DHL Balloon
Encyclopedia
The DHL
Balloon, located in Singapore
, was the world's second largest tethered helium balloon
. It was closed and dismantled in October 2008.
The DHL Balloon was first located on Tan Quee Lan Street in the Downtown Core of Singapore
, near the New 7th Storey Hotel
and Bugis MRT Station
.
Launched at a cost of S$
2.5 million, the DHL Balloon was a joint venture
by Aerophile Balloon Singapore Pte Ltd
and Vertical Adventure Pte Ltd, and took one year to plan. The project was sponsored by global courier
, freight
and logistics
company DHL Express
which received exclusive advertising
space on the balloon.
The business partners involved in the project worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority
(URA), Singapore Land Authority
and Singapore Tourism Board
to allow public advertising on the balloon, and arranged to lease
the site at a cost of more than S$1 million over two years. Prior to this project, large advertisements in public areas were not allowed in Singapore. S$800,000 was spent priming the ground for the balloon and another S$60,000 to purchase the helium
.
On 19 April 2006, 40 crew members took 12 hours to inflate the French
-made balloon, which took its first passengers in May 2006. The DHL Balloon was operated by Singapore Ducktours, a company which also offers city tours on its amphibious vehicle
s. By September 2007, more than 150,000 people had ridden on the balloon, 70% of whom were tourists
. Up to 1,000 people rode the balloon each weekend and its usage was the highest among all of Aerophile's balloons.
The DHL Balloon's lease on its site on Tan Quee Lan Street expired in August 2008 and URA terminated the lease as the site was to be used for the new Bugis MRT Station. Singapore Ducktours considered three alternative sites: Beach Road near Park View Hotel, Clarke Quay
near Novotel Clarke Quay Hotel, and Gardens by the Bay
at Marina Bay but was told by the authorities that these sites were unavailable. Other plans included relocating the balloon to Kuala Lumpur
or Johor Baru in Malaysia. Terminating the venture would cost the company S$1.2 million.
Unable to find a suitable site at which to continue operations, Singapore Ducktours dismantled the DHL Balloon in October 2008.
NB: With a capacity of 7,800 cubic metres, the Lindstrand Technologies
Hiflyer's in Johannesburg
and Mexico City
are believed to be the largest passenger carrying tethered helium balloons currently in operation.
, Suntec City
, Marina Bay, Orchard Road
and Little India
, and could see Indonesia
and Malaysia. Standard flights to 150 metres typically lasted between seven to ten minutes and higher level flights to 180 metres lasted up to 13 minutes.
. It was one of only fifteen similar balloons around the world in cities including Paris
and Hong Kong
made by Aerophile.
As the balloon was anchor
ed to the ground with a metal cable
, it was only able to ascend and descend vertically. It was approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
to ascend to a maximum altitude of 180 metres, or around 48 stories. Flights to either 150 metres or 180 metres were offered. It could accommodate a maximum of 29 passengers in its gondola
.
within the gondola. A hydro-electric winch
system controlled take-off and landing. As a safety measure, the balloon was not flown when there was lightning
, rain, or when the wind speed
exceeded five knots on the ground as measured by an anemometer
.
s visited the balloon each year to conduct an inspection.
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
Balloon, located in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, was the world's second largest tethered helium balloon
Tethered helium balloon
A tethered helium balloon is a helium-filled gas balloon which is tethered to the ground, or to a road vehicle, by a steel rope and raised and lowered by a winch.- Tethered or Static Helium Balloon:...
. It was closed and dismantled in October 2008.
History
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, near the New 7th Storey Hotel
The New 7th Storey Hotel
The New 7th Storey Hotel was a budget hotel located on Rochor Road in the Downtown Core of Singapore.-History:The New 7th Storey Hotel was established in 1953. The founder of the hotel, Wee Thiam Siew, spotted the potential for a hotel business on its current site in the early 1950s. Wee also owned...
and Bugis MRT Station
Bugis MRT Station
Bugis MRT Station is located on the East West Line of Singapore MRT. It is located next to Bugis Junction, which has a direct link to the mall. It has almost the same design as the neighbouring Lavender MRT Station, save for the different colours of lights used...
.
Launched at a cost of S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
2.5 million, the DHL Balloon was a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
by Aerophile Balloon Singapore Pte Ltd
Aerophile SA
Aerophile SA is a French company specializing in tethered helium balloons, which offer a safe aerial experience from a fixed location.- History :...
and Vertical Adventure Pte Ltd, and took one year to plan. The project was sponsored by global courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
, freight
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
and logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
company DHL Express
DHL Express
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
which received exclusive advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
space on the balloon.
The business partners involved in the project worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Singapore Government.-Mission:The authority was established on 1 April 1974, and is of especially critical importance to the city-state,...
(URA), Singapore Land Authority
Singapore Land Authority
The Singapore Land Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Law of the Singapore Government.-History:...
and Singapore Tourism Board
Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.-History:...
to allow public advertising on the balloon, and arranged to lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
the site at a cost of more than S$1 million over two years. Prior to this project, large advertisements in public areas were not allowed in Singapore. S$800,000 was spent priming the ground for the balloon and another S$60,000 to purchase the helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
.
On 19 April 2006, 40 crew members took 12 hours to inflate the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-made balloon, which took its first passengers in May 2006. The DHL Balloon was operated by Singapore Ducktours, a company which also offers city tours on its amphibious vehicle
Amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
s. By September 2007, more than 150,000 people had ridden on the balloon, 70% of whom were tourists
Tourism in Singapore
Tourism in Singapore is a major industry and contributor to the Singaporean economy, attracting 11,638,663 tourists in 2010, over twice Singapore's total population. Its cultural attraction can be attributed to its cultural diversity that reflects its colonial history and Chinese, Malay, Indian and...
. Up to 1,000 people rode the balloon each weekend and its usage was the highest among all of Aerophile's balloons.
The DHL Balloon's lease on its site on Tan Quee Lan Street expired in August 2008 and URA terminated the lease as the site was to be used for the new Bugis MRT Station. Singapore Ducktours considered three alternative sites: Beach Road near Park View Hotel, Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, located within the Singapore River Planning Area. The quay is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River and Boat Quay.-Etymology:...
near Novotel Clarke Quay Hotel, and Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay consists of three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, spanning a total of 101 hectares. They are set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, encircling the Marina Reservoir like a green necklace...
at Marina Bay but was told by the authorities that these sites were unavailable. Other plans included relocating the balloon to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
or Johor Baru in Malaysia. Terminating the venture would cost the company S$1.2 million.
Unable to find a suitable site at which to continue operations, Singapore Ducktours dismantled the DHL Balloon in October 2008.
NB: With a capacity of 7,800 cubic metres, the Lindstrand Technologies
Lindstrand Technologies
Lindstrand Technologies was founded by record-breaking balloonist, Per Lindstrand . The factory has been based on the same site in England for nearly 30 years producing lighter-than-air vehicles and inflatable structures....
Hiflyer's in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
are believed to be the largest passenger carrying tethered helium balloons currently in operation.
Ride
Passengers could ride the DHL Balloon and have a view of Singapore's Central Area, including the central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, Suntec City
Suntec City
Suntec City is a major multi-use development located in Marina Centre, a subzone of the Downtown Core Planning Area in Singapore.- Design :Suntec City was designed by Tsao & McKown Architects with emphasis on Chinese geomancy . The five buildings and the convention center are arranged so that they...
, Marina Bay, Orchard Road
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is a road in Singapore that is the retail and entertainment hub of the city-state. It is regularly frequented by the local population as well as being a major tourist attraction...
and Little India
Little India, Singapore
Little India is an ethnic neighbourhood found in Singapore that has Tamil cultural elements. Little India lies to east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north of Kampong Glam. Both areas are part of the urban planning area of Rochor...
, and could see Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia. Standard flights to 150 metres typically lasted between seven to ten minutes and higher level flights to 180 metres lasted up to 13 minutes.
Features and specifications
The DHL Balloon measured 22 metres in diameter and was filled with 6,500 cubic metres of helium. It was certified as an aircraftAircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
. It was one of only fifteen similar balloons around the world in cities including Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
made by Aerophile.
As the balloon was anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
ed to the ground with a metal cable
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
, it was only able to ascend and descend vertically. It was approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government...
to ascend to a maximum altitude of 180 metres, or around 48 stories. Flights to either 150 metres or 180 metres were offered. It could accommodate a maximum of 29 passengers in its gondola
Gondola (disambiguation)
A gondola is a traditional Venetian rowing boat, best known today for transporting tourists.Gondola may also refer to:-Fixed structures:...
.
Piloting
The balloon, which flew between two to six times an hour, was operated by a pilotAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
within the gondola. A hydro-electric winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
system controlled take-off and landing. As a safety measure, the balloon was not flown when there was lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, rain, or when the wind speed
Wind speed
Wind speed, or wind velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric rate.Wind speed affects weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction projects, growth and metabolism rate of many plant species, and countless other implications....
exceeded five knots on the ground as measured by an anemometer
Anemometer
An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any airspeed measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamics...
.
Maintenance
A crew of six pilots worked in rotation with one on duty at any one time. They conducted routine checks daily, weekly and every three months on the balloon and its equipment. The helium was replenished every four to six months and engineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s visited the balloon each year to conduct an inspection.