A tethered helium balloon is a helium-filled gas balloon which is tethered to the ground, or to a road vehicle, by a steel rope and raised and lowered by a winch.
Contents |
Tethered passenger balloons were very popular in France in the 19th century.. (Possibly, if so, the lifting gas must have been hot air or hydrogen, but can not at all have been helium, having been detected by spectra on earth not earlier than 1895. Found not earlier than 1903 in natural gas, the first 4000 m3 He have been produced in the USA by 1918. The British started an experimental He producing plant in Canada.)
The first tethered balloon in modern times was made in France at Chantilly Castle in 1994 by Aerophile SA. The most famous are in Paris ( since 1999), Berlin (since 2000), Angkor Vat temple in Cambodia (since 2002), Istanbul (since 2003), Disneyland Resort in Paris (since 2005), The Wild Animal Park of San Diego Zoo (since 2005), Ocean Park in Hong Kong (since 2007), Great Park of Orange County in Irvine (California) (since 2007), Oct East in Shenzen (China) (since 2008), Conner Prairie in Indiana (since 2009) and Downtown Disney in Orlando (since 2009). AEROPHILE SA has installed more than 50 tethered balloons in 25 countries. Several million people have flown in them. AEROPHILE SA directly operates four of them in the United States and in France and is the largest lighter than air carrier ever with 300 000 passengers flown every year.
A helium balloon is tethered at Montecasino in South Africa next to the Bird Gardens. The ride takes passengers up to approximately 120m above Fourways.
Lindstrand Technologies has installed 30 tethered balloons in 18 countries. Lindstrand Technologies is headed by Per Lindstrand who, with Sir Richard Branson, was the first person to cross the Pacific Ocean by balloon.
The latest entry in the world of tethered helium balloons has been of "Ahmedabad Eye"[2010], which has been installed as a new feature at the Kankaria Lakefront situated at Ahmedabad, India the site visited by millions of people after its transformation into amusement park.
AeroBalloon, Inc. incorporates technologies used in modern yacht design to build the AB-20 balloon gondola which carries over 1000 passengers per day at Chicago's Navy Pier. The modern composite gondola is lighter than traditional steel gondolas and requires less helium to lift its total payload. AeroBalloon is led by Douglas Hase, record holding lighter than air and ultralight aviation pilot. AeroBallons have flown at stadiums and parks including New York City's Central Park, Boston Common, and Discovery Green in Houston.
The World's Largest Tethered Helium Balloon is located at Conner Prairie in Indiana.