6 Facts About the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon Spotted Over Rockford

It's not a bird, or a plane, or even Superman, but it's still kind of cool.

I spotted a grounded hot air balloon as I was exiting the I-90 ramp at East State Street Saturday afternoon and decided to check it out. A massive RE/MAX hot air balloon was just chillin' on the grounds of (what is supposed to be) Rockford's Hard Rock Casino. The one things near it were a truck and a van, and a few people. I should clarify, as you will see in the photos below this was a legit hot air balloon and not come promotional mini version you might find outside of a business.

Though I couldn't find the specific reason as to why this behemoth balloon was in Rockford, I did find some interesting facts about RE/MAX hot air balloons. Yes, there is more than one.

• The original RE/MAX hot air balloon debuted in 1978 and stands of 7-stories tall.
• The highest altitude it can reach (without oxygen) is 12,000 feet, 18,000 with oxygen.
• The balloon is made of nylon, which is fireproof, and it's "powered" by propane.
• There 110 RE/MAX Hot Air Balloons, making it the largest fleet in the world.
• The average weight of a RE/MAX hot air balloon is 750 pounds.
• The first balloon was created to balloon represent RE/MAX's "'Above the Crowd' commitment to quality."

[H/T RE/MAX]

JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.