Licensed balloon pilot here… The only manned balloon for which you don’t need a license (in the US) is an ultralight, weighing less than 155lbs empty.
My balloon weighs 515 lbs empty. It’s not very big, either.
Eat it
Submitted 5 months ago by Stamets@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/aaf7de82-e596-4b49-b7b6-e7b4fcbb96fc.jpeg
Comments
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 months ago
FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Don’t forget you’re still not allowed in a lot of US Airspace even if you don’t require a license for it.
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 months ago
True. The main airspace restrictions on ultralights that are not on certificated aircraft are a prohibition against flying over congested areas (yellow on a sectional chart), and within the lateral boundaries of Class E airspaces around airports. (You can’t fly an ultralight in the Class G airspace underneath the Class E)
aeharding@vger.social 5 months ago
Sure but the vast majority of US airspace is uncontrolled.
BirdyBoogleBop@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 months ago
So. What do I do if I start floating over controlled airspace? I can’t make it go any other way.
Zetta@mander.xyz 5 months ago
How cool, more about cloudhoppers if you’re curious like me. It looks like they start around $23,000, which is a lot considering you can get into paragliding for a lot cheaper than that I think. I would rather paraglide.
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Those $23,000 balloons will be certificated aircraft, and will need a licensed pilot, even though they might otherwise qualify as ultralights.
Most ultralight cloudhoppers are homebuilt envelopes with commercial burners and fuel systems. Material cost in the neighborhood of $5000.
aeharding@vger.social 5 months ago
Join us !paramotor@lemmy.world
player2@lemmynsfw.com 5 months ago
Meanwhile, the FAA is arbitrarily regulating 250 gram RC aircraft as if they’re a threat. The industry is simply innovating to increase performance of ultralight RC aircraft to avoid Remote ID requirements.
riskable@programming.dev 5 months ago
To be fair, a 250g RC aircraft can cause a lot of destruction to a plane that’s in the process of taking off/landing or to a car on a highway.
Having said that, they really have gone overboard with the regulation. Restrict airspace near airports and over highways, not something as ambiguous as “over people”. They also (still) require a spotter for FPV which is just silly. The point of the spotter is so you can figure out where it went if you lose control (presumably, to take responsibility if it crashes into something important and does some damage). Anyone flying FPV is going to know exactly where the RC aircraft was when they lost control (and modern ones will return themselves home if contact is lost like that).
They need to focus more on regulating features instead of “what and where”. If every RC aircraft has to have a return to home feature that would make more sense than something super ambiguous like, “don’t fly above people.”
BorgDrone@lemmy.one 5 months ago
An RC aircraft is basically a guided missile with a meat grinder at the front. The electric ones are surprisingly more dangerous than the nitro ones. A nitro engine can stall if something gets in the prop. An electric motor just keeps going.
Go talk to some old geezers at your local RC club, they’ll undoubtedly have some nice tall stories about what happens when props get in contact with body parts.
Emerald@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Off-topic but man look at this cloudhopper community website
Aquila@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
TIL I can walk around with a flamethrower as long as I have a balloon strapped to my back
Coreidan@lemmy.world 5 months ago
You need a license. And yes the balloon cops (FAA) will be all over your ass in no time.
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
How come I don’t see any high-speed balloon chases then?
But my BIL had to get a license to fly his drone and needs to get approval from the FAA to go over like 100ft at my MILs house because it’s “so close” (like 3 miles in a straight line) to the airport.
ulterno@lemmy.kde.social 5 months ago
How come I don’t see any high-speed balloon chases then?
That is impeded by laws higher than your country’s.
slimarev92@lemmy.world 5 months ago
[deleted]intensely_human@lemm.ee 5 months ago
Good thing we took that training course eh Sarge?
AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 5 months ago
You don’t need a license to fly a gyrocopter, but you do need to file flight plans in advance.
blanketswithsmallpox@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Depends on if you’re a Chinese balloon… in which case… have fun eating AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles fired from a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor lol.
MrWafflesNBacon@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Can’t believe it was a year ago
ArmokGoB@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 months ago
Launch hundreds of dummy balloons to waste tens of millions of dollars of the USAF’s money.
WhatsHerBucket@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Noodle07@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Those are deadly, you don’t want to pop them
RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Axiochus@lemmy.world 5 months ago
TTimo@lemm.ee 5 months ago
Actually … You do
problematicPanther@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I’m not sure about lighter than air craft, but in the US you don’t need a license to fly microlight aircraft, as long as it’s less than 250 pounds and has less than a 5 gallon fuel tank, iirc
troglodytis@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Well… Ya don’t.
But you do need a pilot certificate.
AllOutOfBubbleGum@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The FAA might have something to say about it.
gigachad@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
The FAA has nothing to say in my country, they won’t stop me from balloning around
Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Any country with controlled airspace will have some initialism brigade with something to say about it.
AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 5 months ago
F22s are very fond of balloons
Wilzax@lemmy.world 5 months ago
FAA is going to have some choice words (and fines) for you if you fly where you shouldn’t
MacNCheezus@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Joe Biden with his F-16s
DeVaolleysAdVocate@lemmy.world 5 months ago
IIRC there were a lot of irregular things about shooting down a balloon with a missile. Like they never showed anyone what was found, and that guy who was filming the search party but suddenly had to stop and all that
mlg@lemmy.world 5 months ago
FAA will happily send a Blackhawk to intercept you.
For extra fun you should fly into military airspace and see what happens then.
PenisWenisGenius@lemmynsfw.com 5 months ago
They shoot those things down with $1.5M anti balloon missiles for sport. That defense budget ain’t gonna spend itself.
rtxn@lemmy.world 5 months ago
All fun and games until Officer Fulton calls in a skyhook
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
I think normal guns would be enough so sadly the answer would be normal cops. Boring i know :(
folekaule@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Even more boring, you do need a license.
bigkahuna1986@lemmy.ml 5 months ago
If you’re very unlucky the air force cops would be stopping you
Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Balloons will fly with an awful lot of holes in them. Even with a 20’ vent hole in the top, they take awhile to deflate.
You’d have to hit the pilot or the tanks.
marcos@lemmy.world 5 months ago
In most of the world, no, it would be the balloon police. Even if normal cops could handle it.
Also, the balloon police has much more impressive weapons.
Snowpix@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
The monkey holding a dart watching the balloon fly by: “I’m about to end this man’s whole career.”
intensely_human@lemm.ee 5 months ago
Pull over!
boatsnhos931@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Officer I’m pretty sure I saw him eating rice with chopsticks and wearing one of those funny Chinaman hats
troglodytis@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The FAA doesn’t issue licenses, but a pilot certificate is required for the balloon pictured.
Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I guess a bb wouldnt do much huh
sirico@feddit.uk 5 months ago
Bro don’t mess with balloon cups I one inverted a poodle tail at a party still building railroads
PenisWenisGenius@lemmynsfw.com 5 months ago
They’ll just wait til you land and arrest you. That happened to a guy that strapped a bunch of balloons to a lawn chair.
RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
As they are more commonly known the FAA, and their enforcement arm - the USAF
cordlesslamp@lemmy.today 5 months ago
The FAA can command the USAF?
RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Not directly, but depending on the airspace you are violating you might end up meeting some people who have absolutely zero chill
DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 5 months ago
They don’t command them, but they call them in like you call the police.
CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I mean there was that Chinese balloon last year that was literally shot down by a F-22 so… yes?
photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 months ago
As they’re part of the federal government’s executive branch, kind of?
Rolive@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
They have no jurisdiction in Europe though.
MonkderDritte@feddit.de 5 months ago
Air space is regulated and enforced here too. Even for drones.