Kavanagh Balloons

20/04/2026

Congratulations to our own James Robertson on Rookie of the year at the 2026 National Championship! To cap off a great week of flying he returned to work and learnt how to put a patch someone else's balloon. What a champion!

13/04/2026

2026 Maintenance course registrations are now open.

May 26th, 27th and 28th 2026

Secure your spot today!

https://www.kavanaghballoons.com.au/mtc2026

02/04/2026

Packing all the toys for the Art of flight festival and 2026 Australian National Championship.

Follow the action and results on Watchmefly.com

https://art-of-flight.com/?fbclid=IwVERDUAQ7AGdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4IXqBoYUqABQGdxGLT6L-dt8skiiPrsGCh67JPxb03CjMwy-fN62Th1s0tgA_aem_n4rCNBLXg95uYAEV-5eFsA

25/03/2026

ICE vs Electric fan - Sound levels and frequency

We took measurements at 1m, 3m and 6m. These are not calibrated results. We used a good phone app on my Pixel 9 so this is not real data but a good comparison.

The GX200 was typically 6dB louder until you get out to 6m then the gap narrowed to about 4.4db. This is a big difference in sound levels.

Smarter people than me can interpret the frequency data but Gemini seems to agree with my ears that the electric fan leans towards a more comfortable frequency range than the GX200.

25/03/2026

ICE vs Electric.

Today we inflated my admittedly small EX-60 racer with both the Honda GX200 and the Greenworks 82PH36 Electric powerhead for a side by side comparison.

To keep the test even, we did an inflation then squeezed the balloon out and tabbed the vent in before each run.

The Electric fan had two batteries in it and was run at full speed. The Honda was also run at full speed.

We also ran the inflation from half way with the fan on low speed and it still got the vent off the ground. This is not shown in the video but it worked. I think most people will just run it at full speed as the trade off in run time will be balanced by a faster inflation.

Run times on one battery are as follows:

Low = 9:32 (572 sec)
Medium = 7:58 (478 sec)
High = 7:21 (441 sec)

The run time with two batteries is just double as there does not seem to be any extra current draw but we will confirm that with prop speeds testing soon.

This translates into two inflations per battery with no messing around on a small balloon.

Charge time is about 2 hours. The charger is a little noisy with active cooling so probably not the best for a hotel room.

Two batteries will give you less range anxiety and more time for a relaxed or multiple inflations.

We will be inflating a 77 next week with it and will try it on a 90 or 105 at the first opportunity.

The lack of vibration is a revelation and we can now confirm how nicely balanced our carbon props are :)

I will have this in Benalla at the Nationals as my fan during the competition.

Special thanks to Greenworks Australia for the chance to test the 82PH36.

A quick inflation race between a Honda GX200 and the Greenworks 82PH36 electric powerhead.In both cases the balloon was squeezed out and the vent tabbed in t...

24/03/2026

One of these fans is not like the other....

Testing is underway and we will have all the numbers for you soon!

23/03/2026

Do you need a printed map for the 2026 Nationals / Festival of Flight event in Benalla?

Orders close on the 26th March.

Order online now: https://www.kavanaghballoons.com.au/product-page/benalla-2026-printed-map

Maps will be delivered to Benalla over the Easter weekend.

Printed copy of the 2026 Benalla competition map.1:50,000 AO full colour print on 80 GSM paper.841 x 1189mmSelect: "Event Delivery" for free collection in Benalla before the event (April 3rd at the earliest).Order must be placed not later than March 26th to guarantee delivery at the 2026 event.

10/11/2025

🏆 Pacific Cup Victory for the EX-70 and Eddie Saunders

A huge congratulations to Eddie Saunders and his navigator Jacob Brown on their monumental win at The 38th Pacific Cup and Saga International Balloon Fiesta in 2025!

Eddie's victory is the first time an Australian has won at Saga. Everyone knows the exceptional quality of the competitors at this event and will appreciate the incredible consistency required to reach the top step of the podium.

Eddie was flying his Kavanagh-designed and made Zoncello EX-70. This high-performance balloon offers a perfect balance between performance and stability, making it ideal for competition. A key feature is its Lite Vent - easy to use and the safest deflation system in the market.

Eddie is the current Australian Champion and it looks like we already know who the team to beat will be at the 2026 National Championship! Well done!

03/11/2025

A great bit on one of our favourite balloons.

03/11/2025

03/11/2025

A great promo for one of our favourite balloons.