The questions that arrive after the box does.
Buying helium
Find a welding-gas or industrial-gas supplier in your city. Every metropolitan area has several and they handle small repeat accounts routinely. Do not order helium online.
About $300 per 200 cubic foot cylinder, roughly $1.50 per cubic foot. Ask about cylinder rental terms on the first call, because that is the cost people forget and it appears on a second invoice.
Knowing when to top off
You lose about one percent a day, so nothing fails suddenly. The envelope softens and the balloon rides lower on its tether.
Use that sag as your gauge rather than a calendar, and judge it in the warm part of the day. Cold makes gas contract, so a winter morning balloon looks softer than it is and people waste helium chasing a problem that is not there.
The wind rule
Winds over 25 miles per hour in the forecast means bring it in. Not when the wind arrives, when it is forecast.
Wind is what takes balloons. Normal use does not wear them out in any way you will notice, and customers report fourteen years. Weather loss is not covered by our warranty or anybody else’s, and it is entirely avoidable.
Flight height and airspace
Below 150 feet above ground level the FAA is not involved. We fly at 120 feet, deliberately under that line.
The exception is controlled airspace. Within five miles of it, call the local tower and ask permission. In forty years we have never been refused. Johnny Mulder, who runs the company, holds an FAA commercial pilot certificate, which is why this answer is specific rather than vague.
Your local sign ordinance is a separate question and worth checking before a permanent install.
Indoors
Fifteen feet of clear ceiling for a 13-foot blimp. Net lift is about three pounds, so a sandbag or a booth tie-off holds it.
At one percent loss a day, one fill comfortably covers a three-day show. Ask the venue about helium rules specifically, not just hanging signage; some halls restrict it regardless of ceiling height.
More at arizonaballoon.com.