Standard Balloons

A standard balloon comprises two parts: the envelope (the fabric part of the balloon) and the bottom end (the basket, burner and ancillary equipment).

The balloon is then classified by its envelope size. Balloons are measured per '000 cubic feet, so a 77 has a total volume of 77,000 cubic feet. As the volume is increased, the number of passengers capable of being carried increases.

42 - 69

Only capable of carrying the pilot, branded balloons of this size are cheap to produce and provide a great solution for companies looking to do short term contracts, or are working on tight budgets.

77 - 105

The most common size of advertising balloon, capable of carying the pilot and between 2 and 4 passengers. This size of balloon provides the perfect balance between passenger carrying capabilities and initial construction cost.

120 - 400

Balloons of this size are designed solely for their passenger carrying capabilities. Able to fly between 6 and 20 people at a time.

Hot air balloons are then aged by the number of operational hours they have flown (in the same way a car ages by mileage) rather than the years since manufacture. On average a balloon will last between 300 - 400 hours, which equates to around 5-8 years use.