martin wing and a balloon themed
around Disney’s hit movie ‘Up’.
The event is now one of the largest in
Europe with balloons and pilots from around the world taking part.
Longleat’s Steve Mytton said: “It was
an incredible sight to see all of those balloons in the air at the same time on
Saturday and we’re absolutely delighted to have beaten the UK record.
“Hot air ballooning is always subject
to the weather and the organisers were faced with some challenging conditions
over the weekend which meant some planned ascents could not happen for safety
reasons.
All of our unique and fully
choreographed night glows went ahead with a total of 70 balloons lighting up
the night sky throughout the event and 23 different special shapes were seen
tethering or flying."