Our History - Aérophile

Our history

Can you summarize, in a few lines, the genesis of this project? Where did you get this fascination with balloons, airships, and other flying objects?

Jérôme / I loved flying in a hot air balloon. I wanted to share my passion for the air with as many people as possible, without it costing them dearly.

Matthieu / We loved so much flying, that we had already set up our balloon club during our studies at École Polytechnique. So, at the exit of the Bridges and Roads, in 1993, we created the company: Aerophile was born!

What is Aerophile’s goal?
Which values do you want to put forward?

Jérôme / We have a lot of fun installing our systems over sites that deserve to be discovered from the top and made accessible to all for a reasonable price. Our aerial vehicles really make it possible to discover the beauty of a site from the sky. In general, our customers always feel a little apprehensive before going up and are overcome by a feeling of beauty at the sight from above and then come down with a smile because they overcame a little fear in exchange for great joy while sharing this adventure with others.

Matthieu / The balloon is more than ever in the air. It is silent and non-polluting. It’s a unique way to discover your environment while respecting it. The balloon allows us to go further by equipping it with sensors that measure different pollutants of the air, to better understand and raise public awareness of this public health issue.

How do you envision Aerophile’s future?

Matthieu / We had the chance to install balloons in more than 30 countries, but there are still a lot of places to equip. The balloon is a way to sublimate the discovery of a site, and to make it more attractive. With our experience, we aim to equip new major tourist sites and discover new territories because we are convinced that it is in the interest of the sites and their visitors.

Jérôme / We are always looking for improvement of this experience in all its forms, other types of vehicles … other sites to discover … other experiences to offer …

Ecole Polytechnique’s Hot Air Balloon

Co-Founders Jérôme Giacomoni and Matthieu Gobbi

Can you summarize, in a few lines, the genesis of this project? Where did you get this fascination with balloons, airships, and other flying objects?

Jérôme / I loved flying in a hot air balloon. I wanted to share my passion for the air with as many people as possible, without it costing them dearly.

Matthieu / We loved so much flying, that we had already set up our balloon club during our studies at École Polytechnique. So, at the exit of the Bridges and Roads, in 1993, we created the company: Aerophile was born!

Co-Founders Jérôme Giacomoni and Matthieu Gobbi

What is Aerophile’s goal?
Which values do you want to put forward?

Jérôme / We have a lot of fun installing our systems over sites that deserve to be discovered from the top and made accessible to all for a reasonable price. Our aerial vehicles really make it possible to discover the beauty of a site from the sky. In general, our customers always feel a little apprehensive before going up and are overcome by a feeling of beauty at the sight from above and then come down with a smile because they overcame a little fear in exchange for great joy while sharing this adventure with others.

Matthieu / The balloon is more than ever in the air. It is silent and non-polluting. It’s a unique way to discover your environment while respecting it. The balloon allows us to go further by equipping it with sensors that measure different pollutants of the air, to better understand and raise public awareness of this public health issue.

How do you envision Aerophile’s future?

Matthieu / We had the chance to install balloons in more than 30 countries, but there are still a lot of places to equip. The balloon is a way to sublimate the discovery of a site, and to make it more attractive. With our experience, we aim to equip new major tourist sites and discover new territories because we are convinced that it is in the interest of the sites and their visitors.

Jérôme / We are always looking for improvement of this experience in all its forms, other types of vehicles … other sites to discover … other experiences to offer …

Ecole Polytechnique’s Hot Air Balloon

Key dates

1992

The idea of the captive balloon was born in the spirit of Jérôme Giacomoni and Matthieu Gobbi.

1993

Jérôme Giacomoni and Matthieu Gobbi create Aerophile S.A. and start designing the first thethered balloon of modern times.

1994

The first Aerophilic captive balloon takes off in Chantilly (France). Never, such a big gas balloon had been built for decades.

1999

Three new Aerophile captive balloons have been installed in France, including the big Paris balloon operated by Aerophile.

2005

Continuous innovation and a new captive balloon prototype is designed by Aerophile, the PanoraMagique, launched the same year at Disneyland Resort Paris.

2007

The co-founders imagine a new captive balloon system for shopping malls, the Aerophare, which has a powerful metal structure for the ascent and descent of the balloon. That year also marked the launch of the first balloon operated in the United States at Orange County Great Park, near Los Angeles.

2008

This is the launch of the Ballon Air de Paris, in partnership with the CNRS, to calculate in real time the air quality in Paris.

2009

Aerophile’s large tethered balloon launches in the United States at the world’s largest amusement park, Walt Disney World Resort, Florida.

2013

Jérôme Giacomoni and Matthieu Gobbi officially invent and launch Aerobar, the first aerial bar in the world, set up at Futuroscope to make this attraction accessible to as many people as possible. This year also marks the return of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Balloon.

2014

After the success of captive balloon operations, the co-founders finally opened their own amusement park, the Parc du Petit Prince, the first air park in the world, in Alsace.

2017

Aerophile’s activities welcomed more than 500,000 visitors in 2017, and 200,000 visitors to the Petit Prince Park the same year.

2018

Aerophile is starting a research and development project to test a new outdoor air purification system. It is also the recovery of the Angkor balloon and the acquisition of a hotel and restaurants near the Petit Prince Park.