Inflating & Tethering

Inflating

Use either a small fan or a blow dryer to inflate your balloon. A blow dryer will work better for smaller balloons, since they are more sensitive to wind and may not heat up very fast.

With a blow dryer - Hold the mouth of the balloon open with one hand, and aim the blow dryer straight into the balloon. A 2-speed/heat blow dryer will work best. Use the highest heat setting. Make sure the hot air is not blowing against one area of the envelope for too long - this can melt the plastic. To avoid melting when you first start inflating the balloon, move the blow dryer back and forth to keep the air stream moving around.

With a fan - Aim the fan into the balloon, turn the fan on and hold the mouth open with both hands. A fan should inflate a balloon a lot faster than a blow dryer. When the balloon is almost full, turn off the fan and hold the balloon with the mouth facing down. The sun will heat the balloon fairly quickly and it will start to rise.

Tethering

My choice of attaching the tether is to form a tough loop made from masking, packing, duct or any kind of strong tape. The loop is several layers thick and has two sticky ends for attaching to the balloon.

I usually use 3-4 shorter strips and 2 long strips of masking tape pressed together. When this is done, I form a loop, with the two sticky ends facing each other. I stick them on the mouth of the balloon, one end on the outside and one on the inside. I usually attach it to a seam for extra strength. Once attached, I reinforce the loop by adding extra tape to the tabs to hold them on extra tight.

What tether to use - My tether of choice is monofilament fishing line. The lb. test (strength) of the line depends on the balloon. For a 5-foot tetroon, I usually use 10-12 lb. test line. On my giant 10-foot tetroon, however, I use 30-50 lb. test line. I prefer the fluorescent line colors, which make the tether easier to see. Clear line is almost invisible on the ground and can be tripped on easily.

When you have selected a good line, attach the end to the loop you made and give it a few hard tugs to make sure it is secure. You are now ready to fly!

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