For flight instruction in the Albuquerque area, World Balloon will furnish a balloon, an instructor, a crew member, propane, truck, insurance, and the cost of the FAA designated examiner for the check ride at a package price year-round.  Our rate sheet is enclosed for your reference.  Any additional time that may needed beyond the hours offered in the package would be at an hourly rate.  Discounts are available on training when purchasing a balloon through World Balloon.  Please inquire.

Instruction is one-on-one and programs are scheduled to meet individual needs. We can normally complete the training in approximately 2-1/2 weeks for private license, and 3-1/2 to 5 weeks for commercial (with good weather).  With our staff of highly trained professional pilots you can be assured of the best instruction in technical and safety skills.  We want to be sure you do know that the program is very physical.  You will be helping to move equipment weighing several hundred pounds, and you must have no physical problems that would prohibit you from being jarred during high-wind or imperfectly executed landings.

The FAA Part 141 Ground School consists of three stages, including reviews and a series of quizzes to prepare you for the FAA written exam, and to give you the fundamental background to be a safe pilot.  Training manuals and FAA written exams are at additional cost to the student.  The books will be approximately $110.00, and the FAA written exam is $85.00; with the test results available immediately.  If you already have a pilot certificate and just want to add the balloon rating, the FAA written test is not required.

To obtain a private pilot certificate requires a minimum of 8 hours of flight training through our Part 141 School. (Normally under Part 61, it is a minimum of 10 hours).  The majority of student pilots take 12-15 hours of flight training to become competent.  For a private through commercial rating through our school, it is a minimum of 18 hours, normally 35 hours through Part 61, of which 20 hours must be in a balloon.

We ask that you make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance, but there are times of the year when we are extremely busy and may need as much as 3 months notice.  Please also note that because of this, rates differ between summer and winter, since we have more pilots available for training during the winter months.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.