Balloon pilot license to thrill

The Zhong Hang Balloon Club takes to the skies above Langfang in Hebei province. Photo: Courtesy of Cheng Peng

What is the safest type of aircraft? Hot air balloons, according to World Air Sports Federation statistics. But before you go up, up and away in your beautiful balloon, you'll need to earn your license.

Balloon pilot licenses are issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. According to Cheng Peng, the 33-year-old who runs the Zhong Hang Balloon Club in Langfang, Hebei province, one must take a general physical exam, a flight physical, a written test and a field test to be fully licensed.

"You have to pass a vertigo test, an ear-nose-throat exam, and also disrobe to show that you don't have injuries or large-scale tattoos," said Cheng. "This is the same as the physical examinations for pilots." Additionally, applicants must log 16 hours of flight training; even after the balloon pilot license is granted, an biannual inspection is required to maintain it.

Cheng is the youngest of the eight coaches in China who are qualified to train balloon pilots. He earned his own license in 2003. Prior to that, he had amassed enough experience with hot air balloon flight to be selected to fly across the Three Gorges Dam in an outdoor-sports show, but was subsequently cut from the roster because he had no license. "To make up for missing out, I did the training and got licensed in one month," said Cheng.

It wasn't all smooth sailing, though. Cheng was reminded that the most important factor in flying a hot-air balloon is maintaining a steady and safe flight path. "I was young and filled with the spirit of adventure. I wanted to show off during the flight exam by executing lots of 'dangerous moves.' I went up and down too fast and headed towards high-tension power lines," said Cheng. "Although I made a safe landing, my coach failed me, saying I was 'having too many thoughts.' So I had to take a second exam, in which I focused on safety, and passed."

Since founding his club in 1999, Cheng has helped more than 200 people earn their balloon pilot license. The oldest member is 73 years old, and the youngest is only 16 years old, a girl named Bai Yuening who earned her balloon license in August of this year. "She trained very hard to get the license," said her father, Bai Songhao. "She got up at 4 am everyday to take flight lessons. Later, she studied theory. Though it was difficult, she is quite proud and happy to gain this skill. She took me up on a flight not long ago, which was very exciting."

Foreigners who want to get a balloon pilot license in Beijing are welcome to join the club. According to Cheng, aspiring balloonists from Vietnam and the Philippines have come here to train. "But we have not had any trainees from Western countries, because this sport is quite common there, and even in Japan and South Korea. So balloonists there do not need to come to China to get a license."

When training for a license, future flyers are taught that safety comes first - and that it starts on the ground. Pang Liya, 62, a coach at the Tianjin Aero-Sports School, told Metropolitan that choosing the right outfit is a very important part of training. "You have to wear hard leather shoes and gloves," said Pang. "Protective shoes will prevent your feet from being injured by heavy propane tanks and sharp rocks in the wild, and leather gloves can help you deal with fire emergencies and protect your hands from being injured by freezing liquefied gas."