What It Takes To Become A Hot Air Balloon Pilot

Hot Air ballooning is, in a way, flying. There are many aspects that set it apart from flying a plane or a helicopter, and different skills must be learned. Hot air ballooning is very scientific, and a large amount of experience is needed before any pilot can qualify. But it is worth all the hard work. Read on for more handy tips on becoming a pilot.

Balloons 101

Before anybody even sets foot inside a balloon basket with a captain's hat on, they first have to learn balloons inside out. This includes learning what the ground crew do. Most wannabe-pilots are put with the ground crew to start with. That way they can learn on the job about the balloon and what every piece of equipment is used for. This is the start of all knowledge that pilots must learn.

Learning On The Job

Piloting can only be taught to an extent in theory. The best way is to learn whilst watching what others do, and trying it for yourself. Once you have learnt all you can possibly know from being with the ground crew, it's time to become a student pilot. Commercial flight companies are most likely to have the time to take on a student. Before you intern, you must log everything you learnt with ground crew so your teacher can see how much you already know.

Before You Begin, Things You Need To Know

Not everybody can become a pilot as soon as they decide they want to become one. There is an age restriction, and anybody under the age of 14 cannot become a hot air balloon pilot. Even those who are above the age restriction will need supervision from trained pilots for their first few flights to ensure that they are capable. A written exam must be taken to prove you are knowledgeable enough to become a pilot. A flight test with an FFA (Federal Aviation Administrator) qualified examiner must also be taken.

One Final Tip

Get as much experience as you possibly can. The more you fly, the better you will become at flying. Once you have learnt all you can about flying there is nothing else to teach - you will then just have to do it. Experiencing different weather conditions and travelling with different numbers of passengers will set you up to be a pilot who can tackle any hot air balloon ride!

The British School of Ballooning is a family owned business operating many balloons throughout Southern England.For more on balloon flights Surrey visit http://www.hotair.co.uk/location/surrey

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/what-it-takes-to-become-a-hot-air-balloon-pilot-303854

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