So I got curious about how high a helium balloon could fly after watching one vanish into the clouds last weekend. Grabbed supplies from my garage: regular party balloons, a helium tank leftover from my kid’s birthday, fishing line, and an old GoPro.
The setup mess
First disaster: balloon kept leaking helium while tying it. Wasted three balloons trying to knot them fast. Finally got one tied tight. Then spent 20 minutes trying to attach the fishing line to the GoPro without it slipping off.
Launch chaos
Went to my backyard holding balloon with GoPro dangling. Neighbor yelled “Hey Dave!” just as I released it. Balloon hit tree branches. Pulled it down, untangled, bruised elbow.
Second attempt worked. Balloon shot up like crazy. Watched till it became tiny dot. Fishing line ripped out my hands at 100ft – underestimated wind jerk. Whole spool unrolled and vanished. RIP GoPro.
What actually happened
Watched footage later (glad I synced cloud backup). Saw balloon expand as it rose – looked like pufferfish. Popped around minute 7. Before burst, footage showed:
- Size mattered most – Smaller balloon I tried earlier climbed slower. This big one had more gas lifting power against string weight.
- Skinny air=big balloon – The higher it went, the more stretched it got. Like overfilled water balloon.
- Cheap rubber fails – At pop moment, thin spot near knot gave way first.
No fancy altimeter data since GoPro died. But judging cloud heights from weather app, estimate it made 25,000-30,000ft before bursting. Higher than airplanes in footage until clouds ate it.
Key takeaway? Bigger balloons with strong material fly highest. Thinner air up there makes them swell until BANG. Also learned: tie your GoPro tighter than your ex’s grudges.