Alain Bard . Air ← Stilt-Walking & Airsports: Up in the air!

2017 Wrap up

Dec

7

2017

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 of the largest manufacturers in ...

The Alien Rocket Special Shape Hot Air Balloon is born

Jun

22

2015

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

Oct

13

2014

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 through the sky as soon ...

XLTA 2013 Rally – Flying in the mist

Sep

13

2013

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 event, but the first year ...

Queen Bee Special Shape Balloon

May

31

2013

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 Bees, being a representation of ...

Building an Eel: A very long banner

Apr

3

2013

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 eels of Burning Man become ...

Bunch of Bees Special Shape Hot Air Balloon

Mar

2

2013

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 Bees” today… Here’s a 3D ...

Want to buy a skydiving rig? Do it this way!

Feb

12

2013

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 down some advice on how ...

President of the National Capital Balloon Club (NCBC)

Feb

12

2013

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 new website: ncballoonclub.ca — ...

Am I ready to downsize my skydiving canopy?

Jan

6

2013

In a word, no! If you’re asking the question, then the answer is obvious, you are not ready. That’s really not the answer you were looking for, is it? I’m not going to go into the WHY. It simply does not matter. (but it mostly has to do with broken backs, femurs & pelvises…) What ...