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Buying a hot air balloon requires a license, expensive equipment, and a ground crew. Private and commercial licenses are available, and the cost includes fuel, insurance, and maintenance. A crew is necessary for safe operation, and socializing within the hot air ballooning community may be limited.
Before buying a hot air balloon, you need a license, lots of equipment, and a ground crew. Buying a hot air balloon is like buying another car, except that it requires a special license and can only be used under certain conditions. You’ll need expensive equipment, usually sold separately from the balloon, and somewhere to store it. In addition, a ground crew is required to safely lift the balloon off the ground and land it. If socializing is important to you, realize that ballooning is an expensive hob and can be time consuming and typically doesn’t have many followers.
You need a license to legally operate a hot air balloon. Hot air balloon licenses generally come in two forms: private and commercial. Private licenses are intended for those who wish to operate the balloon on their own. Commercial licenses give pilots the ability to fly other people, whether they’re paying customers or just a few friends. Private licenses are generally cheaper to purchase and require less hands-on training.
To buy a hot air balloon you need a large amount of money up front, plus money for fuel and insurance. Hot air balloons are not cheap toys; they are vehicles that require maintenance, storage and comprehensive insurance policies. Like automobiles, vehicle color is often the last thing on a buyer’s mind when selecting one within budget that meets personal requirements for comfort, safety, and functionality. Also, some parts are required to inflate a hot air balloon but are usually purchased separately.
Hot air balloons cannot be inflated and flown on a whim. Before buying a hot air balloon, determine how annoying a crew of hunters can be for you. Hunter crews are required to lift the balloon into the air and land it safely. Since the direction of flight of a hot air balloon depends largely on the wind, the landing site is never safe. Chaser crews must follow the balloon on the ground in a vehicle, maintaining contact with the balloon operator by radio.
Before you buy a hot air balloon, look into your local hot air ballooning social groups if it’s important to mingle with people who enjoy the same hobby. Some countries have only a few hundred or several thousand people who can legally operate a hot air balloon. This can make it difficult to find people with similar hobs and a willingness to go out. Also, you may never be able to fly other hot air balloons.
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