We are planning a balloon release. Who do we need to tell?

Balloon releases are great and used for a number of reasons and occasions but I will go into all the technicalities and emotive issues of balloon release in later posts. The thing that many people worry about are the legalities so if I deal with this now we can put this to one side and concentrate on the more fun side of organising your balloon release.

The organisation that could be most affected by your balloon release is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and as they actually produce a directive that covers balloon releases we can be quite clear on what they need to know and why.

The main issues are large number of balloons showing up as an unidentified object on Air Traffic Control's (ATC) radar and them not knowing what it is or what it is going to do - not something you would want to happen if you were one of the passengers on a nearby plane!

The other concern raised is of an inflated balloon being sucked into the engine and causing it to fail - however this has proved not to be a concern by the CAA as discussions between Rolls Royce Engineering and the CAA Safety Regulation Group’s Propulsion Department have determined that the ingestion of balloons would not have a detrimental effect on a gas turbine engine’s performance, regardless of its passage through the engine - that's good to know!

However, the biggest concern to the CAA is that pilots may swerve to avoid large concentrations of balloons so to prevent this, when they are notified of large balloon releases, they issue a Notice To Airmen. Therefore it is very important that you tell the authorities of your plans.

Under 1000 Balloons
If your planned release is within 5 nautical miles (about 5.75 land miles!) of an airport then you must notify the Airspace Utilisation (AU) whatever the number of balloons you are releasing (although be realistic I don't think we are talking 1 or 2 - my gut tells me over 200 but then if you are planning to let them go directly on the other side or the perimeter fence then you may want to think again!). If you are releasing over 5 miles from an airport then you don't have to worry about notifying them unless you are releasing at over1000.

Between 1000 & 5000 Balloons
You should contact AU (e-mail is fine) to find out which ATC Units may be affected by the release. They will supply you with the contact details and you will then need to contact them before the date of the release and again on the day of release. You should also inform your local police of the planned release.

Between 5001 & 20,000 Balloons
You must apply in writing to AU, giving at least 28 days’ notice - or fill out this form . You will receive an approval letter or a Permission depending on the proximity of your intended release. AU will co-ordinate with any ATC Units affected by the release so you don't need to do anything else. For your information the departments that the AU will advise are below:


 For sites outside controlled or notified airspace, AU will issue an approval letter to the organiser and copy this to the affected ATC Units, airports, Police Air Support and Air Ambulance Units.
For sites within controlled or notified airspace, AU will issue a Permission to the organiser and copy it to the affected ATC Units, airports, Police Air Support and Air Ambulance Units. AU will send out a Notice to Airmen*.

Over 20,000 Balloons
You must apply in writing to AU, giving at least 28 days’ notice - or fill out this form . AU will issue you with a Permission and co-ordinate with any ATC Units affected by the release.

AU send a copy of the Permission to the affected ATC Units, airports, Police Air Support and Air Ambulance Units. AU will send out a Notice to Airmen* .


* A Notice To Airmen is created and sent by government agencies to alert aircraft pilots of any hazards en route or at a specific location.

Additional Guidelines from the CAA
Balloons must be made of latex, not foil or have a metallic pigment (pearlised or metallic finish latex balloons).

CAA strongly recommend that plastic inserts are not used to seal the balloons (I will explain in a later post why you should NEVER use them but here with are dealing with CAA regulations!) nor lengths of ribbon, string or streamers; balloons must not be tied together.

When balloons are restrained prior to release (in a net etc.) make sure this is tied securely to the ground or a fixed structure (a car or van would also count) to prevent the net taking off with the balloons still inside.


CAA Contact Details
In writing: Airspace Utilisation, Directorate of Airspace Policy, K6 G2, CAA House, Kingsway, London, WC2B 6TE
By phone 0207 453 6599  by fax 0207 453 6593
By e-mail: ausops@caa.co.uk