Alain Bard

Light as a Feather in the Sky: Bard Balloons’ Lightweight Special Shapes vs. Traditional Designs from Legacy Manufacturers

by Alain Bard
April 10, 2026April 10, 2026

Light as a Feather in the Sky: Bard Balloons’ Lightweight Special Shapes vs. Traditional Designs from Legacy Manufacturers In the world of hot air ballooning, special shape envelopes are the showstoppers—giant flying cows, rockets, tigers, or clouds that turn heads at festivals and events. But not all special shapes are… Read More »Light as a Feather in the Sky: Bard Balloons’ Lightweight Special Shapes vs. Traditional Designs from Legacy Manufacturers

OLD BLOG

by Alain Bard
November 21, 2019December 14, 2019

This blog section is a vestige of the old bard.ca website which has now been reborn into Bard Balloons. This old section has been retained because of some popular articles written in the past still need a place to live on the web. Bard Balloons Bard Balloons is a custom… Read More »OLD BLOG

2017 Wrap up

by Alain Bard
December 7, 2017December 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… Read More »2017 Wrap up

The Alien Rocket Special Shape Hot Air Balloon is born

by Alain Bard
June 22, 2015September 2, 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

by Alain Bard
October 13, 2014December 4, 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… Read More »Skydiving from Hot Air Balloons

XLTA 2013 Rally – Flying in the mist

by Alain Bard
September 13, 2013January 16, 2018

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… Read More »XLTA 2013 Rally – Flying in the mist

Queen Bee Special Shape Balloon

by Alain Bard
May 31, 2013February 23, 2021

The Whelan shop 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… Read More »Queen Bee Special Shape Balloon

Building an Eel: A very long banner

by Alain Bard
April 3, 2013July 28, 2019

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… Read More »Building an Eel: A very long banner

Bunch of Bees Special Shape Hot Air Balloon

by Alain Bard
March 2, 2013February 23, 2021

We are helping our friend in the Whelan shop, who 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… Here’s a 3D render… Read More »Bunch of Bees Special Shape Hot Air Balloon

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

by Alain Bard
February 12, 2013September 18, 2019

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… Read More »Want to buy a skydiving rig? Do it this way!