Of course you don’t have to be planning on setting a new Guinness World Record to take to the skies, with many people choose to take a hot air balloon ride for the experience it provides and the sights it enables you to soak up as you soar through the air. Even so, there is something about the exhilaration of being thousands of feet in the sky that encourages people to try new pursuits and truly test themselves.
Making the cut
A barber based in Filton, Bristol, is hoping to set a brand new Guinness World Record for the haircut carried out at the highest altitude. He hopes to set the new record by undertaking the task in a hot air balloon.
Giacomo Licata plans to conquer his fear of heights before taking to the skies in April, and hopes to raise some money for charity as part of the bargain
Licata, 50, is hoping that by choosing the sky-high location a hot air balloon ride offers, he will set a high standard for future people hoping to beat the record he intends to secure.
Accompanying him on the journey, and providing the hair to be cut, is Lee Haskins, who is a Bristol boxer. It could make an interesting combination, as the World Welterweight Champion also suffers from acrophobia, or fear of heights.
Attitude and altitude
Licata admits that the challenge “terrifies” him, but he can rest assured that he will be in the reliable hands of a trained pilot and that ballooning in Britain is statistically very safe. Better yet, if he has a chance to look up from Haskins’ head, he will get to see a stunning aerial view of Bristol and the beautiful South West.
The pair are raising money for Coeliac UK, and whilst there are still a number of weeks before the record breaking event is due to take place, the Bristolian barber is envisaging which hairstyle the boxing champion will be requesting, predicting the classic short back and sides “a bit of spike on the top".
When planning a trip in a hot air balloon, take the time to prepare everything you will need before you set off. Consider the prevailing weather conditions and dress appropriately, and depending on the time of your flight, take a drink and something to eat.
Taking the time to prepare before you set off means that you will be able to relax and enjoy every moment of the experience, and it will be a stylish sensation, not a hair raiser!
