Every advertising blimp looks the same in a photograph. Here are the five things that separate one that lasts fourteen years from one that lasts a season.
1. Ask what the material is
This is the whole ballgame. **PVC** is cheaper and stiffens with age, keeps the creases from wherever it was folded, and goes brittle under ultraviolet light. **Polyurethane** stays flexible, folds and re-inflates without scarring, and tolerates sun far better.
If a seller will not say which one, assume PVC. Ours are polyurethane, and that is why customers write to us still flying the same balloon after fourteen years.
2. Ask whether artwork is included
Plenty of quotes look competitive until artwork, setup and plate charges appear.
Our 13-foot blimp is $1,526 with full colour printed on both sides, included. No setup fee, no artwork fee. Compare on the delivered number, not the headline.
3. Ask what the warranty actually says
Be suspicious of open-ended promises. Ours is narrow on purpose: if it wears out, send it back and we replace it. That covers wear. It does not cover a balloon lost to weather.
No manufacturer covers weather loss. A seller who implies otherwise is either going to argue with you later or has not thought about it.
4. Ask about lift and tethering
Net lift on a 13-foot blimp is about three pounds. That is enough to hold altitude and light enough that a sandbag or a solid tie-off handles it.
If a quote comes with an elaborate anchoring system, ask why. You are not securing an aircraft.
5. Ask about airspace
The right answer is specific: below 150 feet above ground the FAA is not involved, standard practice is 120 feet, and within five miles of controlled airspace you call the local tower.
Most sellers cannot answer this. Johnny Mulder, who runs our company, holds an FAA commercial pilot certificate, which is why we can.
Ask for a quote. Call 1-800-791-1445 or email [email protected] and tell us the size and whether you want it printed.
More at blimpsforsale.com.