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I am wondering how much interest there would be for a tethered hot air balloon. One that was always available for terminal and sub-t jumps, and how much you would be willing to pay per load. Possibly with bunkhouse and other basic facilities as well.

I'd guess it would depend a lot on the location.

Most likely somewhere around twin falls. Somewhere I can get a cheap parcel of land. I'm basing that just on the quantity of jumpers already in the area. Somewhere else with better year-round weather would be an option as well

How about on top of a tall, steep mountain? I'd pay a bit more for that!

Probably a good bit, but look closely into the regs.

I think they are severely limited on altitude (500ft or less maybe) and you have to have a balloon pilot, also very very wind sensitive.

Some friends looked into it a while back but it is a huge PITA.

You could pop a one person balloon up a couple hundred feet every now and then and get away with it but if you are advertising, you are gonna have to play by FAA rules.

And, as always, when one tries to optimize such an idea, they end up with a cessna on a dropzone

If you can only go to 500', I bet you'd find that everyone would rather jump the bridge for free.

I looked at that idea a while back, and the best economics seemed to be putting it somewhere that a lot of people could get to in a day or less drive, and where those people didn't have access to any other legal BASE options.

From my research, the best place to put it was somewhere like rural Virginia. No good legal objects, lots of people can get there in a day or less, land is pretty cheap, and there are lots of rolling hills you could put the balloon on top of for extra altitude.

I'll have a bit of research to do concerning max allowable height and parachute/harness regs. Thinking I can get around a lot of those things by maintaining a tethered balloon rather than an aircraft. If we can get 1500' I think it would be successful in the Twin Falls area, but you're totally right with the location on top of a mountain, and there is a petty large jumper population out east

Sorry to be bearer of bad news, but:

FAR 101.13

Fuckers!

Best bet might be to do it underground. Buy an old unairworthy/grounded balloon and basket (you don't want a good one as you will probably f#ck it right up and quickly) and tie it onto the back of something heavy like an old tractor in a remote farmers field somewhere

this has probably been done a few times for fun but not really a commercially viable venture

Unairworthy means unairworthy.
Going up in an unairworthy balloon seems more dangerous than BASE jumping to me.
take care,
space

283: Unairworthy means unairworthy.

1366: Yes and No.

Imagine a 420 square foot F1-11 tandem main
that was jumped 800 times. Now put just one
experienced person under that same canopy...


Methane and Helium are used in gas balloons
which are smaller, have more lift, and used
usually in commercial operations, see link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tethered_balloon

Yes, this is perfect for our purposes BUT to
work would need large economies of scale,
meaning legal, permit, people, blah blah


Hot Air Balloons are what is used mostly for
recreational purposes where you burn propane
or some other fuel to heat trapped air.

This is the first kind of human fight and was
originally done with simple materials and a
big campfire. Eventually nylon and nomex
replaced muslin fabrics, but these degrade
over time just like our parachutes.

Old Envelopes are porous from UV exposure,
they require more propane to operate and
eventually will fail an annual inspection.

However, a 77,000 cubic foot balloon is
designed to carry 3 fat people plus a big
basket plus 2 tanks of fuel plus a cooler.

Scale that down to one or two people in rigs
and these become much more do-able

If you live in a colder location that helps.
If you live in a lower location that helps.

Basically the goal is a hot air powered elevator.
Closest thing in the balloon world is called a:
Cloud Hopper, simple aircraft for 1 to 2 people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopper_balloon

Over 10 years I have spent a few thousand to
slowly collect all of the parts and pieces for my
own set-up. As of now everything is ready but
alas I need both weather and winds to be good
at the same time I have 3 non-muppets willing
to spend an hour setting up and breaking down.

Whereas in the same hour I can drive to a tower
and all four of us can climb up and jump off...
which is why there not already dozens of these
being used across the country.

Nonetheless here are some price estimates.
Used Envelopes $350 to $1,000 plus shipping
Used Inflator Fan $200 to $1000 plus shipping
600' Nylon Tether $500
Materials for platform $200
2 Propane torches $100
LTA books, FAA books $100

I would also recommend spending a couple of
years volunteering as ground crew for a local
balloon pilot. Sucks getting up at 5 AM to
work and not fly, but you sure learn a lot!

PS: I know 3 BASE jumpers who are also
licensed balloon pilots, although one of
them just quit all jumping (pregnancy).

I know of a case in which a brand new balloon envelope was declared "unairworthy" because the log books had been lost before it was ever even unpacked from the factory.

just do one of these!

How much do those cost?

Do they ever surplus them?

Best I could find was a Time article quoting a pricetag of about $8 million. (That one got torn away by Hurricane Irene, apparently)

Maybe one will pop up on the GSA auction website!

We had one of those blimps on our fob in afghanistan, I used to stare at it and fantasize about doing a from it over a combat zone.....ahhhh, memories.

You would have managed to hit the cable on the way down. Probably twice.

That was a fun Halloween.

  Ok, your're probably right about that. Getting rescued from a cable might be a better alternative than attempting to land a canopy though

The greatest cause of BASE injuries is landings. Definitely safer to go with a rescue if it avoids the dangers inherent in landing.

 

In Orange County CA they have a Giant helium balloon, the company that makes them makes smaller two man versions as well The intitial setup is a bit more intensive, but once in place it can be ran like a carnival ride. The company even sold them to some middle east military for parachute training, they even make mobile versions. I talked to the US rep and and they are putting them up all over the US, there is one in Pigeon Forge TN, also.
In my dream world they would put one of these at the visitors center in Twin, great for tourist and just think what you could do from a balloon 1000ft up on the edge of the canyon

OR get a quantified number of jumpers to each throw down x amount of money write up a slick BP get the mobile version and tour the country letting jumpers jump and giving tourists rides.
OR just crowd fund that shit!

The company is called Aerophile. They are based in Paris. Approximate cost is $1 million. The largest balloon they've built to date is at Downtown Disney and has a max altitude of 1500'.

There's a competing US company (I think from Pittsburgh) that has a cheaper system, but it doesn't handle wind as well, so it gets grounded more often.

That thing is a million bucks? must be made out of dead hooker pelts

http://m.ocregister.com/articles/reem-234396-balloon-waiting.html

Proof of concept

The company that builds them (Aerophile) from Paris, built one specifically for parachute training for a military in the middle east. I can't remember which country at the moment, but I think the balloon is pictured on Aerophiles web page.

Hi Tom A. and Tom L.
One must be very informed on Balloon Riggership to be able to ascertain airworthiness for a task.
Most of us have not that knowledge.
"Tethered Balloon" does not mean one should disregard ascent. That was the reason of my previous post.
Take care,
space

I mentioned the middle east army already they even have a video, but aside do the math

1 million financed over 10 years at 6% gives you an 11k monthly nut, divide that down to per day and that means less than 500 dollars a day operating cost, so could you get tourist to pay 10 bucks for a 15 minute ride and jumpers $10 to jump, FUCK yeah! The thing holds 30plus people, At only 100 riders a day at 10 bucks makes you a $1000. Could you get 100 rides a day in Twin?? How many visitors per day does the visitors center get now? Lets get crazy and say your operating costs are double, charge $20 bucks a person, those balloons are built to last for atleast 10 years and the helium doesnt have to be replaced that often, you could see Boise from 1500, another reason to visit Twin. Who wouldnt pay 10-20 bucks to jump out from 1500, Ive gladly payed a 100 to jump out of balloon before. Maybe the balloons are climate and altitude sensitive but its worth looking into!

The people at Downtown Disney told me that they hadn't yet replaced the helium in their balloon when I talked to them at about the 6 year mark of their operation.

Ummm.
Helium is quite expensive. I dont think you factored that in. And I dont think you have figured in the logistics and physics involved in Helium as a lift. Try it with your math plus Helium.
I have some experience in this. Redbullstratos.com
Contact me if you wish.
Take care and finish the equation.
space

Yes, but the initial helium cost is factored into their build price, and it sounds like the need to top up the helium is very limited.

These balloons are in operation now, the one in Orange County has been in operation since 2007. Your right helium isnt cheap, pricetag to fill one of those balloons is around 80 k (helium prices fluctuate so could be more i was quoted that 2 years ago when I contacted them) , I talked to him a few times, but from what he told me it was the most cost effective method to provide a "ballooning" experience to the masses. Unlike the stratos project these balloons arent going very high usually 400-500ft, but as I thought I mentioned, their geographic location might be restricted to low lying cities, I never asked, I took a ride in one and it def feels different than a hot air balloon as I thought I could notice the cable tension. So as such Twin is 4Kft above sea level? Im sure a call to the company would give us the answer but Id love to hear your insights.

Thanks Tom for your input.
But the previous poster didnt finish the equation. Like what happens when one has the Helium to lift a load that will reduce and getting it back to ground.
I am armcharing also same as previous poster. But I do have the knowledge that propane is much more efficient than Helium at such a limited low alt.
The poster did not finish the equation.
The Helium balloon must land.
2000lbs of lift supplied by Helium lifting a 1950lbs load has nothing to do with landing the balloon for repeated excersises.
My prob with the Poster is that he is armcharing and did not finish the equation. Slop in life tends to propagate into decision making.
Moral to the story, Finish the equation.
Take care,
space

Just finish the equation.The egress of Helium to descend the balloon would negate the profits IMHO. Unless you have a rad idea, it doesnt seem plausible financially at the moment for this line of thought.
I think I have 50+ balloon jumps. (hot air.)
Message me if you wish.
Take care,
space.

Are you trolling me?? These helium balloons I speak of are on a giant winch constantly under tension that requires a permanent fixed location. They do have a mobile version thats mounted on a big truck, I went on the one in Orange County, CA we went up to 500 ft and down slowly over 15 minutes. 500 feet is fun but I would agree to just jump the bridge for free if thats as high as it went, but if I could get to 1500 feet or a 1000 feet next to the bridge and Im sure everyone would jump it atleast once on their trip to Twin. Stranger things have happened in Twin Falls.

Please give me a link.
It has happened that the "Skylifter" project went down maybe because of logistics. It is has left us with a hanger to bust out 90m jumps legally in Germany indoors.
Take care,
space

These guys have a sustainable business model for a tourist attraction, with several different variations there of, It all comes down to what kind of traffic you could get, The place Ive seen them have been in high traffic areas. The number of daily potential riders needed to be sustainable is a number Im sure these guys have figured out, Twin may not be the place. Id gladly be a customer though, cost to ride the balloon is 10 dollars in O.C. so.. Ive never seen a 10 dollar hot air balloon ride?

I think that a wind tunnel would be more successful. Wider app.
take care,
space.

The Characters in Flight (downtown Disney Aerophile balloon) people told me their actual ceiling was 1500', but they typically went to 500' because it's more efficient when churning tourists through.

Two thoughts:

1) Tourist rides are going to generate way more money than jumpers. Jumpers are basically going to be a bonus use (and maybe an attractor to bring in more tourist riders).

2) Most of the Aerophile balloons defray their construction costs by plastering corporate advertising all over the sides of the balloon envelopes. You'll definitely want to look into that, because it will greatly reduce the initial investment requirements.

illwreckyourbox has been doing this in vegas. espen has a video up also of it.