Hot Hare 3

Glo Kehoe and her ground chief, Sue Dietze, are in Dunnellon this weekend to inaugurate a new big bunny and participate in the Cool Springs Ranch Balloon Classic. This third incarnation has some impressive stats but also brings some serious headaches. Touchdown has to be in a spot where, Kehoe adds, "you can lay a 16-story building down on its side in any direction." Before inflating the bunny Kehoe sends a helium-filled balloon afloat. "I have to determine where the winds are, cause my ears will be up in that. It's twice as tall as most balloons and it can catch some unfavorable winds," she says. "You have to be really careful."

Hot Hare Vital Statistics
Total Height: 166'—15' taller than the Statue of Liberty
Ears Height: 60'—as tall as the Presidents' faces on Mount Rushmore. The Hot Hare's ears alone are the height of an entire average-sized hot air balloon.
Head: 30' wide x 45' long
Glasses: 32' wide
Drum: 45' diameter, 20' wide
Nose: 16' wide
Arms: 40' long
Tail: 20' diameter
Sandals: 60' long, 12' wide, 4' deep
Balloon Volume: 180,000 cu. ft.—550,000,000 AA batteries could fit inside the Energizer Bunny® Hot Hare Balloon. Balloon Weight: 1,170 lbs.—the same as 4,680 D batteries.
Double Burner Output: 30,000,000 BTU/hour—the equivalent amount of heat produced by 5,000 gas grills
Deflation Ports (Vents): 93
Fabric: 5,000 linear yards, 60' wide
Thread: 84 miles