What Should I Know Before I Buy a Hot Air Balloon?

Fuel and insurance are two things to consider before buying a hot air balloon.
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  • Written By: Rhonda Rivera
  • Edited By: John Allen
  • Last Modified Date: 10 March 2015
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Before you buy 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 it requires a special license and can only be operated under certain conditions. You will need expensive equipment, usually sold separately from the balloon, and a place to store it. In addition, a ground crew is necessary to safely get the balloon off the ground and land it. If socializing is important to you, realize that hot air ballooning is an expensive, potentially time-consuming hobby that typically does not have a lot of 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 meant for people who wish to operate the balloon alone. Commercial licenses give pilots the ability to fly other people, whether those people are paying customers or just a few friends. Private licenses are usually cheaper to purchase and require less hands-on training.


To buy a hot air balloon you need a great deal of money upfront, plus money for fuel and insurance. Hot air balloons are not inexpensive toys; they are vehicles that require maintenance, storage, and comprehensive insurance policies. Like cars, the color of the vehicle is often the last thing on a buyer’s mind when choosing one within budget that meets personal comfort, safety, and functional requirements. In addition, some parts are necessary to inflate a hot air balloon but are usually bought separately.

Hot air balloons cannot be inflated and flown on a whim. Before you buy a hot air balloon, determine how much hassle a chaser crew may be for you. Chaser crews are required to get the balloon in the air and land it safely. Since the direction of a hot air balloon's flight largely depends on the wind, the landing location is never a sure thing. Chaser crews must follow the balloon on land in a vehicle, while keeping contact with the hot air balloon operator via radio.

Before you buy a hot air balloon, look into local hot air balloon social groups if socializing with people who enjoy the same hobby is important. Some countries only have a few hundred to several thousand people who can legally operate a hot air balloon. This can make finding people with similar hobbies and a willingness to hang out difficult. In addition, you might never be able to fly with other hot air balloons.



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Post 2

Just out of curiosity, what are hot air balloon prices like? I don't have the money or the inclination to buy one but I am really curious about how much they cost.

Lets say to own and operate one for one year it costs $100,000. Think of all the other things you could buy for that amount of money. You could get a great car or boat. You could go on a really extravagant trip. You could probably go on a really great trip that included lots of exotic hot air balloon rides. I can think of *so* many things I would rather own than a hot air balloon.

Post 1

The first and most important you should ask yourself is "Do I really want a hot air balloon?" As this article makes very clear, it takes a lot of time money and work to properly maintain a hot air balloon. This is not just like a go cart you can keep in the garage. It takes a lot of planning to do this safely. Its not a decision to be made lightly.

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