Shropshire Star

Dominic reaches for the skies

A champion Oswestry balloonist has become the youngest ever commercial hot air balloon pilot to fly for the world’s biggest passenger flights company.

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Dominic takes passengers over Oswestry

Dominic Bareford, 23, from Morda joined Virgin Balloon Flights at the start of the 2018 flying season and has already taken dozens of happy passengers on an experience of a lifetime over the skies of North Shropshire.

With a brand new launch site at Sweeney Hall, Morda, the iconic red Virgin balloon is set to become a regular sight in the Oswestry skies.

The current reigning UK national ballooning champion, Dominic has won the title every year since 2015.

And he said he is now enjoying every aspect of what he calls “the best job in the world”.

“One of the best things is seeing the passengers’ first reactions when you launch – that moment of ‘wow’ as you take off,” said Dominic.

“I love flying over my home town and over the wider area in general, pointing out landmarks such as the Welsh hills on one side and the Shropshire plain on the other.

“It’s good fun and a great way to spend a morning or evening.”

As well as flying from Oswestry, Dominic also has another Shropshire launch site in Whitchurch, while his total flying patch includes North Wales, Cheshire and eastern Staffordshire.

Virgin Balloon Flights was first launched back in 1994 and has flown around one million passengers over the past 24 years.

It is world’s largest and the UK’s only national passenger hot air balloon rides company, with more than 100 launch sites across the country.