Boland Balloons

BalloonLife,April 1999

Boland Balloon
Post Mills Airport
POBox 51
Post Mills, VT 05058
(802) 333-9254
e-mail:
balloons@vermont.com
Contact: Brian Boland

An alternativ e approach to creating and o wning a balloon, Bolan d Ballo on offers plans,
quick-build kits, or BuildYour Own Balloonsessions(aka Balloo n Camp).
Ultralights and Complete Ready-to-Fly Balloonsor Components
These systems are incredibly lightweight, compact and portable. The envelopes and
basketstypicallyweighonlyhalf ofotherballoonsofthesamevolume.Therugged,
secure baskets can be quickly collapsed and folded into a 4" tall carry case. Many of the
sizes andmodels travel as ones airline luggage (with no excess bag gage shipping fees).
One Hund redandfour different envelope sizes and models are offered ineither 6, 8or
12 gore con figurations. Volumes range from 1 4,000 to 102,000 cu bic feet, carrying one
to sixpeople.
Seventeendifferentundercarriagesare offered,rangingfromharnesssuitsand
cylinder seats to collapsible baskets for one to six occupants. Some have an optional full
door for entryandexit.
Standard fabric is 1.1oz/yd calendared 30 denier ripstopnylon. Anoptional 1.3oz.
silicone-impregnatedversionof the same fabric isalsoavailable. These materialsare
well-proven spin-offsof the parachute ind ustry.

The Five ApproachestoThis Fun Stuff

•Plan-Instruction Manuals:For eachspecific size envelope andundercarriage, planbooks take you step-by-step through the entire
building process and tellexactmaterials and toolsneededin sequence.

•Quick-Build Kits: 82 different balloon sizes/mo dels offered. The envelope panels and basket parts are all p re-cut and labeled. You
just put the pieces of the puzzle tog ether (following the plan book) whichgets you a finished balloon more qu ickly. Other partsare
basically finished and tested and just need to be clipped in or on for flight. The Quick-Build Kit still fits the FAA 51 percent rule
as you’d be doing at least 51 percent of the construction and thus fit the experimental amateur built classification. I estimate that a
3-place 66,000 cubic foo t balloonQuick-Build system should take about 13 0-150 hours to comp lete andbe ready to fly.

•Balloon or Blimp Building Camp: You come to Post Mills for one to three weeks to build your own balloon (Blimps take a little
longer to build ). I work withyou and a friend or two using all in-hou se or custom-ord eredmaterials. My expertise, sewing skills,
shop, tools an d machinery will be at your dispo sal during this period. You’ll gain a tremendous rapid insight into the whole building
process and go home with your finished, tested, complete balloon or Blimp. We can also teach you how to care for, rig and fly yo ur
new Aerostat.

•Ultralights: More than 40 of the sizes and models can fit the part 103 u ltralight category and don ’t require registration, certification,
annu al inspections or licensing (we do insist on some training). Under Part 103 balloons must weigh under 155 lbs. and be flown
solo. Airships must weigh under 254 lbs. to fit this solo-ultralight category.

•Complete Ballo ons o r Compo nents: We’ll p ut any balloon, basket, component or system together into a finished ready-to-fly state.
The items we offer are all spelled out and described in the informatio n kit (literature package). Pricing is à la carte, but examples are
given on how to pick and cho ose and put a whole balloon system together. This comprehensive, complete 70-page literature package
on Boland Balloon and what’s available is offered for $18 (or $20 US fund, for overseas orders).

Top:3 place, 66,000 cu ft 12 gore, 83 lbs
envelop e.
Bottom:37 lbs2 place basket.