The following interesting balloon facts come from a William & Mary College webpage.
In order to have a balloon in the parade, companies must pay Macy’s $190,000 the first year to cover the cost of construction. After that the yearly price of admission is about $90,000. In total, companies are paying Macy’s about $5 million a year.
The night before Thanksgiving is termed “Inflation Day” by Macy’s. At this time, many New Yorkers crowd around to watch the giant balloons being inflated for the morning’s parade.
Macy’s is the world’s second largest consumer of helium (the US government is the first).
Balloons can become unruly and dangerous when winds get high. If winds pick up, handlers must rein the balloon in and fly it close to the ground. Some times, conditions have become so bad that balloons are removed from the procession.
All balloons are constructed in an old Tootsie-roll factory that now functions as a parade studio.
These days roughly 15 balloons are flown each year, though in the first years there were as few as three.
Each balloon takes 320 to 450 pounds of nylon.
Each balloon is filled with 10,000 to 14,000 cubic feet of helium. The largest balloon ever, Shamu the baby whale, used over 18,000 cubic feet.
Baloons consist of multiple chambers, which aid in balance and allow the balloon to continue flying even if one chamber leaks. It is also easier for artists to construct the balloons piece-meal. The chambers carry different pressures to ensure that the various parts of the balloon take on the shape they are supposed to.
During inflation, balloons are held in place with enormous nets and 50 tons of sandbags. The nets alone cover some 10,000 square feet, and two whole city blocks are closed off for the process.
On average, each balloon requires 50 handling lines and 60 or 70 handlers to be flown. There are also a pilot, two copilots, a captain, and two co-captains who go through extensive training.
