List of balloon uses

This is a list of uses of balloons

tiny
- balloon catheter
- balloon tamponade
- Graphene balloons
small (volume of a few litres)
- gas balloon
- Balloons as Decorations
  Balloon Drop
- cluster ballooning
- Talking balloon
- toy balloon
- water balloon
- papier-mâché
- balloon modelling
- decoration
- solar balloon
- balloon mail as part of a balloon flight competition or to spread information
- balloon helicopter
- balloon rocket, demonstration of rocket propulsion
- ceiling balloon
- decoys accompanying ICBMs in midcourse, see also countermeasure
- A vessel for storing nitrous oxide prior to inhalation for use as a recreational drug
medium (volume of tens to thousands of litres)
- free flying
  - high-altitude balloon
  - hopper balloon
  - fire balloon for the transport of bombs (in World War II, FUGO-Balloon)
  - transport of propaganda (in World War II and in the Cold War)
  - ceiling balloon
  - weather balloon used with a radiosonde
- fixed
  - for carrying advertising signs
  - to carry a radio antenna
  - toy balloon
  - research balloon
    Research Balloon
  - Skyhook balloon
  - superpressure balloon
- other
  - balloon tires, for vehicles that require low ground pressures
large (volume up to 12,000,000 litres)
A hot air balloon is inflated at Royal Victoria Park, Bath, England
- free flying
  - balloon (aircraft)
    - lifting people, or daring prison escapes, usually with a hot air balloon, Rozière balloon or a gas balloon
  - airship, a steerable balloon
  - hybrid airship, which combines characteristics of heavier-than-air (HTA) technology, fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter, and lighter-than-air (LTA), aerostat technology.
  - research balloon with instrumentation, also to carry telescopes
  - rockoon, a carrier for rockets.
  - balloon satellite for space research.
  - espionage balloon for military reconnaissance
  - hopper balloon
- fixed
  - as manned observation post (before World War II)
  - barrage balloon
  - observation balloon for military reconnaissance
  - positioning atomic bombs for bomb tests in the atmosphere
  - moored balloon