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By Kat Hanson
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… scooter? This is the new toy you’ll see in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, reports the New York Post.
Say hello to the Flying Spruce, a three-foot-tall helium balloon that was launched by a helicopter a week ago. It’s the fifth balloon unveiled for the Thanksgiving Day parade. In addition to the Flying Spruce, there will be three Skylanders-themed balloons: Raphael from the Skylanders video game series, Spyro the Dragon, and Iron Man, who will be doused in cherry picker fire.
The Flying Spruce is about the size of a small sedan and is covered in “the same ultra-thin-and-light cover as the leaf blower-size decoration for last year’s [Yule log] balloon, Tinker Bell,” according to the Post. It is made of two identical balloons connected by a cable with one balloon bulking up another in the appropriate spots.
Last year, Macy’s had to postpone the parade due to freezing cold temperatures, which means the balloon designs will have to better withstand the elements.
Starting 10 a.m. on Thursday, 8 November (5:30 a.m. GMT), at 32nd Street between Broadway and Central Park West, spectators will be able to watch balloon-piloted aircraft navigate the skies as they demonstrate the Flight Control Control for the first time, Macy’s told the New York Times. It is the largest helium balloon in the world and will fly in the 59th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade down Central Park West.
The balloons will be enclosed in metal cages and tethered to ground during the parade to ensure the safety of balloons and people.
The weather forecast is looking even more exciting on Thursday, according to AccuWeather, with sunny and dry conditions on Thanksgiving Day and temperatures of 47 degrees (7 degrees Celsius) at the start of the parade.
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