Commercial Balloon Pilot
Discussion
I used to do ground crew when I was younger you do actually need a pilots license don't know if you were aware of that?
You'll be a private pilot first to get a paid number you'll need to get out and about and make some contacts. A few of the bigger sponsors have retainers even for ground crew. My Pal did virgin red letter days for years as ground crew after he retired.
It's really interesting certainly when you get with a sponsored balloon there are all sorts of events they go to often not flying just tethering. Bristol balloon fiesta is the biggest event in the UK and we'll worth a visit I remember doing the night glows there it was always good fun. Getting chased off farmland not so much!
You'll be a private pilot first to get a paid number you'll need to get out and about and make some contacts. A few of the bigger sponsors have retainers even for ground crew. My Pal did virgin red letter days for years as ground crew after he retired.
It's really interesting certainly when you get with a sponsored balloon there are all sorts of events they go to often not flying just tethering. Bristol balloon fiesta is the biggest event in the UK and we'll worth a visit I remember doing the night glows there it was always good fun. Getting chased off farmland not so much!
fridaypassion said:
I used to do ground crew when I was younger you do actually need a pilots license don't know if you were aware of that?
You'll be a private pilot first to get a paid number you'll need to get out and about and make some contacts. A few of the bigger sponsors have retainers even for ground crew. My Pal did virgin red letter days for years as ground crew after he retired.
It's really interesting certainly when you get with a sponsored balloon there are all sorts of events they go to often not flying just tethering. Bristol balloon fiesta is the biggest event in the UK and we'll worth a visit I remember doing the night glows there it was always good fun. Getting chased off farmland not so much!
Thank you. Yes I was aware, was just on the off chance that any PHers were pilots themselves. I was lucky enough to have a decent chat with a Canadian pilot about it all, but obviously he couldn’t recommend any UK schools or schemes to get licensed. You'll be a private pilot first to get a paid number you'll need to get out and about and make some contacts. A few of the bigger sponsors have retainers even for ground crew. My Pal did virgin red letter days for years as ground crew after he retired.
It's really interesting certainly when you get with a sponsored balloon there are all sorts of events they go to often not flying just tethering. Bristol balloon fiesta is the biggest event in the UK and we'll worth a visit I remember doing the night glows there it was always good fun. Getting chased off farmland not so much!
I also should have expected most of the replies given
TT1138 said:
fridaypassion said:
I used to do ground crew when I was younger you do actually need a pilots license don't know if you were aware of that?
You'll be a private pilot first to get a paid number you'll need to get out and about and make some contacts. A few of the bigger sponsors have retainers even for ground crew. My Pal did virgin red letter days for years as ground crew after he retired.
It's really interesting certainly when you get with a sponsored balloon there are all sorts of events they go to often not flying just tethering. Bristol balloon fiesta is the biggest event in the UK and we'll worth a visit I remember doing the night glows there it was always good fun. Getting chased off farmland not so much!
Thank you. Yes I was aware, was just on the off chance that any PHers were pilots themselves. I was lucky enough to have a decent chat with a Canadian pilot about it all, but obviously he couldn’t recommend any UK schools or schemes to get licensed. You'll be a private pilot first to get a paid number you'll need to get out and about and make some contacts. A few of the bigger sponsors have retainers even for ground crew. My Pal did virgin red letter days for years as ground crew after he retired.
It's really interesting certainly when you get with a sponsored balloon there are all sorts of events they go to often not flying just tethering. Bristol balloon fiesta is the biggest event in the UK and we'll worth a visit I remember doing the night glows there it was always good fun. Getting chased off farmland not so much!
I also should have expected most of the replies given
I used to be a commercial balloon pilot. Gave it up probably 14 years ago. Did it part time for 15+ years, had my own ride operation for a while.
It's a very niche business. Most pilots get in to it through flying for fun then going commercial.
There are / were two primary activities - flying advertising / PR balloons and doing balloon rides. The straight advertising / PR activity is a fraction of what it was in its heyday back in the 90s / early 2000s. The balloon ride industry has shrunk massively too - there used to be over 100 operators, there are many fewer than that now.
For a while now it has been difficult to reconcile very visibly burning significant amounts of fossil fuel with current "green" aspirations - its one of the reasons why the corporate / PR / advertising thing went down the pan as it didn't sit comfortably with corporate green agendas.
In the UK you will do almost all of your work April through to October. We always used to be very impressed by pilots who managed to do more than 100 flights per year. A lot of "full timers" did other things to fill in the gaps. There are sometimes some good gigs abroad during the winter months (Burma used to be a popular place to go) but those tend to fizzle out after a few years as cheaper local pilots are trained to replace the expats.
You can buy a balloon ride today for less than I was charging 15 years ago. I really don't know how that works .....
Your best way in would be to talk to a local balloon operator and see if you can get a part time job as ground crew. Find out how the business works and see whether it is for you. Join the British Balloon and Airship Club - I think they still do a monthly magazine.
It's a very niche business. Most pilots get in to it through flying for fun then going commercial.
There are / were two primary activities - flying advertising / PR balloons and doing balloon rides. The straight advertising / PR activity is a fraction of what it was in its heyday back in the 90s / early 2000s. The balloon ride industry has shrunk massively too - there used to be over 100 operators, there are many fewer than that now.
For a while now it has been difficult to reconcile very visibly burning significant amounts of fossil fuel with current "green" aspirations - its one of the reasons why the corporate / PR / advertising thing went down the pan as it didn't sit comfortably with corporate green agendas.
In the UK you will do almost all of your work April through to October. We always used to be very impressed by pilots who managed to do more than 100 flights per year. A lot of "full timers" did other things to fill in the gaps. There are sometimes some good gigs abroad during the winter months (Burma used to be a popular place to go) but those tend to fizzle out after a few years as cheaper local pilots are trained to replace the expats.
You can buy a balloon ride today for less than I was charging 15 years ago. I really don't know how that works .....
Your best way in would be to talk to a local balloon operator and see if you can get a part time job as ground crew. Find out how the business works and see whether it is for you. Join the British Balloon and Airship Club - I think they still do a monthly magazine.
Edited by this is my username on Tuesday 25th October 09:13
Mercdriver said:
I think the rating to be a commercial pilot on balloons is the same as for fixed wing so why spend all that money for a job that is seasonal and probably does not pay as well as commercial flying for airlines?
A CPL(B) is not the same as an ATPL. Still expensive, but not quite the same level.Some links for you:
BBAC:
https://bbac.org/
BABO:
https://www.commercialballooning.org.uk/
UK CAA list of balloon ride operators (used to be over 100 back in the day, just 26 now):
https://www.caa.co.uk/media/0gld0b5q/20220712dbo-l...
Some info from the CAA:
https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Aircraft...
BBAC:
https://bbac.org/
BABO:
https://www.commercialballooning.org.uk/
UK CAA list of balloon ride operators (used to be over 100 back in the day, just 26 now):
https://www.caa.co.uk/media/0gld0b5q/20220712dbo-l...
Some info from the CAA:
https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Aircraft...
Thank you all. Some helpful comments and decent puns. Doesn’t look like it’s a good idea then unfortunately so back to pondering on what to do. I’d love to fly fixed wing aircraft but the staggering training cost and lack of a guaranteed job at the end make it a somewhat difficult prospect.
TT1138 said:
Thank you all. Some helpful comments and decent puns. Doesn’t look like it’s a good idea then unfortunately so back to pondering on what to do. I’d love to fly fixed wing aircraft but the staggering training cost and lack of a guaranteed job at the end make it a somewhat difficult prospect.
What about the military?Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff