A Wales Air Ambulance Trustee has become the first Welsh woman in over 40 years to train and gain her hot air balloon licence in Wales.
41-year-old Laura Davies who lives in Llanwrda, decided to learn to fly after launching a festival in memory of her late husband, Arwel, who was a passionate balloonist.
Laura said: “I feel over the moon! My purpose for flying a hot air balloon was purely to see Arwel’s beloved hot air balloon back in the sky.
“From then I got good momentum to see the balloon in the air, and I couldn’t say no to the incredible support that I was offered by my instructor, Jonathan Dyer.
“I didn’t ever believe I could become a pilot either emotionally, practically, or academically. I didn’t know whether I had it in me, however with a lot of determination, commitment and practice I got there.”
She continued: “I had been part of Arwel’s hot air balloon crew for the last 13 years, and during that time I hadn’t come across many female pilots.
“But those I met were incredibly supportive, it’s a wonderful culture to be part of and the support has come from both male and female pilots, I feel incredibly grateful.”
Laura added: “It’s been such an exciting prospect to work towards and the closer I got, the more involved I got, that this dream might become a reality.
“My aim was to pass in time for next year’s event, which we hold in Llandovery every May.
“I took my test during a particularly emotive time, it was the 4th anniversary of Arwel’s passing, and I did my General Flying Test on the 11th of July followed by my Solo Flight on the 13th.”
On Thursday 8 July 2021, Arwel, 40, and daughter Sofia, then aged seven-years-old, were involved in a head-on collision near Llandeilo.
Two Wales Air Ambulance critical care teams were dispatched to the scene. Arwel required blood products and other critical care interventions, but despite the crew’s best efforts, he tragically passed away.
Sofia was airlifted to the major trauma centre. She did not require any medical interventions but because of the nature of the incident she was assessed by the paediatric trauma team.
Laura said: “As you can imagine, our family misses Arwel every single day, we had such a wonderful life together, and we are so grateful to have such lovely memories.
“A lot of them revolve around hot air ballooning, and that has been Arwel’s lasting legacy, that we still get to enjoy the gift he gave to us, to see our home, our village and other parts of Wales from the sky.”
She continued: “It feels surreal to know that I am the first woman in Wales in around forty years to gain a hot air ballooning licence.
“As far as I know, I’m the only Welsh female pilot who’s done all her training in Wales and has passed her flying test in Wales. So, for me to have achieved that on my home territory is amazing.
“We fly a red, white, and green balloon with a Welsh dragon on which resembles the Welsh flag colours. So, I’m incredibly proud not only to be a Welsh hot air balloon pilot, but also to be a female hot air balloon pilot.”
Hot air ballooning has always been a big part of the Davies family’s life, it extends through two generations, and Laura hopes that her journey will inspire her son and daughter to fly too.
She said: “I hadn’t explained to Owen and Sofia that I was going for my flying test, so when I told them that I had passed, you can imagine their excitement.
“When I came home and told them, my daughter’s face lit up. She was overwhelmed and she said, ‘Mami, I didn’t believe girls could fly a hot air balloon’.
“They were used to seeing me in the basket, listening to my instructor, and going through the drills, but didn’t realise what this meant for us as a family.
“The night I came home, and I actually flew a balloon on my own, it was such a special moment to be able to share that with them. I know Arwel would be so proud of what we have achieved as a family.”
Laura is looking forward to piloting her late husband’s hot air balloon at the Ar y Gorwel festival in 2026.
Balloonists from across the UK travel to Carmarthenshire to take part in the fundraiser in aid of Wales Air Ambulance.
The critical care provider is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency critical care.
Laura who became a Trustee in 2024 said: “It’s a huge honour to be able to support the work of the air ambulance in the way that I do. And our family will continue to fundraise for the service in the years to come.”
Both her family and friends have helped raise over £35,000 for Wales Air Ambulance, to date. The Davies family also helped design the patient and family room at the Charity’s Llanelli base in memory of Arwel. In the room hangs a hot air balloon with Arwel’s name on, along with a picture Owen had drawn of his father’s balloon.
Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive of Wales Air Ambulance said: “The whole of the Wales Air Ambulance family would like to extend its congratulations to Laura, on her wonderful achievement.
“She is an incredible role model for the many girls and women out there who have aviation dreams.
“We are extremely grateful to Laura for her work as a Trustee for our Charity, which is a voluntary role and her continued fundraising for our service.
“What a beautiful legacy Arwel has left behind, and it’s wonderful to see Laura, Owen and Sofia continuing his dreams with the Ar y Gorwel festival each year in his memory.”
