A plain description of what actually happens, from Friday to Monday.
Setup
We arrive and install. The balloon flies at 120 feet above the ground, which is deliberate: below 150 feet the FAA is not involved, so 120 leaves comfortable margin.
If your site is within five miles of controlled airspace we call the local tower first. In forty years we have never been refused.
During the weekend
Nothing is required of you. The balloon loses about one percent of its helium a day, which is not enough to matter across a weekend.
If the forecast turns, we come and bring it down. You do not need to call us, and you are not charged for a day it did not fly.
Takedown and billing
We collect it. Your invoice goes out Monday for the days it actually flew.
If you want it back next weekend, say so. If you do not, say nothing. There is no rolling commitment to cancel.
What it looks like on site
A 5.5-foot sphere at 120 feet reads as movement and colour from a long way off. It gets people to look. A 13-foot blimp carries printed sides, so it also tells them who you are.
For a model home or a dealership, the blimp usually earns its extra $50 a day because the message travels with the attention.
Why us
Forty years manufacturing these, not reselling them. Around 40 balloons fly weekly in greater Phoenix on our equipment, and some clients have been with us for more than thirty years.
One million dollars in liability insurance, and one claim in forty years, for two thousand dollars. Johnny Mulder, who runs the company, holds an FAA commercial pilot certificate.
More at arizonaballoon.com.