STUDENTS and staff at the University of Reading welcomed some unexpected guests this morning as a hot air balloon made a surprise landing on campus.
The red Virgin Balloon made the controlled landing in the meadow behind the Students’ Union at around 8.15am.
A spokesperson for the University said: “Apparently they were looking for a place to land for a while and finally settled on Whiteknights. I guess it’s because we’ve been voted Britain’s best university green space five years’ running…? Or maybe that was just where the wind was blowing…
“It was a controlled landing and everyone was fine.”
CCTV on the university campus captured the moment the balloon came in to land.
A spokesperson for Virgin Balloon Flights said the landing was perfectly normal and nothing was out of the ordinary about the flight.
She said: “It seems our big red balloon caused a bit of excitement when it landed at the University of Reading this morning but it was a completely normal landing with our very skillful pilot in full control at all times.
“You can’t ‘steer’ a hot air balloon in the same way as other aircraft, instead they travel with the wind before the pilot lands where he sees a large enough, clear and open space, as permitted under aviation law.
“Often this is out in the countryside but it can be in a more populated area, which is when the balloons can be an unexpected and exciting sight due to their huge size.
“This morning’s flight took off at about 7.15am from Henley-on-Thames and after about an hour in the air our pilot, who has been flying hot air balloons for almost 30 years, brought the balloon in to land in a large open area of grassland on the university grounds.
“Our 16 happy passengers then enjoyed a traditional Champagne toast and helped to pack the balloon up before going on their way.”
Photos and video courtesy of University of Reading.
