Laura Davies faces her biggest challenge yet - flying her late husband's hot-air balloon at a festival held in his memory and battling grief to keep the family legacy alive.
Llandovery hot-air balloon pilot Laura Davies is preparing for the most important flight of her life.
For years, ballooning was at the heart of Laura鈥檚 family, but it was her husband, Arwel, who was the pilot. When Arwel died in a car accident in 2021, Laura could not imagine flying without him. For a year, she stayed firmly on the ground, her two children asking her what will happen to daddy鈥檚 balloon?
But watching Arwel鈥檚 balloon sit empty was painful. The balloon belonged in the air. If it was going to fly again, Laura slowly realised she would have to be the one to make it happen.
Despite her grief and the demands of raising two young children alone, Laura made a life-changing decision: she would learn to fly her late husband鈥檚 balloon herself. It was a huge challenge. Training brought setbacks, frustration and painful memories, but Laura kept going for her children and for Arwel, determined to keep the family legacy alive.
In 2025, she qualified as one of the few female hot-air balloon pilots in Wales. Now a pilot in her own right, Laura has brought Arwel鈥檚 balloon back to the skies above their home in the Towy Valley. But one flight still matters more than any other.
This documentary follows Laura in her final week of preparation before a local hot-air balloon festival created in Arwel鈥檚 memory with the help of Arwel鈥檚 best friend Ian Jones. It will be her first festival flight as a pilot and a chance to honour the man who first brought ballooning into her life. We hear from Laura鈥檚 trainer, veteran Jonathan 鈥楯D鈥� Davies on her journey to take to the skies and from Arwel鈥檚 father, Eirian Davies, infamous for crashing his hot-air balloon into local pylons!
As the festival approaches, Laura reflects on the loss that changed her family forever, the courage it has taken to step into Arwel鈥檚 place, and the hope she has found by carrying on what he loved.
But ballooning depends on the weather, and the Welsh skies can be unforgiving. Even a small change in the conditions could stop Laura from taking flight. After everything she has overcome, will she get the chance to make this deeply personal flight for love, family and legacy?
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Laura Davies |
| Production Manager | Agata Mastalerz |
| Executive Producer | Scott Dewey |
| Executive Producer | Steve Warr |
| Producer | Cara Ludlow |
| Director | Daisy Brown |
| Production Company | Tomos TV |
