Q & A:
The Art of Ballooning
An interview with Penelope Christy, member of Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society
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Q: How long does it take to get certified as a pilot?
A: Typically a pilot can earn a private pilot certificate within a year if he/she studies the ground school materials, takes and passes the FAA government test for a private pilot, and studies/flies with a commercial pilot for a minimum of 10 hours and takes a flight exam with an FAA certified flight examiner. Most students have at least 20-30 flight hours with an instructor and then several hours of solo time before they take their final flight exam.
Q: Where do people study?
A: Many pilots start out their ballooning ground skills by crewing for pilots. Most pilots will give rides to the crew after half a dozen times crewing. A commercial hot air balloon pilot is qualified to teach a student hot air balloon pilot. The proficiency testing is done throughout the flight lessons as the student becomes proficient at the required skill set throughout his training.
Q: How are they tested for proficiency?
A: The final test for the private certificate is administered by an FAA flight examiner. Once the private certificate is earned, they can proceed toward their commercial certificate and that involves a more complex skill set including the ability to teach a student pilot and they must accumulate
at least 40 flight hours. Most students acquire more hours than the FAA required minimums before they go for their certification flight exam.
Q: Are there women pilots, do you have an some rough idea on percentage?
A: Yes, there are women pilots. I don’t have the demographics and have asked the Balloon Federation of America, an organization who represents about 3,500 members. They do not keep that demographic. In CLAS there are approximately 14 female out of 98 pilots (14%), there are about 9 out of about 70 actively flying CLAS pilots who are female (13%).
Q: About how much does it cost to become a pilot?
A: Typically, the rental of a balloon and instructor is about $300 to $400/hour. At 30X$400 = $12,000. The student pilot can buy a beginners balloon for about $10,000 to 20,000 and save some money since he will have to buy his own balloon anyway. The pilot who has had a dedicated crew person for several
years will not usually charge that “crew person turned student pilot” for his training time.
Q: About how much (or give a range up to the variety custom balloons) does it cost to own a balloon? Is the chase vehicle part of ownership?
A: A new round balloon can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000 depending on the extras. (A special shape i.e. “Mickey Mouse”- can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.) Insurance is based on the percentage of flights that are commercial and can range from $1,000 to $3,000. The pilot owns the
chase vehicle that can be a self-contained truck or van or a vehicle towing a balloon trailer.
Q: What is the basket (for the passengers) properly called?
A: A basket holds passengers, pilot, and fuel tanks and is called a basket by any balloonist I hear talking about it. I hear it referred to as a gondola by non-balloonists who read a lot.
Q: Are there any traditions to landing in a neighborhood? (For instance, I read that champagne is a tradition when landing in farmer’s fields, but that may not apply to family-type neighborhoods.)
A: Typically, a bottle of champagne is either given to or shared with the landowner who has granted permission for the balloon to land on his property. If we land in a street, or road, or industrial parking lot, we don’t give a bottle to anyone. Commercial flights (with passengers) are typically culminated with a champagne toast or mimosas and mini-brunch/hors d’oeurves. A crew appreciation is also mentioned at that time.
I toast each flight with:
The Balloonists Prayer
The winds have welcomed you with softness.
The sun has blessed you with his warm hands.
You have flown so high and so well,
That God has joined you in your laughter
And set you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth.
I also add: Gentle breezes and soft landings!!
And then toast! Some pilots have a ritual for passengers who have just had their first balloon flight. (I don’t do that although I did have it done to me after my first flight in Morgan Hill, California. (Something like pouring champagne over their heads as they kneel on a blanket.)
Q: Why do you, in particular, love to balloon? (Over say, flying a glider or private plane?)
A: I dreamed of flying ever since I was a little child. I love the ballooning for its simplicity and intricacies. The equipment is relatively simple: A fabric envelope (the balloon), a fuel system (tanks with liquid propane, hoses and burners), and a basket. Flying a balloon is relatively simple: Launch, fly, and descend to land.
However, the intricacies show up when there is the flight decision to make given the weather (wind speeds and direction, clouds/fog) location and terrain. Navigating knowing the directions and speed of wind around and over the land, trees, and buildings on the ground and targeting areas to land
knowing the wind directions at different altitudes add to the challenges.
Ballooning has taught me patience. When we have to wait for the optimum weather for our abilities and safety, or have to wait to cross a stand of trees or forest with a very slow breeze. We can’t change the speed of the wind when we are up there, all we have is up and down control of the balloon. We always say, “It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were up in the sky, than being up in the sky wishing you were on the ground!” This is where the flight decision is so important. Careful planning and weather briefings are not only an FAA regulation, but also are just plain smart.
It’s also fun to fly with a group of balloons. We have friendly competitions and always have a chance to improve our skills.
Q: Is the strange sound heard when the balloon lands - a “whoosh” or just general landing noises outside? (As mentioned in the article).
A: The strange noise is that of the burner “whoosh”. I call it strange, since most people don’t recognize it unless they have been around balloons before. (We burn at different rates to launch, climb, to fly the balloon straight and level, and to control our rate of descent to a different altitude or to land.)
