Bard Balloons is a custom hot air balloon manufacturer specializing in the design and construction of experimental, lightweight balloons including special shape balloons based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Owner Alain Bard has been designing has been designing, constructing, flying and maintaining hot air balloons of all sizes and shapes […]
2017 Wrap up
2017 has been a busy and productive year. Hendrick’s Gin I launched a new corporate balloon – the Hendrick’s Gin Canada Hot Air Balloon. It has full digital print coverage – and is one of the most spectacular round balloons ever built. It was built by Kubicek Balloons – one […]
The Alien Rocket Special Shape Hot Air Balloon is born
I just finished my latest project. A special shape hot air balloon in the form of an Alien Rocket. Follow all its adventures on its own Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/alienrocket The rocket is available for bookings worldwide.
Skydiving from Hot Air Balloons
Jumping from a hot air balloon is quite a treat for skydivers. Balloon jumps are unusual because there is no “relative” wind as you exit the aircraft. In a normal aircraft jump, when a skydiver exits, the airspeed of the aircraft is quite high, so a skydiver can immediately maneouver […]
XLTA 2013 Rally – Flying in the mist
Last weekend I drove 800km down to Connecticut for the XLTA 2013 Rally. XLTA stands for Xperimental Lighter Than Air. XLTA members are basically a group of like-minded Hot Air Balloon homebuilders that gather every year to fly their creations together. This was the third year I attended the annual […]
Queen Bee Special Shape Balloon
Bill has been building two Special Shape Balloons here in the Ottawa, Canada area. See the http://ncballoonclub.ca blog for up to date with information on that Balloon. If you’ve been following that blog, the first of the two, named “Bunch of Bees” or BoB has recently been completed. BoB is a tribute to […]
Building an Eel: A very long banner
In 2007, I built my first Eel. Since then I’ve build almost a dozen of them. An Eel is a very long banner, 60 feet long in fact. The original Skydiving Eels are a concept born out of Burning Man, a huge yearly festival in the middle of the Nevada desert. The […]
Bunch of Bees Special Shape Hot Air Balloon
My friend Bill is in the process of building 2 Special Shape Balloons. The first of the two is what has been called “Bunch of Bees”. Lots of names have been thrown around for what to call this Balloon, I think Bill said it was going to be called “Billy’s […]
Want to buy a skydiving rig? Do it this way!
This advice is meant as a general guide. Always consult your local rigger and instructor. In the years I’ve been a rigger, I’ve often seen the results of skydivers’ gear buying experiences. Most experiences go well, but some do not. In this article, I am going to try to lay […]
President of the National Capital Balloon Club (NCBC)
So I just came back from attending the 2013 National Capital Balloon Club Annual General Meeting, and I just got voted President of the club. Just call me Pres 😉 First order of business – a new website for the club. On it! Update March 3rd, 2013 – here’s the […]