A ten-minute tethered hot air balloon ride enables a quick and cheap turnaround for people to see Paris from a height just above the buildings of the city.
From
the Parc Andre Citroen in the 15th arrondissement, the balloon
flight is an up and down (no floating along and across the city) ride to an
altitude of about 150 metres (500 feet)—about the height of a 12-storey
building. The basket can hold about 30 people. Depending on weather, the flights
occur between April and October at dawn and again shortly before dusk (these
photos were taken at dusk). Therefore the exact time depends on the season.
The
balloon is round and purportedly the largest balloon of this kind in the world,
measuring 22 metres (72 feet) in diameter. It has fabric netting (with 9,000
knots). This can be seen in the photograph with the tethering device attached
to the ground. The balloon is tied to the ground by a winch-controlled cable
that lets the balloon rise to 150 metres and brings it down again. It pulls
about 3 tons, but the cable can resist up to 44 tons. If the electrical winch
fails to operate (it is operated by electricity), it has a backup diesel winch.
The
rides began in 1999 for pre-Millennium celebrations, carrying about 50,000
people during the year up until 2000. After a period of inactivity, the balloon
was re-launched in 2004. From 2008, the balloon also collected information on
air quality. Last year, in 2012, the balloon was fitted with interior lights
that changed colour to show the level of air pollution (green for clean and red
for high levels).
This new 2013 redesigned balloon took flight in spring and continues collecting air quality data while providing rides. The Observatoire Atmospherique Generali is a new partnership between the balloon’s designer Aerophile and an Italian insurance group called Generali. This balloon has 6,400 LED lights to enhance its indication of air quality. The old design was just an indicator of air quality, but this new design is more scientific and can detect extremely fine air particles.
Aerophile’s
co-founder, Mr. Jerome Giacomoni, said that the new innovations make the
balloon unique, and possibly the only one of its kind in the world.
The
partnership with Generali, Aerophile and Paris will continue for five years to
2018.
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/in-paris-a-hot-air-balloon-to-boost-air-quality-awareness/9068
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