Aerophile SAS is a French company specialized in building and operating

tethered helium balloon A tethered, moored or captive balloon is a Balloon (aircraft), balloon that is restrained by one or more tethers attached to the ground so it cannot float freely. The base of the tether is wound around the drum of a winch, which may be fixed or m ...

s. Formed in 1993 the tethered gas balloons operate as tourist attractions around the world. The company has sold more than 60 balloons in 30 countries.

History

Aerophile was founded in 1993 by two 25-year-old French engineers from the

École Polytechnique (, ; also known as Polytechnique or l'X ) is a ''grande école'' located in Palaiseau, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The school was founded in 1794 by mat ...

, 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 . In 1999, the company launched the large

Paris Balloon The Ballon Generali is a tethered helium balloon, used as tourist attraction and as an air quality awareness tool. Installed in Paris since 1999 in the Parc André-Citroën, it was created and developed by the French company Aerophile SAS for t ...

and improved it in 2008 by adding a lighting system. In 2000, the company created a mobile tethered balloon approved to carry two people to a height of : the Aero2. In 2002 they operated the first modern tethered gas ballon on a water-based platform at

Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...

. In 2005 the company installed a large PanoraMagique balloon, operated by a subsidiary Aerotourism, at

Disneyland Paris Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Marne-la-Vallée, France, located about east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, seven Disney-owned hotels, two convention centers, a golf course, an arena, and a shopping, dining and entert ...

, it was the first 8-point Aero30NG balloon. In 2007, they set up and opened the first Aerophare in Evry 2 (France), an attraction with an air-filled captive balloon within a tower. Aerophare is a novel adaptation of a

tethered balloon A tethered, moored or captive balloon is a balloon that is restrained by one or more tethers attached to the ground so it cannot float freely. The base of the tether is wound around the drum of a winch, which may be fixed or mounted on a vehicle, ...

operating in an enclosed tower. An Aerophile ballon holds the record for carrying 30 passengers in a gas balloon. The company currently runs six Aero30NG :

, one at

, one in

Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...

, one in the Orange County Great Park, one in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and one Aerobar, the latest creation, at

Futuroscope Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope (), formerly known as Planète Futuroscope, is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic, and audiovisual techniques.Piriou, Jerome. The Tourist Region: A Co-Construction of Tourism Stakehol ...

Subsidiaries

The Aerogroupe company has several subsidiaries : *Aerophile SA, the principal subsidiary (Balloon's manufacture and sale). *Aeroparis to operate the

*Aeromobile to operate the balloon at

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier * Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia * Irvine Island * Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada * Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut Scotland *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotlan ...

*Aerotourism to operate the balloon at

*Aerophile Orlando to operate the balloon at

Balloons

The Aero30NG is a tethered balloon that is in diameter. It can take up to 30 people at a time in its nacelle, rising up to . Its winch system ensures a climb speed of , and its patented platform optimizes landings. This balloon has been installed over five continents in the following countries: *Europe **France :

Château de Cheverny The Château de Cheverny () is located in Cheverny, Loir-et-Cher, France. It is one of the châteaux of the Loire Valley. History Henry Le Mareschau was the owner of Cheverny in 1315, held under the Count of Blois(F1). It was sold to Jean H ...

Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château, built around 1560 for Anne de Montmore ...

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

Beaune Beaune (; in Burgundian: ''Beane'') is widely considered to be the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and a major ...

, Parc de Samara,

, and

**Belgium, **Germany **Austria **Switzerland **Italy **Spain **

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

**United Kingdom *North America **Canada **United States :

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

*Africa **

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

*Asia **

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Irak The interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) associated kinase (IRAK) family plays a crucial role in the protective response to pathogens introduced into the human body by inducing acute inflammation followed by additional adaptive immune responses. IRAKs are ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

**Japan **

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

**China :

Ocean Park Hong Kong Ocean Park Hong Kong, commonly known simply as Ocean Park, is an animal theme park in Hong Kong. Covering an area of in Wong Chuk Hang, it is the largest theme park by area in Hong Kong, and is also the city's second oldest theme park, after ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

Angkor Wat Angkor Wat (; , "City/Capital of Wat, Temples") is a Buddhism and Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. Located on a site measuring within the ancient Khmer Empire, Khmer capital city of Angkor, it was originally constructed ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

*Australia This model has also been adapted to allow

parachute A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating Drag (physics), drag or aerodynamic Lift (force), lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves va ...

jumps as part of

military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

. The Aero2 is a charged

helium balloon A gas balloon is a balloon that rises and floats in the air because it is filled with a gas lighter than air (such as helium or hydrogen). When not in flight, it is tethered to prevent it from flying away and is sealed at the bottom to prevent t ...

of in diameter that offers a view for two passengers to around above ground. The

moored balloon A tethered, moored or captive balloon is a balloon that is restrained by one or more tethers attached to the ground so it cannot float freely. The base of the tether is wound around the drum of a winch, which may be fixed or mounted on a vehicle ...

can be seen from as far away as . This balloon has been used as a

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

tool for Danao Tour in 2002 and also by Fortis and other companies throughout France. The Aerophare is a balloon operating within a tower structure. The structure allows it to operate worse weather than a conventional

. The Aerobar is an aerial bar. This new concept allows 15 individuals to rise up to in the sky while enjoying their favorite drink. Visitors experience triple emotions: the chills of seeing the ground away from their feet; great views while discovering the scenery and the canopy of heaven meeting the earth in a full 360° circle; and the conviviality with the other passengers that share a drink aboard this aerial bar. The first Aerobar was installed at

, the second largest

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

in France. The Little Prince Park is located in Ungersheim in the

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

region. The park gets its name from the French novel ''

The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (, ) is a novella written and illustrated by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 and was published po ...

''. A total of 31 attractions are based loosely on the theme of flight.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite news , title=Little Prince Park, Like Book, Delights In Small , url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-little-prince-park/140519599/ , work=Rapid City Journal , agency=Associated Press , date=July 20, 2014 , page=C3 {{cite news , last1=Rivenburg , first1=Roy , last2=Barboza , first2=Tony , title=O.C.'s Great Park Prepares For Takeoff , url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-aerophile/140520462/ , work=

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

, date=July 13, 2007 , page=B6

External links

Aerophile SA (official site)Paris balloonBalloon at Walt Disney WorldBalloon at Disneyland ParisThe Little Prince Park
Transport companies of France Balloon manufacturers French companies established in 1993