All of this year's five contenders for the round-the-world ballooning challenge have failed at least once and risked their lives in the process.

It is freezing cold in an unpressurized capsule at 18,000 ft and you have to be constantly on the alert for changes in weather, so the crew gets little sleep.

There is even the risk of being shot down - in 1995 the balloon of two Americans was shot down and they were killed when they entered Belorussian airspace.

So what drives them? Money? Virgin's Richard Branson and Solo Spirit's Steve Fossett are already millionaires. A place in the history books? Or, perhaps, the simple pleasure of floating away and above it all?

Branson described his fascination with this gentle sport: "There were definitely times where I said to myself, if I get out of this alive I will definitely thank someone for getting me out of this fix, and call it a day.

"Then about three hours later you start seeing the magnificence of the Sahara and the beautiful mountains, the dawn coming up, being somewhere which most people in the world have never seen... It's difficult to resist the whole fascination of that."

Burning a hole in your pocket

A one-off flight in a hot-air balloon in Britain may not be as expensive as you think. Commercial operators like Virgin Balloon Flights charge £125 an hour, which includes insurance, a champagne reception and a commemorative certificate on your safe arrival.

Balloons come in all shapes...

You could probably find an even cheaper flight by looking up local companies in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet.

But Mike Gabb of the Association of Balloon Operators warns: "The public should be wary for their own safety and demand to see an air operator's certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority."

As the professionals know all too well, balloon trips are often cancelled because of poor weather conditions. Commercial operators run phone lines to save customers a wasted trip and re-arrange bookings at no extra cost.

..and forms.

If you get hooked and want more, it costs £18 a year to join the British Balloon and Airship Club, the national voluntary organisation for balloon flights. They have a list of regional clubs where you can get tuition and crewing experience.

A balloon of your own, bought in Britain, will set you back around £10,000. The equipment can easily be stored in a garage - but you will need a trailer to take it to the launch site of your choice.

Such a basic hot air balloon, however, will not take you around the world. A combined helium and hot air (Rozier) balloon as used during most long-distance flights is expensive. To pay for the balloon and all its technical back-up, ambitious balloonists will have come up with several million dollars.

If you can't take the heat...

Short-haul balloon trips are actually very safe. Crashing into power-lines is the biggest hazard. "You see the big ones, it's the smaller ones that people miss when coming in to land," says Mike Howard who was Britain's youngest balloon pilot when he qualified at the age of 17.

"You occasionally get sprained ankles during bumpy landings," he adds.

There is no upper age limit for a balloon trip, but the minimum height is 4ft 6in - just so you can look over the top of the basket and enjoy the view.

The burner keeps you warm even in winter - so wear layers

And you need to be healthy and fit enough to stand for about an hour or longer. Asthmatics would need to consult their doctor before booking a flight.

The key to comfortable ballooning is to wear several layers of clothing. Although it is cold up there, even on a winter flight the heat of the propane gas burner will soon warm you up.

Gloves are essential for rope-tugging, as are walking boots for digging in your heels into muddy fields.

And finally ... the Balloonist's Prayer

The winds have welcomed you with softness
The sun has held you in his warm hands
You have flown so high and so well
That God has joined you in your laughter
And set you gently back down
Into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

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