If you’ve ever woken up on a bright, clear day to the mesmerising sight and sound of a hot air balloon rising over the Shropshire skyline, the chances are it was made by Lindstrand Balloons.

The Oswestry firm was founded by Swedish balloon pilot and world record holder Per Lindstrand, who built and piloted the balloon in which he and Richard Branson became the first people to fly across the Atlantic using hot air.

Whilst Per now spends his time developing new technologies for balloon materials at a nearby facility, Lindstrand Balloons is managed by fellow balloon pilot and aeronautical engineer, Simon Forse, who began working with Per as a design engineer at the former Oswestry-based balloon-making firm Thunder and Colt.

After obtaining his pilots license at the age of 19, Simon began an illustrious career in the sport, overseeing the launch of Per’s historic trans-Pacific flight with Richard Branson in 1991 and holding the National Distance Record for gas ballooning for a flight from Albuquerque to Oklahoma.

A typical day for Simon could involve anything from travelling to Kilimanjaro to service balloons to overseeing the development and testing of different materials for balloons, from leather to woodwork.

“It’s a right old mixed bag with our work!” says Simon. “Our main client groups are private or sports balloonists, corporate balloons advertising products, and making balloons that are used for passenger flights.

“We manufacture and export them all over Europe. Our largest market at the moment is probably Germany, but we’ve also been successful in Kenya, Turkey and Japan.”

Each balloon takes around six weeks to make and is tested in Shropshire before it’s shipped off to private or corporate buyers.

Simon says he’s received a lot of enquiries from potential clients through the company’s new Twitter account, which was set up to promote their work and encourage conversation within the balloon industry.

“We came across Twitter quite recently when we were relaunching our website, and we think it’s got a lot of potential,” says Simon.

“There’s an immediacy and a relaxed feel to Twitter, and we’re hoping that it generates more comment, opinion and conversation amongst our clients.”

He’s also keen to promote participation in the sport of ballooning amongst a younger generation, although he admits the cost can be prohibitive.

“There’s a good trade in second hand balloons now, which allows a much more economic entry into the sport.

“There are also opportunities for learner pilots to become crew members in exchange for further training if they team up with a local balloonist, which they can find through the British Balloon and Airship Club – there are quite a few of us in Shropshire!”

Follow Lindstrand Balloons on Twitter @Lindstrand_UK or visit www.lindstrand.co.uk

By Lara Page