Shadowing Practice: How much helium does it take to lift a person? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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About 70 ,000 litres.
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And yes, those are real people flying under real helium balloons, but if you just want to know the answer to how much helium you need to lift a person, while an average adult weighs about 70 kilos,
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in normal conditions, one litre of helium will provide enough lift for about one gram, so you'd need about 70 ,000 litres.
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Proving that, and finding out how this is done safely, and how you can also have a go, that's the rest of this video.
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I've wanted to do something like this for years, of course I have.
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I think lots of people have dreamt of flying away on balloons, but as far as I knew, the logistics and safety required made it impossible, unless you had a ridiculous budget.
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And then, someone told me about Aeroplume in France, and the budget dropped to 60 euros for a ticket.
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So the rest of this video isn't going to be scripted, it's just me, one of the team here holding my camera, and about 70 ,000 litres of helium that's going to lift me up.
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This hangar was built in 1919.
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It was used first for the blimp, to surveil and fly over the coast to detect the enemy submarines and in 2000 he goes out of the military domain.
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Be careful to your head.
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Oh yeah that is that's that's solid okay.
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The history of the aeroplume starts maybe more than 20 years ago.
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That's a blimp who was created by a man who was called Jean -Pierre David.
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He was a French artist.
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That was much easier than I thought it would be.
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He discovered the world of the blimp and felt in love, and so because he's an inventor,
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an artist, an engineer, he decided to create his own blimp, big enough to allow him to fly by beating the wings.
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Since 2009, we propose our people to fly here.
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The other location is a cave, 50 meters under the ground.
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We propose the flight here during all the French school holidays.
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So if we just let you go now what you will go on the top
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and you won't be able to go down ever say Right, so if I want you to be free and autonome, I have to make you reach the static balance.
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Okay, that's why Depending on your weight.
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Yeah, I can add
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Some little weight like this got it to your blimp in order to make you float
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If you just take off this this oh what what is
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happening you're just floating here just floating we have three aeroplumes here
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and they are different by their volumes we have a bigger one
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that can carry up to 90 kilograms we have one
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that can carry up to 70 kilograms
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and one can carry up to 45 now you can take
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the wings by the black handle everything you will do you
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will do it really slowly yep that's the same as
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if you were swimming okay so first i will show you how to move forward You want the wings to be flat, like this, in order to go,
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take some air and push behind.
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Like paddling a kayak?
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Yeah, exactly the same as in a kayak.
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And if I want to turn, it's with one?
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Exactly.
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So you know how to turn, if you are doing only one wing, you will turn.
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It doesn't react so quickly, but when it's turning, now you can take a break,
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it will continue during a very long time there is a
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lot of inertia yeah yeah i didn't feel like i was turning at all
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and then suddenly i was yeah and we can also go back
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if you want to by pushing the air on the front
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and go flat again to go up the same as
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if you were swimming again yeah
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when you go forward the air is going under the wings
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and that provides left you have to switch yeah to make the same angle
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when you go back
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and this is every time like this from the front to
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the back you can feel it the air is going under the wings
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if you want to go down it will be the opposite movement that feels
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so natural yeah the opposite way of going up at the
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beginning of the season we just choose to fill the blimp with 100 percent helium there
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and with the time the helium is going out there is some leaks
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so we can just add some more allium to compensate
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and the really one problem here is the osmosis
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so there is the air present outside that wants to go in the aeroplume
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and once he's in we can't extract him
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so the more we spend the time here the more air is inside
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so the less he can carry once a year we have the obligation to just empty everything
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and refill again of course we are conscious of the helium because it's very expensive and we don't want to waste helium.
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When you don't do nothing, once you get high, the volume is going down.
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That's because, and maybe we will repeat that after, but we made you reach the static balance and it depends on the temperature.
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And the more higher you go...
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I'm definitely going up quite quickly now.
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That's why I just take off one kilogram The higher you are, the hotter it is.
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Now you reach a new situation of static balance with a new condition of temperature.
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Because of the slow speed of the balloon and the inertia, we have to pilot really slowly and that's why we are indoor,
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to be protected against the wind and all the variation of the weather conditions.
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I noticed you had a sign on the door saying make sure that the door is closed,
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because the slightest breeze would blow me completely off course there is no problem of safety
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because we're following you on the ground always linked by a little tether
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but the tether is slack you're not holding me down here I'm just floating you are totally free
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if you slow and quiet enough you will realize how to pilot
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and have the time to anticipate so the tether is not used take some break
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and observe that it's still turning left yeah you can rest also wow
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if it's too late to avoid the wall
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or the roof it will pull not for your safety
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but for the safety of the blimp otherwise if we just touch
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so many times it will break that's not a pressurized balloon that's just an envelope filled with helium
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so the helium will just go out slowly it will lose his capacity to carry so the pilot will land slowly.
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I'm amazed how calm and safe I feel right now.
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It's happened one time here, some elements from the roof just go through the envelope and the pilot didn't notice that.
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He was just trying to go up and oh it's difficult because the helium was going out so he landed.
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All right, permission to land?
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Yeah, more than 10 000 flights here in the aeroplume
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and zero accident oh you know what I mean it's not a spot on landing
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but I'll take it
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if you can catch the table I'm gonna try there we go catch it got it perfect
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so I will just take the time to link to the blim
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and I will help you to go out it was a
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really good flight I'm half expecting to take the table up with me here she's attached to the ground all right yeah
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Antoine thank you so so much that was incredible thank you
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Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice
This video is a goldmine for learning natural English—think casual conversations, practical explanations, and real-world interactions. The dialogue flows like everyday speech, with phrases like “Oh yeah, that is… that's solid, okay!” and “Just floating” that sound authentic, not scripted. It’s packed with useful vocabulary (like “static balance,” “inertia,” and “autonomous”) and conversational structures, making it ideal for learn english with videos practice. Plus, the slow, clear pacing helps you catch nuances in pronunciation and intonation—key for improving your speaking skills.
Breaking Down Natural Speech: 3 Phrases to Master
- “That's the same as if you were swimming.” This comparison uses “as if” to explain a new concept, a common way to make ideas relatable. Notice how the speaker connects “flying with wings” to “swimming,” a familiar action—great for learning to simplify complex ideas in English.
- “Don't react so quickly, but when it's turning, now you can take a break.” The phrase “don't react so quickly” is casual and direct, typical of friendly advice. The use of “but” here softens the instruction, making it sound less like a command and more like a tip—perfect for everyday conversations.
- “I didn't feel like I was turning at all and then suddenly I was.” This sentence uses “didn't feel like” to express a personal experience, followed by “and then suddenly” to show a surprise. It’s a natural way to describe a moment of realization, which you can use to share stories or observations.
Your Practice Routine: Shadowing the Dialogue
Ready to start speaking? Try this shadowing exercise using a shadowing site or shadowing app (or even just your phone). Here’s how:
1. Watch a 10-second clip of the video, focusing on the speaker’s mouth movements and tone.
2. Pause, then repeat the clip aloud immediately, matching the speed, pitch, and rhythm. This is called shadowspeak—it trains your mouth to form English sounds naturally.
3. Record yourself, then compare it to the original. Notice where you stumble (e.g., “inertia” or “autonomous”) and practice those phrases again.
4. Once you’re comfortable, try longer clips. Focus on the conversational flow—how questions and answers link together.
Remember: Go slow! The goal is to mimic natural speech, not rush. Over time, you’ll notice your pronunciation and confidence improve.
Whether you’re using a shadowing app or practicing with a friend, this video’s dialogue is a fun, engaging way to build your English speaking skills. So grab your device, hit play, and start floating through your practice—just like the speaker in the video!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be scripted · was built · was created |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've wanted · have dreamt |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.