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I can still remember my first flight, in 2002. It was magical. I was working as a tour guide in Myanmar. I met a British balloon pilot called Phil, who had a spare place on a flight. He offered to take me, too.
I don’t particularly enjoy flying in planes, but this was different. We floated gently with the wind, out in the open air. There was no turbulence. It was so serene and picturesque as we flew over temples. I immediately fell in love with ballooning.
I never dreamed that I’d become a pilot myself. Growing up in Germany, I thought I might become a doctor, but a backpacking trip through China after high school sparked my passion for travel. After university, I led tours and hiking trips through Asia and around the UK. It was hard work, but I loved it.
On that balloon trip with Phil, I had a sore throat. He tried to chat me up, but I couldn’t say much because I’d lost my voice. He seemed friendly, though, and I was drawn to his personality. After the flight, we exchanged email addresses; I returned to Germany and he went to the UK.
Initially, he didn’t have any internet connection, and spent a fortune sending me emails with a satellite phone. Our messages soon grew longer and longer. It felt as if we had known each other for a long time.
After seven weeks of emailing, we finally decided to meet up again. Phil came to Germany to see me. We spent the week together, but then work took him to Dubai for a couple of months. It was hard not seeing him, so I flew out to see him. Three days later, he proposed on top of a sand dune.
Later, back in Germany, we went up in a balloon. I started to get a real feel for flying and Phil thought I had a talent for it. He persuaded me to train as a pilot, and I got my licence in 2005.
We married in Bristol in 2004, and I moved to the UK. We were running our international balloon consultancy while attempting to fly in as many countries as possible.
It’s a male-dominated profession, so I was proud to become the UK’s first female hot-air balloon flight examiner. People thought I was just following Phil, but that wasn’t true: I had a real passion for my work. I also founded the Women’s Balloon Event in 2010 to promote aviation to women and girls, which ran for a decade.
I’ve now piloted commercial balloon flights for more than 17 years, witnessing mid-air proposals and other emotional scenes. One couple proposed over Tuscany. As we were flying, the guy disappeared from my sight – I was worried I’d lost him from the basket. I looked down and saw he was on one knee, pulling out a ring.
Sadly, Phil suddenly passed away in 2021 during a trip in Jordan, from a combination of a rare form of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and Covid-19. I continued the consultancy business and began my own attempt to hold the record for flying a balloon in the most countries: Phil had reached 127.
I’ve now flown a hot-air balloon in 124 countries. It’s not an official Guinness World Record, as those these must be witnessed by two officials, and that’s hard to do here, but it is informally acknowledged in the international ballooning community.
I’ve flown in every country of the Americas, and became the first pilot to free-fly a balloon – when it’s not anchored to the ground by ropes or cables – in Sumatra and Brunei. My last trip took me through Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. I particularly loved flying in Tanzania’s Tarangire national park. We were by the campfire the night before, when, in the distance, we saw 13 lions prowling around looking for food. We rushed back to our tents. The next morning, I was in a balloon, flying over those same hungry lions.
I’m thinking about a long expedition around west Africa next year. Realistically, I think I can get to 150 countries. Phil was always such a great support to me in my career. I think he’d be up there, sitting on a cloud, sipping a cider and looking down feeling very happy and proud of what I’ve achieved.
I’ve tried flying fixed-wing planes and gliders and even taken helicopter lessons, but there’s nothing like ballooning – you just need an adventurous spirit to enjoy it.
As told to Kate Chapman
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