Paris balloon
Encyclopedia
Tethered helium balloon
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.- Tethered or Static Helium Balloon:...
used as a tourist attraction in the heart of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the French capital. Installed since 1999 in the André Citroën park, it was made and developed by Aerophile SA
Aerophile SA
Aerophile SA is a French company specializing in tethered helium balloons, which offer a safe aerial experience from a fixed location.- History :...
. The balloon has already introduced more than half a million visitors to the pleasures of ballooning.
Renamed "Air de Paris balloon" in 2008, it became an indicator of air quality by providing real-time reports on atmospheric pollution thanks to its lighting system.
Operation
At 150 metres high, permanently inflated with 6000 cubic meters of helium, the balloon is attached to the ground by a cable controlled by a hydroelectric winch.The "Air de Paris balloon" on ground is 32 metres (105 feet) tall, comparable to a 12-story building. The envelope is 22 metres (72 feet) in diameter.
In partnership with AIRPARIF (an organisation that monitors air quality in France), this news balloon will change colour according to the ambient air quality in Paris (on a scale of green/good, orange/medium to red/poor). A separate indicator system using the same colour scale will inform the public of traffic pollution near the main traffic arteries.
External links
