Helium is what separates a blimp that flies at 120 feet from an inflatable lying on your forecourt. It is also the only cost that repeats.
Lift comes from the air, not the gas
A blimp rises because the air it displaces weighs more than the helium inside it. The lift you get is the difference between the two.
That has two consequences worth knowing. Lighter skin means more usable lift, which is one reason we build in polyurethane rather than heavier PVC. And thinner air means less lift, which is why a balloon in Denver behaves differently from one at sea level.
Net lift on a 13-foot blimp is about three pounds. Enough to hold altitude, light enough that a sandbag anchors it.
No power, no cable, no noise
This is the practical difference from a blower-driven inflatable. Nothing to plug in, no fan running every hour it is up, no extension lead across a walkway, and nothing that collapses when a breaker trips.
It also stays up in the dark, which matters more than people expect in winter when your customers drive past at half four in the afternoon.
The one percent rule
A helium balloon loses roughly one percent of its gas per day. Nothing fails suddenly; the envelope softens and the blimp rides lower on its tether.
In practice that means topping off every three to seven days. For a trade show it means something better: a single fill comfortably covers a three-day event with nothing to do in between.
What the gas costs
Buy it locally from a welding-gas or industrial-gas supplier, about $300 per 200 cubic foot cylinder, roughly $1.50 per cubic foot. Do not order helium online and do not use party-balloon canisters.
A 13-foot blimp takes 170 cubic feet to fill, around $255. A 30-foot takes 1,510, over seven cylinders. That difference is the real argument for choosing the smallest size that does your job.
Ask for a quote. Call 1-800-791-1445 or email sales@arizonaballoon.com and tell us the size and whether you want it printed.
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