This burner frame is twisted more than 90 degrees on a windy inflation - and yet not one pole broke.
FlexiRigid System

Pioneered and introduced first by Cameron. Copied — but not matched — by many of our competitors. Experience the ultimate shock-absorbing bottom-end system for…

• Smoother, more comfortable landings
• Easier tethering

FlexiRigid is a trademark of Cameron Balloons. All Rights Reserved.

Cameron’s FlexiRigid system is the most imitated feature of Cameron baskets.

We believe in the shock absorbency of our flexi poles (and we have a lifetime replacement warranty on them) because they can torque — so your passengers don’t have to.

And our FlexiRigid system works even better because it is mated to an articulated joint on the burner frame (photo below). Cameron’s articulated connection is like a car’s universal joint — it allows independent movement of the pole and burner frame, and ultra-shock-absorbing benefits for you and your passengers. This truly completes the principle of protective comfort built into every Cameron basket — and now even breezy landings become exhilarating instead of frightening.

Cameron developed ballooning’s first flexible upright system nearly 20 years ago. And to this day we offer the industry’s best-designed upright system. How is our system superior? It takes four elements to make a flexible upright system work effectively:

(1) the burner-upright interface;
(2) the upright poles;
(3) the basket’s skeleton;
(4) the basket itself.

Each of these parts must be designed to work in concert with the other three to maximize their individual benefits. By adopting only one or two of these components, our competitors fall short of the mark, and performance suffers. Cameron is the only manufacturer to emphasise all four critical elements, thus ensuring the most flexible, hence best performing bottom-end suspension system in the World.

The four elements of Cameron's exclusive FlexiRigid™ system.

A Cameron Exclusive: Articulated FlexiPole corner sockets on the burner frame.

Our burner frame has articulated stainless steel corner sockets into which the FlexiPole fits. Acting like a universal joint, our flexible corner sockets allow the burner frame to move freely with the torquing and bending motion that occurs on landing — or a windy tether. The result? Stress in the system is relieved and twisting forces are absorbed, rather than transferred to the FlexiPoles, the basket, and ultimately its occupants. Without flexible corner sockets, upright poles break readily, and forces are transferred to the basket, jarring the occupants.

A Cameron innovation: FlexiRigid™ nylon poles.

Designed with machined “shoulders” at each end, our tough nylon FlexiPoles are flexible yet strong. And with zippered upholstered construction (choose from cordura, suede, or leather trim), our pole covers are removable so that you can inspect your fuel hoses with ease.

Exclusively Cameron: Basket U-tubes.

Our non-partitioned baskets are constructed with two vertical U-tubes as the FlexiPole interface, rather than an unforgiving rigid steel top frame. Why aircraft-grade aluminum U-tubes? With this construction, the result is a flexible basket that absorbs shock, and flexes in synch with the FlexiPoles. Once again, a smoother ride. And fewer broken poles.

Another Cameron Exclusive: The all-woven basket — including the most important part: The Floor.

We build our baskets with all-woven floors. Why? Because we recognize that a system can only be as flexible as its least flexible part. Your car’s seat has springs to work in concert with the car’s suspension and shock absorbers, so why have a rigid basket mated to a flexible upright system? Rather than limit the system, our flexible baskets work to complement it, absorbing shock, providing smoother, more comfortable landings.