Air Sign Ballooning
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Hot Air Balloons
Aerial Advertising - Sales - Promotion
Champaign Charter Flights
Pilot Training
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R. Riley Signs, LLC also has a Hot-Air Balloon Team. Our “Red-Red” balloon is a 56,000 cubic foot Firefly 6B built by The Balloon Works in Statesville, North Carolina. It is a commercial, type certified aircraft that is inspected annually by an FAA certified repair station.
We normally carry one passenger with this compact sport balloon. We have the capability of launching year ‘round, if the winds are calm, from anywhere we can obtain permission and clearance for aerostatic operations. Normally we fly for about an hour after the sun rises, or before the sun sets (when winds generally die down). Our expert chase crew follows the flight, keeping radio contact for directions, and assists in set-up and break down of the balloon.
Landings are always downwind from the launch site, and are the ultimate exercise in serendipity. We have no brakes or steering wheel, but we have incredible control of altitude, and can bring it into a very small area if need be. The balloon often finds a home in someone’s backyard or on a cul-de-sac. With adequate clearance (about 500ft. to power lines or obstructions), we can also tether the balloon to the ground and repeatedly take people up about 100 feet and bring them back down.
Each flight is celebrated with a champagne toast, and a “tailgate buffet” is served for the passengers, their guests and the crew. Gift certificates are available, and flight instruction is offered. You can e-mail us at:
redredballoon@aol.com,
and call or visit us at R. Riley Signs, LLC.
Artist, Sign maker and Balloonist Randy Riley, owner of R. Riley Signs, LLC, has been flying balloons since 1990. Named the “Rookie of the Year” by the Connecticut Lighter-Than-Air Society in the year 2000, he won the “Long Jump” record for 2002, and 2nd place overall for the year 2003. With over 100 safe landings, Randy holds an FAA pilot certificate and has flown at many of the balloon rallies in the Northeast.