In most states the question is whether the FAA cares. In Massachusetts the question is what your town’s bylaw says, and the answer varies street by street.
The FAA part is easy
Below 150 feet above ground level the FAA is not involved. We fly at 120 feet, deliberately under that line.
The exception is controlled airspace: within five miles of a field with a tower, you call and ask. Around Boston, Worcester, Bedford and the Cape fields that catches more locations than people expect. It is a short call and in forty years we have never been refused.
The local bylaw part is not
Massachusetts towns write their own sign bylaws, and many of them are old, detailed, and written by people who did not love the idea of temporary advertising.
Some treat a tethered balloon as a temporary sign with a permit and a day limit. Some treat it as a banner. Some do not mention it at all, which is its own kind of risk.
Call your town’s building or zoning department before you order. Ask specifically about **tethered balloons or temporary signage**. Five minutes on the phone is much cheaper than a cease-and-desist after you have printed your name on one.
Where it works well here
Commercial strips on state routes, auto dealers, garden centres, seasonal farm stands and anywhere on a road where people are driving rather than walking.
It works less well in dense historic downtowns, both because the bylaws are stricter and because the traffic is slower and closer, which is exactly the situation where a normal sign already does the job.
The weather
Coastal New England wind is the practical constraint. Over 25 miles per hour in the forecast, bring it in.
Winter is largely a storage season for most owners here. Deflate it, fold it at room temperature, and box it. Polyurethane tolerates that cycle year after year; PVC does not.
Ask for a quote. Call 1-800-791-1445 or email [email protected] and tell us the size and whether you want it printed.
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