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| Learning to fly a hot air balloon |
Have you ever wondered what qualifications are needed to fly a hot air balloon, and how you go about gaining them?
Ballooning can often be thought of as a sport to which only a few lucky people get the opportunity to enter, but this is far from the truth.
If you want to move on to flying we will be happy to help: the first thing to do is to join your local ballooning club, such as our North West Club; there are many other clubs around the UK and a Google search will turn up your nearest.
It is also a good idea to join the national body, the British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC), which serves and supports the ballooning fraternity with training, technical support and certification matters.
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Learning to fly
To fly a balloon you will need a Pilot’s Licence.
To fly yourself and friends you need a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL)
To fly passengers or fly for a company you need a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL).
If you want to continue and study for your PPL you can do most of your training with any Private Pilot.
You must complete at least 16 hours hands on flying experience within a rolling 24 month period. At least four of these flights must be with a registered Instructor.
You will also need to sit written exams in the following subjects:
Air Law
Meteorology
Navigation
Balloon Systems
Human Performance & Limitations
You must also attend a Landowner Relations Seminar.
When your training pilot considers you are ready you can then take a Recommendation Flight with an Instructor (a mock exam).
If the Instructor agrees you are ready for check out he will sign your Recommendation.
You then take a Check Out Flight with an Examiner.
If this is satisfactory you then make a Solo Flight.
Following the Solo Flight you can apply for your PPL. |
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