Reach for the Stars is an excellent tether balloon. Our modified basket will generally hold 4-8 ambulatory people OR 1 wheelchair passenger and 2-3 additional ambulatory people, depending on weight. Our tether height is approximately 75 feet.

Because of the removable door panel, loading and unloading time can be much faster than with a traditional basket which requires climbing in and out. However, keep in mind that when offering tethered rides to people with mobility limitations, the loading/unloading time will go up considerably. This limits the number of people who can be serviced during a given time frame. A typical cycle time is 6 to 10 minutes per wheelchair passenger. This would mean in a typical two hour tether, you would probably be able to give rides to 12-20 wheelchair passengers (and 24-60 of their family and friends).

Because of the lower number of people serviced, a hosting event should not plan on making a profit with the wheelchair tether. Instead, this should be looked at as a terrific community service activity. Corporate or community sponsors are a good source of additional income. We are happy to acknowledge a sponsor’s donation by attaching a banner to the balloon’s envelope or basket.

Since wheelchair rides are limited in number, we have found that general advertising is an impractical way of reaching passengers. You don’t want to risk the disappointment of more wheelchair passengers showing up expecting rides than you are able to provide. We recommend that you solicit groups in your community that support the physically challenged and have them select (via a drawing) the number of people that you expect to service in your tether period. Always have a couple extra people chosen as back-ups in case someone doesn’t show up.