April1999
National Ballooning, Ltd., foundedby Phil Grayin
the early1970 ’s,isamanufacturer ofhightechnology,
state-of-the-art aerostats. The company ’s many technical
advancementshave made possible the productionof the
very refin ed, highperformance system.
Operationsbegan as a commercialcompany selling
balloons, rides, promotions, ground school, training, etc.
In 1979 Phil built his first balloon which is still airworthy
andflying.
After theconstructionof severalexperimentalbal-
loonsbetween1979and1981typ ecertificationwas
applied for by the company. NationalBallooning’sfirst
certificatewasobtainedinJuly1981underthenew
FederalAviationRegulationsin Part 31.
National uses only first quality materials and stresses
precision workmanship. “We don’t just b uild a balloon,”
notes Gray, “they are individually crafted to fit the needs
and tastes of the customer.” This detailing and originality
has been a welcome change in manufactu ring and warmly
receivedby the owners of National balloons.
Each envelope is a personal statement as it is designed
bytheindividual,allowingforauniquesystem,nota
repetition, stampedout, assembled and shelved. The com-
pany feels that this quality sets each and every system apart
fromalloth ers.Tobetteracco mmodatethecustomer,
NationalBalloon inghasdevelop edsystemsrangingfrom
economytodeluxe models.
Safetyhasalwaysbeenaprimeco ncernatNational
Ballooning. Therefore, incorpo rated in the National burner
design are: double b last v alves, fuel lines, and fuel supplies
onallsingleburner systems. Intheevent o ne side should
fail, the other operates independently with normal response,
nodelayedafter burn, or yello w, sooty flame.
The National parachute tops make deflation a snap and
maneuvering a pleasure.
Being a small company allows National Ballooning to
give its undivided atten tion todetail, tailoring each system
to the desire of the customer.
Ballooning, Ltd.
2004 West Euclid Ave.
Indianola, IA 50125
(515) 961-6113
(515) 462-4718
