Balloon manufacture is a hand built process and they are not mass-produced.
ABC will be involved from initial visual stage, through design, artwork, production sign off, test-inflation and first flight. We work very closely with Cameron Balloons to ensure that your balloon is delivered on time and on budget - ready to start working.
Following an initial discussion with our Client, we will use their Brand Guidance details to produce, with Cameron, a series of initial visuals, to illustrate how the balloon might look. The client can choose from a range of standard rip-stop colours, or we can arrange to have a specialy died fabric produced to an exact Pantone. Once the balloon visual has been signed off by the Client, we require a 50% deposit before design and production can commence.
Please remember that a Round Balloon takes around 4 months to build and a Special Shape takes around 6 months, from artwork sign-off and deposit.
When the balloon is completed, it is test flown and thoroughly checked by a CAA Approved Inspector, before being delivered to the Customer, ready to start work.
The basket on all hot air balloons is made from natural willow or cane, with padded leather finishes. The entire basket is hand made in the UK, using traditional skills. The high powered burner is constructed at Cameron Balloons, mostly from stainless steel or aluminium and is incredibly reliable. The bottom end, as it is usually called, costs around £20,000 with flight cylinders and inflation fan.
The balloon envelope is designed in house at Cameron, using a sophisticated CAD system, which then links with the latest generation plotter to print and cut individual panels. These panels are then sewn together, with horizontal and vertical load tapes, by a team of experienced seamstresses, who build the balloon.
