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How to start ballooning

New to hot air balloons? Start here!

Become a pilot

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To get your hot air balloon pilot license, you’ll need to meet basic age and health criteria and complete two main training phases:

  • Theory: Meteorology, airspace, technical rules, and flight planning (ending with a written exam).
  • Flight Training: At least 16 hours of practical instruction, including a supervised solo flight.

Requirements vary by country. Kubíček operates its own pilot school in Radešín, Czech Republic, and connects students with partner schools worldwide.

Find a school

Looking to learn flying? Contact our US or Czech headquarters for direct instruction or to be matched with a trusted partner school near you.

How to choose a balloon

Choosing a hot-air balloon is like buying a new car, you have to decide between a sports or an ordinary car, a minivan, or a school bus.

The optimal size and shape is determined by your intended use case.

IMG_4565-Edit - Sunrise balloon

Leisure

Want to fly solo or with family and friends? Smaller or medium envelopes will fit your needs.
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Passenger

Want to use the balloon as a passenger ride? This can mean medium sized envelopes for 5 people all the way to enormous 32 passenger rides.
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Competition

Interested in competing with other pilots in balloon races? Then our eXtreme Racer models will be the best choice.

How to buy a balloon

The Easiest way to buy a balloon is to contact your nearest dealer.

Dream big with our dealers all over the world and buy your own masterpiece of design and durability - Kubicek Balloon!

Find your dealer

Balloon Fabric

When choosing a balloon, the material of the envelope must be considered.

Private pilots flying for leisure may prefer to save weight with balloons made from our Kubicek Polyester Light fabric.

For passenger rides in Europe, North America or Australia the standard Kubicek Polyester is more handy.

For large operations in rough terrain and harsh climate a strong and resistant fabric, like our Kubicek Polyester Resist is the best option.

Our Fabric

What do I need for flying

A ready to fly hot air balloon composes of the following items:

  • Envelope
  • Burner
  • Basket
  • Fuel tanks
  • Quick release with a tether rope
  • Flight instrument
  • Inflator fan

Additionally a pilot needs few more personal items

  • Helium tank and latex balloons
  • VHF Radio
  • Tablet

Retrieve vehicle

In addition to the list above, a retrieve vehicle with a driver is needed.

The retrieve vehicle chases the balloon and helps with landing and packing. The vehicle should have off-road capabilities, as the balloon cannot always land next to a road. The vehicle must be able to carry the packed balloon together with the basket crew.

The type of vehicle depends on the size of the balloon and number of your passengers. For private pilots a van, a small off-road truck or a car with a trailer will do the job. Big passenger ride operators use big minibuses with big trailers.

Let’s start with ORIGO

The smartest way into ballooning. A complete ultralight system designed to get you in the air quickly at a smart price.