Contact: Elenor Conn

The Balloon Works, Inc.
The Balloon Works is justifiably proud of its leadership role in the hot air balloon industry. In the last 23 years, it has pioneered the most important engineering, safety, aesthetic and marketing innovations in the modern history of the sport.

Operating from its facilities in central North Carolina, the company manufactures 12 different FireFly models as well as special shapes and markets them through the finest network of dealers in the world.

Engineering excellence is the unquestioned hallmark of The Balloon Works. The parachute valve, now in use by all manufacturers, was created by The Balloon Works and its designer acknowledged by Queen Elizabeth II for an Ò...exemplary contribution to ballooning safetyÓ. The first fully redundant burner in the world, the T3-017 emerged as the standard by which all other burners were measured. In 1992, FireFly Balloons stunned the industry with the introduction of the revolutionary new Mirage burner. The Mirage is by far the most powerful burner in the world at 43,900,000 BTU and remarkably quiet at 101 dbA. FlexNet envelope construction, (U.S. Patient Number 4,390,149) the industryÕs first and only modularized construction technique is still available only on balloons manufactured by The Balloon Works. The highest redline operating temperature in ballooning is found in FireFlyÕs incomparable Integra series polyester fabrics. At 300¡, this redline is fully 20 percent higher than that of every nylon balloon made! A fire suppression system which routes Halon to each tank and burner and two patented devices, the upward viewing window (U.S. Patent Number 4,750,690) and nonconductive suspension cables (U.S. Patent Number 4,813,630), are proud additions to The Balloon WorksÕ growing list of safety innovations which benefit the world of hot air ballooning. In 1993, The Balloon Works also engineered another first, the all composite structure carriage. This unique structure uses high-tensile strengths glass fiber with two different configurations. The composite structure is the new standard for extreme strength and non-conductivity.

The Balloon Works enjoys an unequaled reputation for inlaid logod, artwork balloons. It has created spectacular designs for a broad range of the worldÕs leading companies and individual sport balloonists who insist upon their own unique statement of style aloft. AT&T, American Express, Burger King, British Airways, Cadillac, Coke, KFC, Pepsi, Oldsmobile, Re/Max, Seagrams, Strohs and Schlitz are only a small sampling of a prestigious corporate client roster numbering several thousands. Praises for the craftsmanship of FireFly Balloons have come from a variety of respected sources including The Smithsonian Institution, The National Collection of Fine Arts, The New England Academy of Fine Arts, The National Society of Woven Arts and the National Academy of Design.

In the business of ballooning, the highest-volume ride operators in the world insist upon the FireFly advantage for safety and system longevity. With the new full line of triangular and rectangular divided compartment carriages, they are assured of both.

Engineering excellence and design elegance translate to unparalleled performance in the hands of the people who fly balloons for fun and profit... FireFly Balloons.

Standard FireFly Equipment
Carriage: The unique triangular shaped FireFly carriage has become the trademark of The Balloon Works. Beginning with a nine-ply hardwood birch floor, carefully shaped and fitted with sturdy oak runners, the FireFly carriage is unique in the hot air balloon industry. Carefully selected and processed wicker is vertically woven for an aesthetically pleasing and Òsnag freeÓ carriage exterior. Each FireFly carriage is woven with wicker accents which are color-coordinated to match its envelope. Rich, chocolate brown suede leather completes the trim on each FireFly carriage. Nonconductive natural rattan is steamed and formed to the exacting specifications of Balloon Works engineers to become the carriage structure and burner supports. Burner supports are available in three sizes to provide an ideal operation fit for each FireFly pilot. Envelope: Balloon Works balloons are unique in the industry in that they are the only ones crafted with Integra-series coated polyester fabrics. The widely acknowledged superiority of polyester over nylon permits FireFly Balloons to be certified for operating temperatures that are 20 percent higher than every other hot air balloon made. The ability of polyester to resist degradation caused by heat, sunlight and acid moisture is the primary reason FireFly Balloons last longer and are the aircraft of choice for commercial balloonists. The Balloon WorksÕ patented FlexNet construction permits the stresses in the balloon to be dispersed throughout its structural members and not through the envelope fabric. Burner: The new Mirage burner is unique in the industry in that it has no jets or orifices and instead uses a fluid amplifier to achieve very high efficiency at a low noise level. It has triple redundant pilot lights and triple nozzle quiet backup burner, providing a level of reliability and safety found nowhere else in the balloon industry. The three interlinked vaporizing coils are constructed of Inconel 600, an exotic alloy which is lighter, stronger and more durable than the stainless steel used by all other balloon manufacturers. The Mirage has a rated input of 43,9 million BTUÕs per hour.

Model                 Size (cu.ft.)	List Price
FireFly 5                43,000 	$16,000
FireFly 6                56,000		$16,500
FireFly 7B               65,000		$17,500
FireFly 7 		 77,000		$21,000
FireFly 8B		 90,000		$23,000
FireFly 8		105,000		$29,000
FireFly 9B		120,000		$31,000
FireFly 9 		140,000		$32,000  
FireFly 10		180,000		$35,000
FireFly 11		240,000		$38,000

FireFly 8, 9B, 9, 10 or 11 balloons may be equipped with compartmentalized rectangular baskets upon request.

FireFly 9B, 9, 10 and 11 envelopes are STCÕd over several other manufacturersÕ carriages.