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Alamy Stock Photo
Quiz

Quiz: How much do you know about balloons?

The US has faced up to a few of them this week.
10.01pm, 19 Feb 2023
28.1k
10

BALLOONS HAVE HAD an unusual share of the front pages this week thanks to the USA’s battle with an alleged spy balloon sent by China.

Most of us are probably more familiar with the type that slowly deflates after a birthday party – how much do you know about balloons?

China offered which of these as its explanation for what the balloon was?
PA Images
A weather-monitoring station
A high-altitude oxygen saturation monitor

It admitted it was a spy balloon was but denied sending it over the US
An ordinary balloon that took a wrong turn on the way home from a child’s birthday party
Since then, the US has been quick off the draw to shoot down 'likely benign' unidentified flying objects. How many of these has it publicly admitted to downing in recent days?
Two
Three

Four
Five
If I told you there are 1,190 Guinness World Records that relate to balloons, would you believe me?
Alamy
Yes, that sounds about right
No, it has to be more - maybe 3,202

No, it’s definitely fewer - more like 418
How many balloons do you reckon it took to build this dinosaur sculpture? (It’s record-breaking, as far as dinosaur balloon sculptures go.)
Guiness World Records
5,500
15,000

55,000
150,000
It’s not all fun and games though. Balloons released into the air can be harmful to animals and the environment. California is one of several US states with legislation restricting the release of balloons outdoors - when was the California Balloon Law passed?
1979
1990

2004
2015
Which of these French leaders said condemned criminals should be used as the first pilots to test early hot air balloons?
Emmanuel Macron
Charles de Gaulle

Napoleon Bonaparte
King Louis the Sixteenth
The very first hot air balloon passengers actually weren’t any type of human. They were animals - what kind?
Goat, sheep, rabbit
Pig, chicken, goat

Rooster, duck, sheep
Duck, duck, goose
Nowadays, hot air balloons make for a fairly popular Instagram photo. Where is this famous location?
Alamy
Cappadocia, Turkiye
That's Cork, obviously

Wadi Rum, Jordan
Sante Fe, USA
Closer to home now. What’s the Irish term for balloon?
Aer Sféar (... “air sphere”)
Eitleog

Sféar eitilt (... “flying sphere”)
Balún
Pixar film Up is known for its vivid balloon animation and its absolute tear-jerker of an opening montage. What’s the name of its retired-balloon-salesman protagonist?
Pixar
Fred
Pete

Russell
Carl
Is it really balún?
Tá
Níl
Answer all the questions to see your result!
Alamy
You scored out of !
Poor show
Who burst your balloon?
Share your result:
Alamy
You scored out of !
Could be better
Is that hot air inside your head?
Share your result:
Pixar
You scored out of !
Up, up and away!
You know as much about balloon as a balloon salesman
Share your result:

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