How to Buy a Balloon

Which balloon should I choose and how much does it cost?

Choosing a hot-air balloon is like buying a new car, when you have to decide between a sports car, a minivan, or a school bus. An eXtreme racer will suit your competitive career better than a passenger balloon for twelve requiring a quarter ton of fuel. It’s up to you which direction your ballooning life will take. 

For private and sports flying a 3,000 m³ (105,000 cuft) balloon will do the job. A typical system includes a 2,600 m³ (90,000 cuft) envelope, an Ignis Double Burner, and a K16 basket. This balloon would fit a pilot and 2 to 4 passengers depending on weather conditions. Such a balloon is perfect for private flights, decent competitions, and advertising flights with VIPs.

If a more spacious basket is needed, let’s say for 3 to 4 passengers, an envelope size of 3,700 m³ (130,000 cuft) and a K19 basket is the one for you.  

We are always available to help you make the right decision. We are happy to arrange a meeting for you at your location with one of our sales representatives. If you are interested in visiting our factory, watching the process of balloon making, basket weaving, or burner spiral assembly, you are always welcome at our factory here in Brno.

Balloon designs and prices

The prices for balloon graphics are specially calculated by our designer and sales department. We will be happy to give you a quote after receiving your logo or lettering and the design sheet for your future balloon. The graphics are usually set two or three times on a balloon’s sides, covering about 200 m² of advertising space.

Retrieve vehicle

When ballooning is in your future, a retrieve vehicle should be also considered. Some balloon teams use a pick-up truck, jeep with a balloon trailer, or a van to easily fit a smaller balloon and the whole crew.

Ballooning is not only about the pilot. Even the bravest pilots also need a devoted crew to chase them all around the place, communicate over the radio, ask the locals for the best and most accessible roads, greet the aviators when they arrive at the landing site with a smile and a bottle of champagne, and help pack up the balloon.

How can you buy a balloon?

The production period of a new balloon depends on the relevant production capacity of the factory. The actual production period you will always learn from the busines dpt. However, keep on mind that the true production period is calculated from the date when the deposit for the new balloon is received on our account. To keep the order going smoothly, we have put together a set of steps:

1. It all starts from the choice of balloon type. This decision will always involve the purpose the balloon should serve and the budget prepared for the project.
2. The next step is to think about the design. Would you rather fly a blue balloon or a red one? You can try the colors on our graphic desigh sheet to get a better idea. 
   Note: If you don’t find your color in our Fabric Color Palette, we can always find the right one in the mixtures of the PANTONE palette colors.
3. Now we specify the details - the design of the padding, the colors, and all of the important accessories.
4. If you intended to combine a Kubíček envelope with a different brand of burner, please give us the dimensions according to the small size, middle size or large size frame scheme. If you are buying a new Kubíček basket and you need to combine it with a different brand of the burner, please give us the dimensions of your burner frame when it is set up on your old basket. We will let you know if this combination is possible. If you wish to buy a new burner and keep your basket, please fill dimensions in the form of a small basket.
5. Based on your choices, our sales department team will work out a price offer for you with delivery dates. We are happy to work on free design sheets for your future balloon. All we need is the logo of your company or a sponsor (in vector format), or the colors you would like your balloon to be and the design sheet will be on its way.
6. Once we have agreed on the pricing, your new balloon can be ordered. After you place your order, we will sign a purchase agreement with all the details. We require a deposit payment prior to starting production.
7. You are welcome to visit us at any time and watch the production. We will announce the first balloon inflation to you, and the rest of the payment should be transferred after the photo/video documentation of the first inflation or when picking up the balloon in person.
8. Prior to your first flight, the balloon has to be insured and registered, and the Certificate of Airworthiness has to be issued.