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The Reference on Airships

After Colt Balloons unveiled its Cloudhopper by flying it over the Thames River in downtown London under the sponsorship of Smirnoff Vodka in 1979, many other balloon manufacturers jumped on the Solo Balloon bandwagon. Since the 1970s, there have also been numerous experimental Solo Balloons ranging from hair raising lawnchair vehicles to sophisticated, record-setting designs. Please note that I have only listed the Solo Balloons that are commercially available today.

	The Thunder & Colt Cloudhopper is the one that started it all. Today's improved generation is based on a paragliding harness, which makes it very comfortable for long duration flights. In addition, the new steel frame design allows standard propane tanks of all sizes to be used and interchanged without modification. Additional information is available on the Thunder & Colt website. (Image courtesy of Cameron Balloons US.)
When Lindstrand Balloons was founded in 1995, Per Lindstrand and his engineers redesigned the Cloudhopper from ground up. They introduced a new fold-away seat that greatly improved comfort in flight and upon landing and also incorporated a scaled down version of the Lindstrand Jetstream Burner and monobloc valve in its design. Following Thunder & Colt's lead, Lindstrand converted their Cloudhopper to a frame design that accepts all tanks from 40 to 80 liters (10-20 gallons) in late 1999. Additional information is available on the Lindstrand Balloons Ltd. and Lindstrand Balloons US websites. (Image courtesy of Linstrand Balloons US.)
	Cameron Balloons presented its own Sky Hopper soon after the original T&C Cloudhopper was introduced. Originally featuring a rigid seat and armrests with incorporated burner controls, today's Cameron SkyHopper is a rebranded version of the T&C Cloudhopper. (Thunder & Colt Balloons became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cameron Balloons Ltd. in 1995.) Additional information is available on the Cameron Balloons Ltd. and Cameron Balloons US websites. (Image courtesy of Cameron Balloons US.)

I believe this is the first time all these Solo Balloons have been presented on a single web page. Maybe you will be captivated by the idea of strapping a tank to your back and taking to the air and will purchase one soon. Maybe you will simply keep dreaming about owning a Cloudhopper. In any case, I hope that you enjoy the information provided herewith.