 A Cameron Z105 balloon. For the full story click on the picture Cameron Balloons was established in 1971 in Bristol, England, by Don Balloon to manufacture hot air balloons. Cameron had previously, with others, constructed ten hot air balloons under the name Omega. Production was initially in the basement of his house, moving in 1972 to an old church in the city. In 1983 Cameron Balloons moved into its current premises in the former Robinsons paper bag/printing factory (built in 1887 in the Bedminster area of the city). In 1989 the company received the Queens Award for Export. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (750x911, 138 KB)Although this looks like a picture of a forced landing near a road, in fact the landing was on the other side of the hedge. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (750x911, 138 KB)Although this looks like a picture of a forced landing near a road, in fact the landing was on the other side of the hedge. ...
1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Greater Bristol. ...
Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004...
The term Don may refer to: Don, Donald Ducks nickname. ...
Hot air balloon being inflated by its propane burners prior to a dawn launch Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology, dating back to the Montgolfier brothers invention in Annonay, France in 1783. ...
1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...
1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ...
Bedminster is an area of Bristol to the south of the city centre; once a small town in Somerset. ...
1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Output has grown to around 500 balloons per year making Cameron the largest manufacturer of hot air balloons in the world. Cameron Balloons is also famous for its special shapes, the first being Robertson's Golly, constructed in 1975. Most special shapes are made for commercial advertising, but some have been bought privately. Notable amongst these private buyers is the late Malcolm Forbes of Forbes magazine, who commissioned a number of special shapes, including Harley-Davidson motorbike, Sphinx, bust of Beethoven, French Chateau, Pagoda and Minaret. Malcolm Stevenson Forbes (August 19, 1917 - February 24, 1990), known as Malcolm Forbes, was publisher of the magazine Forbes, founded by his father B.C. Forbes and today run by his son Steve Forbes. ...
Forbes Building on Fifth Avenue in New York City Forbes is an American business and financial magazine founded in 1917 by B.C. Forbes. ...
Logo on a 2003 Harley Davidson The Harley-Davidson Motor Company (NYSE: HDI) is a manufacturer of motorcycles based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...
The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background. ...
Ludwig van Beethoven (pronounced ) (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and pianist. ...
A château ( French for castle; plural châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of gentry, usually French, with or without fortifications. ...
A pagoda at Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in China, Japan, Korea, and other parts of Asia. ...
Minarets (Arabic manara منارة, but more usually مئذنة) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. ...
The Bedminster factory occupies three floors. Most factory space (first and second floors) is devoted to laying out the hundreds of yards of fabric which is sewn together by machinists. If the detail on the balloon is intricate, to save cost and weight, the designs may be sprayed or painted on instead.
The company also makes airships, helium balloons and static inflatables. The company has been involved in record breaking balloon flight attempts including trans-Atlantic, altitude and distance records. USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship is a buoyant aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
Expansion via Acquisitions
During the 1990s, Cameron strengthened its position in the global market for hot air balloons via a string of acquisitions. First, Cameron acquired its main British competitor Thunder & Colt Balloons. Then, it bought the smaller Sky Balloons, which had been formed by former Thunder & Colt employees after the company's sale. Finally, Cameron acquired two-thirds ownership of Lindstrand Balloons, which had been formed by Per Lindstrand after he left Thunder & Colt in the early 1990s. Cameron bought the majority stake in Lindstrand Balloons from Rory McCarthy, a British industrialist associated with Richard Branson, who had invested in the company to support Branson's series of record-setting balloon flights. Lindstrand Balloons is a manufacturer of hot air balloons, which was started by Swedish-born Per Lindstrand in Oswestry, England, after he left Thunder & Colt Balloons in the mid-1990s. ...
Per Lindstrand (right) with Richard Branson and the Virgin Pacific Flyer capsule in Miyakonojo, Japan Per Lindstrand (born August 8, 1948, Sweden) is an aeronautical engineer, pilot and adventurer who has lived in Oswestry, England, since 1978. ...
Cameron has integrated the whole Thunder & Colt product range, notably the AS-series hot air airships, into its own offerings, while Sky's products have been discontinued. On the other hand, Lindstrand Balloons continues to operate as an independent company with separate management and its own distinct designs and products. A thermal airship is an airship that generates its lift via a temperature differential between the gas inside its envelope and the ambient air. ...
Lindstrand Balloons is a manufacturer of hot air balloons, which was started by Swedish-born Per Lindstrand in Oswestry, England, after he left Thunder & Colt Balloons in the mid-1990s. ...
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