Sunrise in the Masai Mara

“Nostalgia…, exciting…., spectacular…., majestic…”

Superb ‘safari ride’ balloons

Safety and comfort (care) of our passengers is our number one priority

Our balloons are manufactured by Cameron Balloons Limited in Bristol, England, one of the world’s largest and most successful balloon manufacturers. It is the most experienced builder of “safari ride” balloons having supplied balloons in Africa for more than 30 years. We endeavour to buy a complete new balloon (envelope, burner system and basket) annually and then retire old equipment.

We operate 6 balloons in total comprising of the following:

Four Cameron 425’s balloons flying 16 passengers each
One Cameron 350 balloon flying 12 passengers
One Cameron 315 carrying 8/10 passengers

A closer look at our balloons

To heat the air inside the envelope, we use state-of-the-art “shadow and stealth” burners, which are designed to make as little noise as possible, thus decreasing our impact on the environment.

Our baskets are specially designed and have been modified over the years to accommodate the particular demands of safari-flying. The baskets are divided into compartments, each able to accommodate up to 4 people, depending the size/capacity of the balloon. For safety and comfort, the sides of the baskets are relatively high and well padded. There are also cushioned seats and secure handles made of rope for use during take-off and landing.

Safety is a vital part of your journey

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Safety

Safety is a vital part of our Hot Air Ballooning Operation; the safety and comfort (care) of our passengers is our number one priority. This is consistent throughout our entire ballooning operation from the recruitment of our pilots and staff who are continually trained and monitored. Drivers who can speak at least 2 languages and are able to communicate with our international customer base. Graphical images on our safety briefing documents to ensure the customer understanding of the landing position.

All of our balloons are inspected by the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority annually and we are required to a strict level of regular maintenance inspections. All of our Fire Safety equipment is regularly inspected by an authorised service provider.

More than 40 years of flying over the Masai Mara has given us a unique knowledge of local conditions. We take our responsibility and position as pioneers in the Masai Mara very seriously and continuously work with the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority to ensure that the standards for balloon safety in the Masai Mara are the highest they can be.

We have an appointed operational Head of Safety who is also a qualified commercial balloon pilot who works with all of the teams in our operation to maintain safety. We have a documented Safety Management System in-line with International (ICAO) Safety standards, which set out our policies and procedures. These practices are continuously reviewed and updated in line with the latest International practice.

Certification & Licenses

Our operations are regulated by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). To operate under Kenyan law CAP 398 (Aviation Act) our entire balloon operation is inspected. Our Air Operators Certificate (AOC) is approved annually by the KCAA. Balloon Safaris Limited, Chief Pilot Captain Garry Holmes and most of our Line pilots are Cameron Maintenance approved. Our Head of Maintenance Nelson Talma and Assistant Henry Nyambega Nyayiema are Cameron maintenance certificated and KCAA maintenance authorized.

All of our Hot Air balloons are inspected under manufacturer’s recommendations at every 100 hours of flight time, PLUS each balloon goes through an Annual KCAA inspection and Airworthiness re-certification process. The entire operations of the company are audited annually by the KCAA to ensure all standards are maintained and AOC (Air Operating Certificate) re-certification criteria are constantly met.

Come and fly with us!

Seasonal, private parties or large private groups
From time to time we may be running special offers.
You can only ask…