The Balloon Tour

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Planters, Johnvince Foods has created a special shape Mr. Peanut hot air balloon which takes to the skies and tours Canada for the next three years. Click Here to Download the Balloon Tour Schedule and come SEE FOR YOURSELF!!! - PDF

The balloon program will launch in August 2006 and will appear at special events throughout the country and raise funds for charity. In addition to flying over cities and events, the balloon will also tether (on ropes) at key locations, thus inviting spectators to get a close up view of this unique 13 storey tall aircraft.

Balloon Trivia

- The balloon itself weighs 525 lbs compared to the weight of a traditional shaped balloon of 205 lbs. The total weight of the balloon system including the basket, burners and fuel is 1,050 lbs.

- The balloon has a volume of 130,000 cu. ft. If the balloon was filled, it could hold over 300 million peanuts in the shell

- The Mr. Peanut Special Shape Balloon stands 135' (13 1/2 stories) tall and 45' wide at the brim of his hat. A traditional shaped hot air balloon is less than half this height at 57'. the height of the hat is 29'

- There are 1,985 yards of fabric used in its construction with over 8 miles of thread and took over 690 hours to engineer and hand build.

- Heat is generated by two burners mounted below the mouth of the balloon. The burners generate 18,000,000 BTU each for a combined total of 36,000,000 BTU's or the equivalent of over 3000 horsepower or the heat emitted by burning over 1 ton of paper

- Although a unique shape, the Mr. Peanut balloon is a registered aircraft and is type certified by the FAA (in the U.S.) and Transport Canada. Its model designation is: PNUT.

- Similar to early balloons, the basket is still constructed of hand woven wicker.

- The burners are fueled by propane. The Mr. Peanut balloon carries 20 gallons of propane (in two, 10 gallon stainless steel tanks), which may be consumed within ninety minutes.

- The Hot Air Balloon is the "sailboat of the sky". It has the right of way over all other types of aircraft.

- The pilot of the balloon is called an "aeronaut" and must hold a pilots license endorsed for the flying of lighter than air craft.

- In the summer months, Hot Air Balloons only fly close to dawn and dusk due to daytime unstable air conditions or "thermals" which are caused by ground heating.

- Ballooning originated in France in 1782 by the Mongolfier brothers. The name for Hot Air Balloon in French is "Montgolfier" (Pron, MON-GOLF-YAY). Early Balloons were made from hand sewn materials with rope suspension and were fueled by burning wood.

- The temperature inside the balloon can reach 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Balloons can fly year round and some of the best conditions can be found in the winter, when "thermals" are non-existent and landing fields are abundant.

Click Here to Download the Balloon Tour Schedule and come SEE FOR YOURSELF!!! - 60KB PDF