[nextpage title=”#1 Aerophile Aero30NG Tethered Gas Balloon”]Cebu prides itself with the launching of the first Helium Balloon Ride in the country found in Hadsan Beach Resort in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City. While everyone is excited about this new tourist attraction, have we thought of asking, is this new ride worth our time and money?

Here are 6 facts not mentioned on press releases that will hopefully drag your feet right to the doorstep of the booth to get your ticket for the next Helium Balloon Ride.

#1 It’s an Aerophile Aero30NG Tethered Gas Balloon

The Aero30NG is the first big tethered gas balloon with a total height of 105 feet. It is comprised of an envelope – 72 feet diameter and 210,000 cubic feet volume, permanently inflated with helium, a net and a gondola.

The gondola is made of composite materials and aluminum with exterior diameter of 19 feet, floor area of 140 square feet and weight of 1,870 lbs. This is attached to the ground by a cable, controlled by a hydro-electric winch, and can lift up to 30 passengers at a time in 10 minutes to a height of 150 meters.

It is capable of 6 non-polluting and silent flights per hour.

Editor’s Note: To view other Facts of Helium Balloon ride, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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#2 Aerophile S.A.S, world leader of gas tethered balloon

Founded by 25 year-old engineers, Jérôme Giacomoni and Matthieu Gobbi of France in 1993, Aerophile SAS installed the first large tethered balloon in Chantilly, France the following year and had its first flight in 1998 to an altitude of 980 feet. Aerophile is certified as a designer (ADOAP) and an aircraft manufacturer (PART 21F) by the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency); and holds two essential patents to the function of the Aero30NG.

Currently, Aerophile has built and installed more than 60 Aero30NG balloons in 30 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, United States (California, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Nevada), Vietnam, and Yemen.

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#3 First Helium Balloon Ride in Philippines

The balloon, featured in world’s biggest amusement parks and historical sites, now in Philippines. Before coming in Cebu, the balloon already took flight in:

1. Ocean Park – Hong Kong,
2. Oct East Amusement Park in Shenzhen, China, open since 2008,
3. Angkon Vat Temples in Cambodia, open since 2002,
4. Ibn Battuta in Dubai, UAE, open since 2007 on one of the biggest malls,
5. Check Point Charly in Berlin, Germany, open since 2000,
6. Wild Animal Park in San Diego, California, USA, open since 2005, and
7. Las Vegas Nevada, USA, open since 2009.

Six balloons are directly operated by Aerophile in France and in the US flying 400,000 passengers per year. These are:

1. Air de Paris Balloon in France, open since 1999,
2. PanoraMagique at Eurodisney – France, open since 2005,
3. Characters in Flight at Walt Disney World – Orlando, USA, open since 2009,
4. Orange Country Great Park in Irvine-California, USA, open since 2007,
5. San Diego Zoo Safari Park-California, USA, open since 2005, and
6. Smoky Mountains Pigeon Forge in Tennesse, USA.

Just recently, on the 1st of July this year, an aerial park, inspired by the Little Prince of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was opened in Alsace, France displaying 2 helium gas tethered balloons.

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#4 Unsurpassed experience of fantastic non-polluting ride

Unlike other gas tethered balloon around the world that only give 10-minute sky experience, the Helium Balloon Ride allows a 15-minute ride for 30 passengers in its light weight gondola at 150 high (or 300 meters depending on the site), and accessible to wheel chairs.

It provides an incredible 360-degree panorama in total silence and without vibration on an open air giving passengers the sensation of a flying balcony ride. While up the helium balloon, passengers can take the whole landscape in a single gaze.

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#5 It’s more than just a tourist attraction

In Paris, the balloon was launched in 2008 as the balloon Air de Paris, a unique innovation in the world, to indicate air quality. The envelope is illuminated so that the balloon changes colour according to the ambient air quality.

It is also being used as an advertising space in other parts of the world with different designs and possibilities of displays like Coating in Shenzhen – China and Eurodisney – France, Printing in Suzhou – China and Disney World – Orlando, Painting in Sousse – Tunisia, Singapore, Berlin – Germany, Angkor Vat -Cambodia, Ocean Park – Hong Kong, Paris – France, and Banners in Las Vegas – Nevada, USA, Disneyland – Paris, Istanbul – Turkey, Valence – Spain, and Hamburg – Germany.

It was also used in events like the America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain and the EXPO-02-Neuchatel in Switzerland.

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#6 Of course, it’s SAFE

Setting aside the fact that the balloon passed international safety standards and the company personnel is coordinating with CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) and PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), the balloon has conical platforms, gondola wheels, emergency landing device in case of cable break, fast deflation device (rip panel), 800W powerful fan to resist to high wind, and 3 separate systems to retrieve the balloon: Primary System, Auxiliary System, and Emergency System.

It also has an LCD screen with computer on board, and Control console on ground.

It’s durable with long lasting system and no helium loss. Its light and robust net and envelope is extremely efficient against wind and for lifting passengers.

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