Orange balloon to get $500k replacement

socal78

Well-known member
New balloon to take flight over Great Park

"The balloon's paint job, however, wasn't able to hold up from wear and tear from the elements. Faced with the choice of sending the balloon back to France to be repainted every two or three years ? at a cost of $300,000 and a 16-week delay ? Great Park leaders instead chose to buy the more expensive, but longer-lasting, new balloon.

The roughly $500,000 new balloon is actually made out of a dyed, UV protected, Orange covering, Great Park Operations Manager Rod Cooper said."

... "The balloon is expected to have a life-span of five to seven years... they will test the new balloon on Saturday and Sunday. The balloon ride is expected to re-open to the public next weekend..."
 
Why didn't they use UV protected material in the first place? You would think that it would be a "standard" feature on a balloon that is out in the blazing sun 360 days out of the year?
 
I can't believe it!! All the unemployed People in this area and they have to send a Balloon 6,000 miles to paint it? what they gonna do, wait until the wind is going in the direction of France and cut it loose??

"OK, it's on it's way!! Just look out for a big Orange Balloon in about three weeks, Paint it and send it back when the wind is blowing in our direction"

You see huge Balloons going over all the time, they're on their way to be painted...

I see Ballon Paint is on sale at Lowes this week at the District.

Can't they just spray it with Sunscreen once a week??

Then everyone downwind within 5 miles will have the Tropical essence of Coconut in the air...

It's easy to add UV to plastic materials,why do they think the red and amber rear light lenses on their Cars don't fade ?

I think the People in charge of this Balloon are full of hot air!!
 
I wonder whether anyone in the city asked whether this was the right time to spend this much money for this item. I have to think that there are other pressing needs in the city.
 
[quote author="qhrenter"]The new balloon seems to be dramatically more orange than the previous balloon ever was.[/quote]

It should be for half a million!! It should be the Orangest thing on earth <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D -->
 
[quote author="peteruk"]
[quote author="qhrenter"]The new balloon seems to be dramatically more orange than the previous balloon ever was.[/quote]

It should be for half a million!! It should be the Orangest thing on earth <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D -->[/quote]

I think it might be...I saw it aloft the other day and it was practically glowing in the sky.
 
[quote author="traceimage"]
[quote author="peteruk"]

It should be for half a million!! It should be the Orangest thing on earth <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D -->[/quote]

I think it might be...I saw it aloft the other day and it was practically glowing in the sky.[/quote]

No, that was the Sun <!-- s:D -->:D<!-- s:D -->
 
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