Behind the scenes at Cameron Balloons
At Cameron Balloons in the heart of South Bristol the team manufacture hot air balloons and fabric structures. Established in 1971, in the 55 years since they have built over 9500 hot air balloons and are the global leader in this industry.
In March this year I visited the wonderful red brick factory in Bedminster, home of Cameron Balloons. Having grown up in Bristol it was a common site seeing hot air balloons float over the city on calm summer evenings and the city hosts the annual Balloon Fiesta every August so the colourful aircrafts are very much a part of the fabric of Bristol. Cameron Balloons was founded by Don Cameron and even at 86 he still visits the factory and lends his advice to the team of fifty that work throughout the factory. It is so encouraging to witness such a busy production floor - so many of the processes are done in-house and by hand from welding the steel frames to the intricate leather work for the willow baskets. The baskets are made in Somerset and I look forward to visiting that factory in due course. One visit always leads to another...
The light filled top floor was full of machinists, sewing the panels of the balloon 'envelopes' yards of fabric all over the floor. To the untrained eye it looked like chaos but the highly skilled workers knew exactly which part of the pattern they were working on, methodically working their way around the huge designs. Many of the machinists are young, local apprentices, learning their craft on the job and being taught by highly experienced employees who have been with the company for decades. The floor below is spacious enough to inflate and test the envelopes before they are sent out to the client. It was lovely to talk to Cameron Dunnington, a young employee who recently got his pilot's license and has been taking friends out for rides on the Somerset Levels. He has flown in balloons ever since he was young, as it's a hobby he shares with his family. His grandfather worked as a sales director for the company for 20 years. Cameron works on the rigging and inspections - tying in the parachute valve at the top and making sure the balloons are ready for the testing station. Cameron says it's a great place to work, with lots of travel and opportunities.
