School Presentations

Cheers Over California school presentations offer an opportunity to introduce students to the wonders of ballooning, the earliest form of manned flight. Our presentation consists of two components, a field demonstration of the hot air balloon equipment and a 30 minute talk on the science and history of ballooning followed by a question and answer session.

The pilot will supervise balloon assembly and inflation, inviting the participation and questions of the students. Once the system is up and secure, the pilot may invite students, faculty and bystanders over to inspect the balloon for demonstration and to ask questions. Weather and safety permitting, the pilot may invite faculty into the basket for a more hands on experience. It is uncommon for the pilot to leave the ground during school assemblies due to safety issues; however if extra support staff are provided and weather conditions ideal, perhaps the school Principal and a few teachers could ascend for some extra fun. The pilot has complete authority over balloon operations and may choose to terminate the inflation at any time for safety reasons.
After the balloon is deflated and packed away, the pilot will speak to the children about the history of flight and answer questions. This may be done in a classroom/auditorium environment or outdoors. The classroom session generally lasts about 30 minutes.

What is required for a school presentation?

All balloon operations take place at the beginning of the school day in order to take advantage of the cool and stable conditions of the morning. Scheduling must be made with this in mind.

Upon arrival, the balloon will require a minimum 200' diameter area free of power lines, lamp posts, trees or other obstructions. The balloon will require at least two vehicles in addition to the balloon support vehicle to use as tie off points. We would like to have a few (2-4) able bodied volunteers to assist as crew for assembly and disassembly of the balloon.

Should weather conditions prevent the outdoor inflation of the balloon the pilot will assemble enough of the equipment as to provide an educational and entertaining assembly for the students.

What is the cost?

Minimal. We provide our school presentations to promote children's interest in ballooning and the science of flight. We only charge for our average expenses for hired crew and fuel. Contact us for more information.