Ballooning Brilliance: The Greatest Special Shape Balloons of All Time (Part 2 of 3)

Part 2 of our special shape blog series exploring the greatest special shape hot air balloons ever created for their complex structures and epic designs. Join us as we share some of the best and craziest flying creations the world has ever seen.

If you haven’t read part 1, click here.

Welcome back to part 2. We hope you enjoyed the first part and are ready to see what’s even higher on our list in positions 6 to 15 - we can't wait to show you!

Let’s begin!

15. Energizer Bunny

Reg: N9183X (second version 1999 N15EB, third version 2007 N107EB)
Type: AEROSTAR BUNNY 180
Year: 1994

At number 15 we kick things off with the pink Energizer bunny special shape; a larger-than-life version of the iconic North American mascot. It features the bunny’s signature bright pink fur, black sunglasses, blue flip flops and oversized floppy ears. In both hands (or paws), it holds a massive white drum with the bold Energizer logo prominently displayed. For a time, this was considered to be the tallest hot air balloon in the world. Three versions existed of the balloon sometimes referred to as “Hot Hare”.

Credit: Ben Bläss

14. Case Tractor

Reg: G-BPGN
Type: CAMERON TRACTOR-90
Year: 1989

What a shape this is! Just look at the size of those wheels. Case IH, an American agricultural machinery manufacturer, owned the balloon and was accidentally built in metres instead of feet causing it to be three times the intended size!

A very challenging shape to fly due to the front of the tractor being so heavy meaning it could not inflate properly until in the air. It measured 135ft long, 70ft wide and 96ft tall. On its first ever free flight from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, pilot Sid Cutter landed just outside of fiesta park with barely any fuel left.

View HD image here on Alamy.

Credit: Ballooning Pictures UK

13. Jesus

Reg: N148RV
Type: The Balloon Works JC-9B
Year: 1998

At 110ft tall, with hands stretching 20ft long, the Jesus Christ hot air balloon is a unique sight that never fails to spark curiosity and conversation. Built by the lesser-known The Balloon Works, it took 13 weeks to sew him together, from his blue gold-trimmed robe to the fluffy white cloud he towers above.

Credit: Ben Bläss

12. Chateau de Balleroy

Reg: G-BKBR (second version 1991 G-BTCZ)
Type: CAMERON CHATEAU-84
Year: 1982

The second special shape creation from Malcolm Forbes to make the top 25; the Chateau de Balleroy. Built 5 years earlier than the previously mentioned Harley Davidson, a flying replica of 17th century castle situated in Balleroy, Normandy, this was the first Forbes shape and is undoubtedly one of the very best. The Chateau would often be flown at his annual meets from the estate, high above the real Chateau, creating an epic picture.

Credit: Ben Bläss

11. Douglas the Lurpak Butter Man

Reg: G-BXCK
Type: CAMERON DOUGLAS-110
Year: 1997

Say hello to Douglas, but be quick, before he melts!

The Lurpak butter man balloon features the recognisable mascot of the Lurpak brand, named Douglas, sitting on top a large rectangular block of butter with his legs crossed gazing upwards into the sky. Due to its sheer size and heaviness, the maximum take-off weight was very limited and would often be flown pilot plus just one passenger to ensure there was enough spare lift.

Renowned for his role in crazy stunts, pilot and stuntman Ian Ashpole attempted a record-breaking high-altitude flight in 600 toy balloons, launching from Douglas’ basket at 5,000 feet above Cambridgeshire.

The balloon has a lesser-known history of adventure as he was once stolen from a car park in London but later recovered after a £1,000 reward was offered along with a year’s supply of Lurpak.

View images on Alamy of the high-altitude record attempt.

Credit: Ballooning Pictures UK

10. Sarotti Mohr

Reg: G-MOHR
Type: CAMERON SAROTTI-105
Year: 1989

We arrive at the top 10! Next up is the rather bizarre looking Sarotti Mohr, built to advertise Berlin-based chocolate brand Sarotti, depicting a Genie-like character with gold-pointed shoes and bright clothing, known as the Mohr, the company’s mascot. The placement of the basket under the right foot and still being able to fly and stay level is incredible - a lot of inner baffles on this one that’s for sure.

The gold wand or sceptre it holds symbolises magic and fantasy. It stood 48 metres high and interestingly before the balloon was retired this was removed and replaced with the Mohr holding a Sarotti chocolate bar instead. It must have been a major rebuild with the formation of the hands also being altered.  

Credit: Ballooning Pictures UK

Credit: German Balloon Database

9. Polar Bear

Reg: N3022R / N9506R
Type: CAMERON POLARBEAR-90
Year: 1990

At number 9 is the mighty polar bear from Canada! This 112ft long balloon captures the majestic form of one of the Arctic's most iconic creatures, complete with lifelike paw details and very realistic face artwork. The balloon was piloted by Drew Roznowski, who also flew the American Eagle and Famous Footwear shapes.

The legs and feet of a shape such as this, almost hanging underneath the basket, would not be hot during flight, maybe slightly warm, as the lift is created from the heat rising into the back of the polar bear. Although it is an active 90, this beast of a balloon is so much bigger than a standard “round” 90 envelope.

Admired for its artistic value and realism, the polar bear is a true icon in the world of special shapes.

Credit: Ballooning Pictures UK

8. Action Man

Reg: G-RIPS / G-CGIS
Type: CAMERON PARACHUTIST-110
Year: 1997

The greatest hero of them all, Action Man, is a familiar sight to us at MJ Ballooning!

This gentle giant of the sky was operated by Virgin Airship & Balloon Company (VABC) in its commercial days and designed by creative director Mark Lockwood. Often bright orange smoke would billow from Action Man’s smoke cannisters upon take off.

The design concept started at the whiteboard with Action Man in a stable freefall position complete with mask, chest mounted reserve, oxygen tank and suitably large parachute pack. However, Mark was left with a conundrum - no matter how he tried, due to the human proportions of the superhero there were too many gaps. To resolve the issue, two grey smoke cannisters were fitted, positioned in between the legs and parachute pack.

Countless weeks were spent racing to Cameron Balloons to refine the artwork, branding, and technical details, from perfecting the smoke firing mechanism to ensuring the balloon's hands would be properly supported with use of support lines.

He truly is one of the greats!

Credit: Ballooning Pictures UK

7. Space Shuttle

Reg: N1977
Type: AEROMAGIC SS-38-SS
Year: 2003

At 190ft tall and 115ft wide, this balloon makes even the Caramel and Energizer bunnies look small. It’s of course Patriot, the American Space Shuttle! It’s even taller than the Statue of Liberty and takes at least 20 crew to set up and pack away this gigantic hot air balloon.

At 40% larger than the real shuttles, you could in park one inside this envelope! The space shuttle remains the tallest special shape in the world to this day and is still in airworthy condition. A marvel of engineering.

We should also give mentions to both earlier Cameron versions from 1995 and 2000, which were also incredible but not quite as tall and instead sporting NASA logos.

Credit: Dave Hamrin

Credit: US Flag Balloon, Space Shuttle Balloon, & Flighthouse Balloon

6. Piper

Reg: G-PIPY
Type: CAMERON PIPE-105
Year: 1997

Can you hear bagpipes? Last up in part 2 is “Pipy” the Scottish Piper.

Unlike many commercial advertising balloons, the Piper was created purely for fun to bring joy to people, with creator and pilot Muir Moffat drawing inspiration from his time in a Scottish pipe band. He stands 156ft tall. The faint, slightly darker shading around the jaw, mouth and eyes really adds to the realism of this Cameron masterpiece.

As with many of these tall older character shapes, they have a stern, harsh look on their face, which the Piper is a prime example of. He is very true to reality and lifelike.

Credit: Ben Bläss

Credit: Ballooning Pictures UK

That concludes part 2 of Ballooning Brilliance: The Greatest Special Shapes of All Time. We will be back with part 3 very soon to reveal which balloons make our grand top 5! Which ones are you going for?

See you then!