Air Force Balloon

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About the Air Force Balloons

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  The first Air Force Balloon flight was made in March 1990. The balloon was registered as VH-LDB, which is shortened to the 'call-sign' LDB and said as Lima Delta Bravo when making radio calls. (Just like cars when they are registered to drive on the road, every aircraft has a unique registration number to identify it.)
• The Air Force currently operates two balloons:
  1. VH-FAN (Foxtrot Alfa November) - this balloon has been flying since 2005 and is used for flying training and as a backup for the main display balloon.
  2. VH-DEF (Delta Echo Foxtrot) - this balloon was first flown in September 2006 and is the main display balloon for the Air Force. It is easy to spot in the air because it is decorated with images of an F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft, a member of the Air Force and the RAAF Roundel.
• The Air Force Balloons travel to more than 25 events a year, ranging from small community functions to Defence air shows and large public events.
• The Air Force Balloons carry a minimum of two 76-litre Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders. (LPG, also known as propane, is the same gas we use to fuel a barbecue.)
• The Air Force Balloons carry enough gas to fly for up to three hours, depending on how often the burners are used to gain height.
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  The air inside the Air Force Balloons can be heated to a maximum of 120°C. Temperatures above this may damage the fabric of the balloon.
• The envelope of each Air Force Balloon is made from rip-stop nylon with a polyurethane coating, similar to the material used to make parachutes. This fabric does not keep tearing if punctured in some way.
• The Air Force Balloons have cane baskets that are hung from the burner frame by steel cables, and which carry the pilot and up to four passengers.
• Each flight of an Air Force Balloon needs at least one pilot, with three crew members on the ground to assist with flight preparation, landing and, packing and storing the balloon for the next flight.
• The Air Force Balloons can hold approximately 3,000 cubic metres of air, weighing about four tonnes!
• The Air Force Balloon with the call-sign DEF can carry a weight of up to 1030kg, but the Air Force Balloon with the call-sign FAN is smaller and can only carry 950kg.