Ballooning

Hot air ballooning is one of the oldest and most peaceful forms of flight. You cannot steer a balloon in the conventional sense, and it travels only as fast as the wind carries it, but that is precisely the appeal. If you want to experience the sky at its most serene, with no engine noise, no buffeting and a view that stretches for miles, ballooning is difficult to beat.

How a Hot Air Balloon Works

A hot air balloon has just three main components, which makes it one of the simplest aircraft you will ever fly in.

• The envelope is the large fabric balloon itself. It holds the heated air that provides lift, and is typically made from ripstop nylon or polyester.
• The burner sits directly above the basket and burns propane gas to heat the air inside the envelope. The pilot controls altitude by firing the burner in short or long blasts.
• The basket is usually constructed from wicker, which absorbs energy during landing and is surprisingly resilient. It carries the passengers, the pilot and the propane cylinders.

Direction is controlled only by ascending or descending into wind currents that are moving in different directions at different altitudes. It is a subtle skill, and experienced pilots can navigate with more precision than you might expect.

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Licensing and Training

In the UK, balloon pilots are licensed under the CAA and must hold either a Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL(B)) or a Private Pilot Licence (Balloons) (PPL(B)). Both are issued under UK Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material following the UK's departure from EASA.

• The LAPL(B) requires a minimum of 16 hours of flight training, including at least 12 hours dual instruction and at least 1 hour of solo flight. You must be at least 16 years old to fly solo and 17 to hold the licence.
• The PPL(B) requires a minimum of 16 hours for hot air balloons, though most students take longer to reach the required standard. This licence carries wider privileges and is better suited to anyone who wants to fly abroad.

Training is carried out at a CAA-approved flying training organisation (FTO). Expect to pay in the region of £3,000 to £5,000 for a full LAPL(B) course, depending on the school and how quickly you progress. Because flights depend heavily on weather, training tends to be spread over several months.

You will also need a medical. For the LAPL(B), this is an LAPL medical certificate, which is less demanding than the Class 2 required for the PPL(B). Your GP can conduct a LAPL medical, whereas a Class 2 must be carried out by a CAA-approved Aeromedical Examiner (AME). The PPL(B) requires a Class 2 medical, and you should arrange this early in your training rather than at the end.

There are no written theory exams for balloon licences in the same way as for aeroplane licences. Aeroplane PPL students must pass nine CAA theory exams covering subjects such as air law, meteorology, navigation and aircraft general knowledge. Balloon training is less exam-intensive, but you will still need a solid understanding of meteorology in particular, since weather judgement is central to safe ballooning.

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Taking a Trial Flight

Before committing to a course, a trial flight is strongly recommended. Commercial balloon flights operate across most parts of the UK and typically cost between £150 and £200 per person. Many people receive these as gift vouchers, which is a perfectly good way to start.

A trial flight gives you a genuine sense of what ballooning feels like, and it puts you in contact with experienced pilots who are generally very willing to talk about the training process, the time commitment and the costs involved. Use the opportunity to ask questions.

What to Expect on the Day

Commercial and training flights usually take place either early in the morning or in the late afternoon, when surface winds are at their calmest. Launch sites are often in rural fields, sometimes remote, so get clear directions and a contact number before you set off.

On arrival, you may be asked to help with the inflation process, holding guy ropes while cold air is first blown into the envelope by a large fan, followed by bursts of heat from the burner to bring the balloon fully upright.

Once airborne, the experience is immediately different from any other form of flying. The noise disappears, the ground drops away slowly and you feel no wind on your face because you are moving with it. The pilot fires the burner periodically to maintain altitude, and a ground crew follows by road to meet the balloon on landing.

Landings can be smooth or a little bumpy depending on conditions. You will be asked to hold onto the inside of the basket and bend your knees on touchdown. Occasionally a landowner may wave the balloon away from a proposed landing field, so the pilot will select an alternative. The whole experience, from inflation to landing, usually lasts around three to four hours including the ground work.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Pilot Training Cost Calculator lets you work out what learning to fly really costs: get a realistic UK estimate for your licence, broken down into flight hours, instruction, exams, medical and test fees, so there are no surprises. Try it now →