Aerophile SA

"Aerophile" redirects here. For the French aviation magazine, see L'Aerophile.

Aerophile SA is a French company specializing in tethered helium balloons, which offer a safe aerial experience from a fixed location.

History

the tethered Paris Balloon

the Aerophare, Evry2, France

Aerophile was founded in 1993 by two 25-year-old engineers from École Polytechnique, Mathieu Gobbi and Jerome Giacomoni. In 1994, they installed their first large tethered balloon in Chantilly, France) and in 1998, Aerophile celebrated its first flight to an altitude of 300 metres (980 ft). In 1999, the company launched the large Paris Balloon and improved it in 2008 by providing the level of air quality to the citizens of Paris, thanks to a lighting system. In 2000, the company created a mobile tethered balloon approved to carry two people to a height of 90 metres (300 ft). In 2007, they set up and opened the first Aerophare in Evry 2 (France), an attraction with an air-filled captive balloon within a 54 metres (177 ft) tower. Aerophare is a truly novel adaptation of a hot air balloon appearing device in an enclosed tower. The company is competitive abroad with more than 50 balloons sold in 25 countries. The company currently runs four Aero30NG (Paris Balloon, one at Disneyland Paris, another one in Walt Disney World Resort, the last one in Irvine) and two Aerophares in the outskirts of Paris.

The balloons

• Aero30NG, a tethered helium balloon of 22.46 metres (73.7 ft). It can take 30 people up to 300 metres (980 ft) of altitude. The winch provides a climbing speed of 0.83 metres per second (2.7 ft/s) and the patented platform optimizes landings. Aerophile has set up this balloon at the Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Ocean Park Hong Kong. It was adapted for military skydiving training.
• Aero2: a tethered helium balloon 9 metres (30 ft), takes two people up to 90 metres (300 ft). It can be seen for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and was used for advertising during the French Danao turn in 2002 and by Fortis too.
• Aerophare, a tethered balloon inserted in a 54 metres (177 ft) helical tower. 144 people per hour can rise into the air thanks to the balloon for over five minutes. It is used for advertising in malls like Evry 2 or Parinor.

In brief

• Aerophile went towards elaborating the giants of the inauguration of the Football World Cup in France, in 1998.
• 1.5 million passengers have flown in Aerophile balloons.

External links

• Aerophile SA (official site)
• Paris balloon
• Balloon at Walt Disney World
• {{{2}}}Balloon at Disneyland Paris