Great Park in O.C. to Join the Land of Aahs

No, you’re not in Kansas anymore.

And this balloon won’t take you home from Oz.

Instead, it will offer a 500-foot ascent and a sweeping view of Orange County from the ocean to the Santa Ana Mountains, possibly by December.

The helium-filled behemoth -- which can carry 30 passengers -- will be the first attraction in the Orange County Great Park, a 1,300-acre area that was once the El Toro Marine base.

The tethered balloon will “send a signal ... that the Great Park has arrived,” said Walkie Ray, a director of the Orange County Great Park Corp., which gave the go-ahead Thursday to the balloon plan.

In tribute to its county home, the balloon will be made of 1,600 square feet of orange fabric. Planners say the 130-foot-tall balloon will be visible 12 miles away.

Officials said they hoped the sight would lure the curious to the park, which is scheduled to be under construction for eight years.

Only a few tethered balloon rides operate in the United States, including ones at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego and in Branson, Mo.

Riders at those attractions pay $15 to $20 a ride. Irvine park planners said they hadn’t decided how much their balloon ride would cost.

Ken Smith, a landscape architect who heads the park’s design team, said balloon rides “are a kind of magic. People love going up and looking down.”

Officials will need approval of the Federal Aviation Administration to operate the ride, which will close during periods of high winds. The balloon and its gondola will be controlled by a pulley, winch and diesel engine.

Corporation director Christina Shea said she wasn’t high on the balloon idea, saying it posed liability concerns and might be too scary for some.

But others said they were pleased with the proposal.

“It’s an exciting, iconic thing,” said Michael Pinto, a park director. “We talked about being ... trendsetting. This is a wonderful first step.”