How To Make a Living as a Hot Air Balloon Pilot

With a commercial lighter-than-air certificate, balloonists can turn their passion into extra cash. Add business savvy and a corporate contract or two, and you can do more than that.

Sara Withrow

Friday, May 13, 2022 at 12:31 PM ET

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Chris Sabia, pilot of the Wonder Bread Hot Air Balloon, shoots hot air inside the balloon envelope using a propane burner, to raise it for the Up Up & Away Florida festival’s balloon glow event. [Photo: Sara Withrow]

Key Takeaways:

Hot air ballooning can be transformed from a passion into a viable business, serving as a side job or a full-time career through passenger flights, tethered rides, and especially lucrative corporate advertising contracts.
The business faces challenges due to weather dependency, often limiting flight opportunities, which encourages pilots to diversify income streams, such as securing corporate sponsorships or engaging in event management.
Beyond financial gain, ballooning fosters a strong, supportive community among pilots, often described as family, and offers significant personal rewards through the unique experience of flight and connection with passengers.

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Hot air balloon pilots will tell you that flying them is something that gets under your skin, a passion that ignites your soul—almost like the burners that keep their balloons aloft. But pursuing that passion can also be a way to make a living. Balloon pilots with business savvy often turn what starts as a hobby into a side job that not only pays for the travel and expenses associated with ballooning, but can also build college funds for their kids, or be a secondary income for their families. And, for those who hustle and have the good fortune of landing a corporate advertising contract (or two), it can become a full-time career.

The Up Up & Away Florida Hot Air Balloon Festival held May 6 through 8 in Lakeland was a showcase for business-oriented balloonists—who flock to dozens of festivals year-round to promote corporate brands, and/or sell passenger flights and tethered balloon rides.