Various Types of Balloons

Also known as: Aerostats, Gas Balloons, Ammonia balloons, Helium balloons, Hydrogen balloons, Coal gas Balloons, Hot air balloons

Description: Lighter-than-air balloons, or aerostats, are called such because they use lighter-than-air gases to lift off the ground. These gases commonly include helium, hydrogen, ammonia, and at one point, coal gas. Hot air can also be used to lift a balloon off the ground.

Also known as: Blimps, Airships, Dirigibles, Zeppelins

Description: Powered balloons, such as blimps and airships, are equipped with an engine of sorts and also have propellers and a rudder, thus giving the pilot full ability to steer and accelerate at will. They are also capable of carrying numerous passengers, depending on the size. Powered balloons were the first aircraft to achieve piloted, mechanically propelled flight. Since the invention of superior aircraft such as airplanes and helicopters, airships have decreased in popularity and usefulness. They are still used today, though, for unique and defined tasks such as advertising, good vantage points for videography such as at sports events, and for novel exhibition rides.

Description: A free-floating balloon is a balloon that travels entirely by use of wind currents. If it is piloted, it is only steered vertically from one wind layer to another.

Also known as: Moored balloons

Description: Captive balloons are balloons often filled with helium or other lighter-than-air gases and then tethered or tied to something, someone or the ground to keep them from floating away. Various forms and designs are used for things such as advertisements, for the military, for science, and for relaying radio and television signals to remote areas. Popular, large, captive, helium balloons are like the ones that are used every year in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, New York.

Description: Latex balloons are the most standard, round or oval shaped balloons seen at parties, events, purchased in stores etc. The mold of the balloon shape is dipped into an adhesive, which allows the latex to stick to the mold. Spinning brushes at the top create the lip of the balloon. The mold is baked and cured and then the balloon is removed from the mold. Latex balloons come in all sorts of colors and sizes and are often filled simply with exhaled human breath. Common colorings include standard colors, crystals, pastels, metaltones, and pearlized. Common sizes include 11'', 16'', 17'', 36'' and 72''.

Also known as: Helium balloons, Foil balloons

Description: Standard Mylar balloons are usually filled with helium and seen at parties, events, in the stores, etc. They are made out of polyester, although sometimes helium can be used in balloons made out of a durable latex. The polyester in Mylar is much better equipped than latex to keep the less-dense-than-air helium inside the balloon for a longer period of time, although it still can not hold it indefinitely. It also has the advantage of being able to be constructed in different shapes such as hearts, popular cartoon characters, seasonal symbols, patriotic symbols, etc. Hence, Mylar balloons come in many varieties of shapes, sizes and colors.

Description: Water balloons are small latex balloons that are commonly filled with water by the consumer. They are typically used in ''water balloon'' fights and pranks where people get a thrill out of drenching friend and foe alike. Traditional water balloons are made out of slightly thicker latex than standard latex balloons, (though not so thick that they won't explode on impact), and are smaller--about the size of a baseball when filled. Water balloons can also be filled with more unconventional liquids such as paint, ink, juice, and mud.

Also known as: Qualatex balloons, Twister balloons, Clown balloons, Magicians balloons, Animal balloons

Description: Twisting balloons are commonly recognized as the long, skinny balloons that entertainers twist into animal shapes, hats, flowers, etc. Qualatex has set the leading standard in twisting balloons for the last couple decades with their 160Q, 260Q, 350Q, 646Q, heart, smiley face, blossom, donut, Q321B bee body and regular round balloon sizes and shapes. Twisting balloons are made out of latex and thus are generally blown up with human breath and aren't regularly used for helium, as latex leaks the helium rather quickly.

Also known as: Vinyl balloon

Description: Advertising balloons are large captive balloons often made out of tough vinyl. They are used for advertising of all kinds such as for business, celebration, cautions, military use, scientific use, and personal use.

Description: Scientists often use free-floating, piloted balloons of varying sizes and specific designs to carry scientific instruments into the atmosphere primarily for use in gathering weather information. Only a couple scientific balloons have ever been released outside of the earth's atmosphere.

Description: A hot air balloon is a large, free-floating, piloted nylon balloon based on the fact that hotter air rises through colder air. The balloon gains flight by using propane in attached tanks to light a flame in an attached burner that subsequently heats the air in the balloon bag which then causes it to float off the ground. To control the balloon vertically, a larger flame will cause the balloon to rise higher, while opening a valve called a parachute valve at the top of the balloon will release hot air out of the balloon and cool the air in the balloon, causing it to descend. The nylon skirt at the base of the balloon near the burner is covered in a special coat of fire-resistant material to keep the balloon from catching on fire. A hot air balloon generally carries a varried number of passengers (depending on the size) in a wicker basket tethered to the bottom of the balloon bag.

Also known as: Kytoon

Description: A helikite, or kytoon, is created by attaching a helium balloon to a kite. By using a helium balloon, the kite is not limited to needing wind to fly. Combined, it also has the ability to fly higher than a captive, or tethered balloon, or a kite by itself. A helikite is used for many things from simple aerial photography, to radio-relay, to scientific research, to advertising, and use by the military.