A Wales Air Ambulance Trustee, who became the first Welsh woman in more than 40 years to train for and gain her hot air balloon licence in Wales, is set to feature in a documentary about her journey.
Laura Davies, 42, from Llanwrda, will appear in Flying Without Wings, an episode of the BBC One Our Lives series. It will be broadcast at 7pm on Tuesday 14 July 2026 and made available on BBC iPlayer.
Laura decided to learn to fly after launching a festival in memory of her late husband, Arwel.
She said: “Our story has become something so incredibly special for us as a family. But the wider community seems to have fallen in love with our passion for hot air ballooning too.
“It has been a real honour to have our preparations for the Ar y Gorwel festival in May captured in this way, as part of the ‘Our Lives’ series.”
Laura continued: “My husband, Arwel, was a passionate hot air balloonist, and when he died, we wanted to create something special in his memory.
“The festival is an opportunity for everyone who knew and loved him to come together once a year and share his love for this unique hobby.
“It is also an important platform for our family to be able to help raise awareness and funds for Wales Air Ambulance. The Charity has been a pivotal part of our lives over the last five years.”
In July 2021, Arwel, 40, and his daughter Sofia, then aged seven, 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: “Wales Air Ambulance attended the scene of Arwel’s accident and supported us on the day. The team was also there for us as we navigated our grief through the aftercare service.
“The staff and volunteers have been incredible too; it’s lovely being part of the Charity as a Trustee. I hope that this documentary will make everyone very proud.”
Hot air balloonists from across the UK travel to Llandovery each year for the Ar y Gorwel festival, hoping for clear skies. This May, however, the weather proved temperamental.
Laura said: “The weather created a lot of nerves during preparations for the weekend. The usual test flights didn’t happen in the way we’d hoped because it was particularly windy in the run-up.
“The forecast wasn’t looking great, so we really didn’t know what we had in store and if it was ever going to happen, really. I am not going to give away what happened; you need to watch the documentary to see if we got to fly.”
The mother of two has been surprised by the media interest in her story and was shocked when she first learned it would feature in the Our Lives series.
She said: “When I was training to gain my pilot licence, I kept it under wraps and private, as you never know whether it is something you are going to achieve.
“I had the support of my family, close friends and hot air ballooning community throughout.
“So, when I passed a year ago, there was a ripple effect; it was quite unexpected, but everyone was so kind. I found myself on radio and TV, and I am still getting requests, which is lovely.”
Laura, who became a Wales Air Ambulance Trustee in 2024, has helped raise almost £40,000 for the Charity with the support of her family and friends.
She said: “It’s an honour to be able to support the Charity and fly the flag! I hope that the Our Lives documentary will make a difference and shine a light on the work it does.
“You will notice on my hot air balloon basket the Wales Air Ambulance logo, and Del the dragon, the Charity mascot, is always onboard.
“I hope my story will inspire others and encourage people to support this incredibly unique service that is saving lives every day across Wales.”
Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, said: “We are hugely proud of Laura, and grateful for her continued support of our lifesaving service.
“Her hot air ballooning achievements have caught everyone’s attention, and through her legacy work, Arwel’s memory is kept alive in such a special way.
“Laura is very humble; this is her moment, and yet, she continues to shine a light on Wales Air Ambulance, its staff, crew and volunteers.
“Our team is looking forward to watching the programme.”
