Head over! Festo-Ballon inspires in the Esslingen district at anniversary

Head over! Festo-Ballon inspires in the Esslingen district at anniversary

Essling, Deutschland - What is the hidden over the sky of Esslingen? A balancing hot air balloon from Festo is amazed and a little confusion. The balloon, which appears to be hanging upside down, is not only a work of art, but also a cleverly planned advertising work on the occasion of the company's 100th anniversary. Images of the surprising sight are already circulating on social media, such as on the Instagram account "@stuttgarter.memes".

The astonishing sight is also reinforced by the special construction of the balloon: the gondola that is actually upside down is a dummy. The "right" gondola with the pilot and an occasional passenger-mostly a Festo employee-is invisible on the bottom of the balloon. This type of captive balloon, which has existed since 1995, has also caused excitement in the past. In the case of earlier flights, concerned passers -by even reported supposed flight accidents, which led to the fact that the police had to give the all -clear several times.

captive balloons and their history

But what exactly is a bondage balloon? According to Wikipedia, it is a balloon filled with a support gas that remains connected to the floor by a leash. This type of balloon has a long history that goes back to the 18th century. They were used, among other things, during the two world wars for aerial reconnaissance and as a barrier balloon against low -flying pilot.

In contrast to the modern advertising ballons, as we know them today, the oldest preserved military balloon, the "Intrépide", is located in the Vienna Army History Museum. In any case, bonded balloons are not only foam kisses for the sky, but also play a role in aviation history. Historically, they were deployed during the Second World War to prevent low -flyers by anchored with rope barriers on the ground, as the website of Stuttgart's website explains.

visible relics of the past

These rope blocks, which originally served to air safety, can still be seen in some areas today. They have been reduced over the years due to their ineffectiveness, since most enemy planes flew to altitudes that could hardly affect the defense measures. There were also numerous myths among the population that said that these constructions could even use radio waves to disturb the enemy aircraft - an idea that turned out to be unfounded.

The modern bondage balloons have developed further and are often used for advertising and promotion today. Smaller, unmanned variants are often found at political events or for summer advertising campaigns at the city festival. Many passers -by and tourists enthusiastically watch the colorful balloons that are visible with colorful logos and from air.