Welcome to the last blog of 2025 and what a year it has been!

This blog is a little different in that it is a look back on the teams highlights from the year. Several of our team members have kindly written a little paragraph about what made 2025 special for them.

We have grown so much as a team over the last year, and we leave 2025 having made something special. We have set up as a business offering aerial marketing solutions. Taken on new members to the team and assisted in training the next generation of balloonist. As well as that we have raised money for charity, supported other businesses, and had some fantastic interactions with members of the public at various events, displays and shows.

2026 promises to be an even better year! We hope to see some of out initial projects and plans take off (pun intended), however regardless we will continue trying to make ballooning more accessible for people and encouraging new people into the hobby.

Thank you to everyone who has interacted with us and supported us this year. It has been wonderful to see our social media following growing and we have had some fantastic opportunities to collaborate with other groups and teams as well.

Without further ado onto our teams highlights for 2025!

Jamie –

This year has been fantastic, we have completed more flights during the year than ever before, attended more events and grown the team. I am also very proud of the fact we have turned Molly Mae Ballooning into a business. We have several projects in various stages of development ready for 2026.

My highlight of the year though simply has been seeing the team grow and develop. We have grown from a group of people with a shared interest to a close-knit group of friends. Several of our members have taken steps towards becoming pilots and others have just gained massive experience in various aspects of ballooning.

I can’t wait to see what the future brings for the team and Molly Mae Ballooning.

Whilst the ballooning aspect is fun it is the people that make it worthwhile.

Craig –

There have been many great adventures this year but if I had to pick one, I think my top highlight would be part of the team experiencing the Bristol balloon festival.

I remember growing up people used to say the Northampton balloon festival was second to Bristol. I had heard so much about it but never had the chance to experience it.

Although we couldn’t commit to doing the full weekend, me and the girls choose to go for the day on the Sunday (the day with the most chance of being able to fly). We set off around 03:30 to make it down there in time for the morning flight. The first insight of just how big it is would be seeing all the cars queuing to park at around 5:45. Once parked we walked in to the field and found the rest of the team who had already got the orange segment all set up and ready to start being inflated. Jamie went to the pilots briefing and it was good to go.

We helped with the inflation and watched as Jamie, Liam and Helen took to the skies. We then watched as the other 70/80 balloons all took to the skies. The atmosphere in the arena was great as there were balloons were being inflated and taking off every few seconds. We done a couple of tethers throughout the day before experiencing it all again for the evening flight. After retrieving we back to the launch field for the car and headed home. We arrived back at around 12:30 am. It was a very long, hot and tiring day but one that I and the girls will remember for a long time!

Liam T –

As my first full season of ballooning, 2025 has been a year of highlights and many firsts! Back in April, I was fortunate to join the team and jumped at the opportunity to get involved. Within a few weeks, I experienced my very first balloon flight! I was lucky enough to fly one afternoon in near-perfect conditions.

As someone who’s not usually great with heights, I was a little anxious. However as soon as I was in the basket, I felt calm and that I was right where I was meant to be.

After around 30 minutes floating above Northampton, we had the softest of landings!

Moving forward, I attended my first event as crew at the Midlands Air Festival. While conditions throughout the weekend weren’t ideal, we made the most of it, including myself spending a pretty sum on balloon pins…

August was soon upon us, a hectic month on the ballooning calendar with events taking place every weekend. For us, our month started at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, where we operated the Orange special shape on behalf of MJ Ballooning. It was an awesome weekend helping operate a special shape and being up close to the action during a mass ascent. My three main highlights from the event are:

– Tethering Sonic the Hedgehog

– Helping tether during special shape Sunday during a scorching day, it was a real team effort!

– Flying in the Orange special shape, witnessing the joy it brought to people as we were among the last to take off on Sunday evening.

The following weekend was our home event at the Northampton Balloon Festival. This was a special weekend, with it being the event I attended as a child many years ago. It truly felt like a full circle moment, ballooning while my family were in attendance. Adding to this highlight, during the Sunday morning ascent, I undertook my first hot inflation ahead of flying in G-BVZT. Thankfully, a very skilled photographer was on hand to capture the moment!

Liam M –

While there have been many incredible experiences this year, creating many memories, my favourite memory of 2025 was Sunday 20th of April. Travelling up to near Oswestry, the morning consisted of the inspection of my balloon. Also, the first time I had seen it cold inflated.

After passing its inspection, we begun the journey back to Northampton. We monitored the forecast for our flight that evening along the way. With conditions good it was go time! Having arrived back in Northampton we started setting up for my first flight in my balloon, an incredible experience from start to finish and a day I will never forget. From seeing the balloon stood up for the first time to flying it for the first time. A day that this year was the most memorable for me. Very closely followed by my first time a Bristol Balloon Fiesta!

Reanna –

My best ballooning highlight of 2025 could of been any of the 2025 season! I think my best highlight is at Bristol ballooning fiesta where we got the opportunity to tether sonic the hedgehog. Due to being the biggest kid and a fan of the games sonic was the one of many of my best highlights this year.

Helen –

Looking back on 2025 I have so many memorable moments and it’s going to be a hard year to top. There are lots of exciting things in the pipeline for the year(s) ahead. This season I was lucky enough to enjoy two flights myself, the second of which was in the Orange Segment balloon, launching from Bristol Balloon Fiesta.

I travelled overnight to be there in time to see the Sunday morning launch, as the weather looked perfect for ballooning. It was a huge surprise when I arrived to be told I was going up, not just in a standard balloon but in the orange! I was excited, nervous, and somewhat emotional. The views and atmosphere were stunning, the experience quite surreal, and adrenaline was flowing in abundance! The rest of the day at Bristol didn’t disappoint either! With opportunities to tether some great shapes and enjoy the atmosphere with a fantastic team.

This day is one of my most memorable from 2025. Also on my list of great memories are the sunrises and sunsets and the encounters with nature. Some tranquil and some terrifying! I don’t ever want to see three hundred sheep looking at me like that again-never a dull moment when you’re ballooning and crewing, especially when I’m around it would seem!