BB BOT is the latest creation to come out of the Bard Balloons workshop in 2022.

It is by far our most complex Special Shape to date.

After 2 years and 6 full design iterations, we started building – and it took another 2 years to sew together, and after that, another year of flight testing, for a total of almost 5 years. It is now finally ready to be released to the world.

Featuring our very special custom-designed silver reflective lightweight fabric, this balloon is white on the inside with a silver-reflective coating on the outside. It is bright in the daytime - reflecting the light of the sun, as well as bright during night glows.

This balloon has an internal volume of 80,000 cubic feet. Because of the lightweight fabric, the balloon envelope only weighs 100 kg! (220 lbs).

The balloon stands 100 feet tall. It only requires a team of 5 crew and can take two (2) VIPs on each flight.

To follow its adventures worldwide, visit the Bard Balloons Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/bardballoon/

BBTiger came out of the Bard Balloons workshop here in Ottawa, Canada in 2021. It was designed and built during the COVID-19 pandemic to pay homage to 2022, the Year of the Tiger. Like some of the other Bard Balloon Special Shapes, it is done in a "Hello Kitty" style.

Built over the summer and fall of 2020, BBTiger first flew just before the winter of 2021.

LoveBear represents a Canadian Polar Bear. It was done in a “Hello Kitty” style. Built over the summer of 2019 in our Bard Balloons workshop, it first flew in the fall of 2019.

A special feature on this balloon is the large pink heart on the parachute as well as a second one on the back side of the balloon, hence it's name.

Made with special lightweight fabric (the fabric being custom-designed and manufactured just for us), LoveBear contains 1,300 yards (1,500 m) of fabric, weighs only 160 lbs (73 kg) and it has a total volume of 80,000 cubic feet (2,265 cu m). The entire system fits on one small pallet for easy international transportation. It only requires a small team of 4 crew, and can take two (2) VIPs on each flight. As with all our Special Shapes, the lightweight fabric makes it glow well during “night glows”.

To follow its adventures worldwide, visit the Bard Balloons Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/bardballoon/

MyDeerling is was the first of 2 new creations to come out of the Bard Balloons workshop in 2019. It was the first of two complementary Canadian animal Special Shape Hot Air Balloons - both designed in a "Hello Kitty" style.

Built over the winter and spring of 2019, MyDeerling first flew in the summer of 2019, attended festivals in Malaysia, Thailand and the USA even though its 2020 World tour got cut very short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 1,600 yards (1,463 m) of fabric
• 1 kilometer of webbing
• 10 kilometers of thread

• Total Volume: 80,000 cubic feet (2,265 cu m)
• Total Height: 97 feet (30 m)
• Total Width: 90 feet (27 m)
• Length of Antlers: 30 feet (9 m)

The Alien Rocket was the first balloon out of the Bard Balloons workshop. Alain Bard always wanted to be an astronaut, so when he decided to build his first special shape hot air balloon, he decided it had to be a rocket ship!  The Alien Rocket Special Shape Balloon was completed in 2016 and has been a super-successful shape, flying in over 7 countries to date. Kids and adults, boys and girls, everyone loves the Alien Rocket. It somehow ignites childhood dreams whenever and wherever it flies.

• 1,500 yards (1,380 m) of fabric
• 1 kilometer of webbing
• 10 kilometers of thread

• Total Volume: 65,000 cubic feet (1,980 cu m)
• Total Height: 93 feet (29 m)

MISS BIRDY was 3D designed by Bard Balloons and completed in the Whelan workshop in the winter of 2020.

With a little bird sitting on it's head, no one can resist this cute elephant special shape balloon.

With volume of approximately 90,000 ft3, it can accomodate pilot + 2 passengers.

It has made several successfual appearances in Canada and is available for bookings worldwide.

Coming out of the Whelan workshop in 2017, we completed Gone Whelan - and no, it's not a typo!

With a volume of 105,000 cu ft, and with very complex patterning to get the whale body shape, this balloon was a very ambitious project and took the better part of a full year to complete. Every vertical gore has a different set of patterns and it has complex internal structure.

Made with custom-dyed, lightweight diamond-weave fabric, you will likely never see another balloon in this very special teal color.

Gone Whelan has made some successful appearances all over Canada and is available for bookings worldwide.

The Bunch of Bees Special Shape Hot Air Balloon, affectionately known as "BoB", was built and contructed here in Ottawa, Canada, and was completed in 2013. It was the first Special Shape Hot Air Balloon to come out of the Whelan workshop.

BoB is a tribute to Bees, and the plight of bees in our world, and BoB it is a a representation of a hive with 6 bees. The Bunch of Bees balloon took over 1500 hours to complete, and has a main envelope volume of 105,000 cubic feet. It was one of the first-ever special shapes built in the world using lightweight fabric.

It continues to make successful appearances in Canada and the USA in the last few years, and is available for bookings.

After the Bunch of Bees balloon was completed, one of our female pilots wanted her own complementary Bee-themed Balloon, so in asking the question: What’s at the core of beehive? the only answer is a Queen Bee, of course. This Special Shape Balloon is just that - a Queen Bee, also know as QUEEN BEELOON.  She wanted the Queen Bee to be very feminine – so it was constructed with eyelashes and red lips, and a crown with jewels.

This balloon was also completed in 2013 (just after BoB) out of the Whelan workshop, is also made out of lightweight fabric, has made several successful appearances in Canada and the USA in the last few years, and is available for bookings.

In 2014, we completed 2 add-on special shape balloons.

The registration marks for these 2 balloons came in as C-GYTK and C-GYUU, so during construction, C-GYTK became known as Tiki, and C-GYUU became known as YuYu.

So here we have YUYU the Penguin, and TIKI the Fish, both 77,000 cubic foot envelopes, and made of lightweight fabric, with add-ons.

YUYU the Penguin has made one very successful international appearance in Taiwan in 2015, and both balloons have made several Canadian appearances over the last few years.

They are both available for bookings.

SHE'S A HOOT! is another lightweight 77,000 cubic foot add-on special shape balloon we completed in 2015.

It continues to make appearances all over Canada, and is available for bookings.