Michigan hot air balloon company breaks national record
DEXTER, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Cameron Balloons has been crafting hot air balloons in its Dexter warehouse since 1986.
It recently made headlines for its role in designing a balloon used in a world record-breaking HALO formation jump.
Known as the Alpha 5 Project, the group successfully made the jump at 38,000 feet. The effort was for a good cause: To raise funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
"It allowed us to do something we've never done before," said owner of Cameron Balloons U.S. Andrew Baird. "We built the biggest balloon we've ever made. It was also the biggest balloon ever manufactured in the United States, the biggest balloon operating in the United States."
Making a hot air balloon is a meticulous process.
From weaving rattan rods and sewing fabric by hand, there is no room for error – every square inch is designed by engineering.
"Quality is very important to us, you know, we're building aircraft, and people's lives are at stake," said Baird. "We have a very complex, quality system. And then when the whole balloon is finally built, being Michigan, we wait for a nice day, and then we take it right out back here and inflate it in our field, and we get to see the finished product larger than life, seven, eight, 10 stories tall."
Every basket is hand-woven and can take five to six weeks to complete.
The rods are soaked overnight to make them more pliable before weaving can begin.
Basket weaver Brittany Wollet said it takes a long time to master the craft.
"I've been working here for almost four years now, and I'm still asking questions," she said. "It was about a year and a half that I could make a basket start to finish by myself."
Once each basket is complete, it is tested for safety and is custom labeled with the name of the person who made it.
When it comes to design, Baird said they've made castles, a TV monitor and polar bears for clients.
"If it's a weird shape that can turn into a hot air balloon, we've probably built it," he said.
Baird said his favorite part of ballooning is sharing his love for flying and crafting balloons with others.
"Ballooning for me has always held my fascination," he said. "It's one of those sports where you're always learning something new. The thing that excites me and still fuels me is I'm passionate about ballooning. I love to fly.
"Lots and lots of people fly in the balloons that we make, and we're sharing our love of the sport with everybody else."