Hello and welcome to our first blog of 2026. This one is a little different and a bit of fun to beat away the winter blues.

In this blog we are going to be looking at part one of the “Balloonist Spotters Guide.” What’s this you ask? Well, it is a tongue in cheek guide, just for fun at the different types of people who are involved in ballooning. From pilots to crew, to enthusiasts and everyone in between. This colourful guide will give you a little insight, with a satirical, even humorous spin into the colourful people who make up this fantastic hobby.

This is not meant to offend anyone; it is purely for fun. Ballooning can be for some hard to get into. It can be a little cliquey but mostly it is a wonderful and welcoming sport. The people involved in ballooning (well most of them) make it what it is.

All the pictures in the blog were made using AI. Any likeness to people alive or deceased is unintentional. None of these have been made with a specific person in mind. The captions were written by us. The entries aren’t in any particular order either.

We hope you enjoy this guide, part two is in the works already. If you do become offended at any of these then please do the following. Don your suit of armour, get behind your keyboard, and drop us an e-mail, this nicely leads into our first entry in the guide.

The Keyboard Warrior –

The Keyboard Warrior could be a pilot, enthusiast, crew member or just a random person. Their origin is irrelevant as they all share one key similarity. That being a strong opinion on something they know little about. The opinion is usually irrelevant, unhelpful, and put out into the world to cause upset rather than add value.

Using their trusty keyboard from the safety of their glass houses built on sand they throw out their opinion into the world wide web.

Had a bad landing? Don’t worry! The Keyboard Warrior will be able to tell you how you they wouldn’t have made the same mistakes, regardless of the fact they don’t have a license or haven’t flown in the last several years.

There is a number of Keyboard Warriors in ballooning, as there is in all walks of life. Thankfully though they are never seen in person on the launch fields, so it unknown what they actually look like.

Fun Fact – It is unknown if a Keyboard Warrior’s suit of armour is for decoration or due to them requiring structural support. On account of them being invertebrates.

The Homebuilder –

These balloonists take arts and crafts and DIY to the extreme. They literally, measure, cut and sew their own aircraft, often in the comfort of their own homes. They trust their work so much they then go and throw themselves in the air in it.

Now balloons are relatively simple beasts but there is no doubt that a lot of technical work goes into making them. Ensuring load tapes take the strain of the, well load. The parachute seals the top properly; the flying wires are attached properly this stuff is meticulously quality checked by highly trained staff when you buy a factory balloon. To be able to build your own and then go and fly it takes equal measure commitment, skill, and courage.

There are some wonderful home build balloons out there. Most of the time you can hardly tell the difference between a home build and a factory build.

The best thing about the Homebuilder is the vast majority of them are lovely people who enjoy sharing their passion with others. There is a fantastic sub community of homebuilders in ballooning, with dedicated meets and fly outs. The community is very welcoming and keen to get more people involved.

Fun Fact – A home built hot air balloon is classified as Annex 1 in the UK. They don’t require a yearly inspection (COA) like factory balloons. Although getting one is recommended and they can only be used for private flying.

The Balloon Spotter –

These balloon enthusiasts attend meets, festivals or follow launches all over the world collecting the registrations of balloons either in written or digital format. This aspect of the hobby is similar to train or bus spotting.

Some spotters seek out a specific series of balloon registrations for example any Cameron built balloons, some seek out all country specific registrations, or some just try to collect as many as they can.

This aspect of the hobby is usually harmless but like anything can be a bit competitive and even cutthroat at times. With some spotters going to any lengths to get a rare registration in their books, even pulling a balloon out of the bag without permission!

Sometimes misunderstood, as is often the case with enthusiasm spotters are a wonderful part of the ballooning community. They usually have an extensive knowledge of ballooning through the years and are great to chat to.

Fun Fact – There are a couple of balloon spotters still out and about who attended the very first balloon festivals in the UK.

The Adventure Pilot –

These balloon pilots have done it all. From flying in difficult and harsh weather, over testing terrain or in countries where balloons don’t usually operate. The Adventure Pilot’s make up some of the most experienced in the ballooning community.

Always seeking the next challenge, they push the limits of what balloons (and people can endure). There have been some fantastic achievements made over the years in this area of the spor. Many world records have been broken and not always with specialised kit either.

Adventure Pilots aren’t as common today as they were say twenty years ago and that’s not because they have all been lost in their endeavours either. Over the years regulations and red tape have become more prevalent, and people are less inclined to push the limits as much. However, every now and again a new brave soul comes along with an idea to do something extraordinary. With immense skill and a bit of luck they pull of something amazing.

If you ever get a chance to attend a talk or speak to an Adventure Pilot, take it. Their stories are fantastic.

Fun Fact – The world record for the highest altitude reached by hot air balloon is 21,290 metres. This was achieved in 2005 by Dr Vijaypat Singhania in a Cameron Z-1600 (1.6 million cubic feet of hot air).

The Angry Balloonist –

These guys and gals should probably find a hobby with less variables as they tend to fly off the handle at the slightest inconvenience. Famous for their rants and tirades the Angry Balloonist certainly bring the heat to hot air ballooning.

Easily identifiable by their red faces, scowl and stomping walk it is best to steer clear of this type of balloonist on the launch field. They can also often be heard before they are seen as well, whether laying into their crew, another pilot, or their long-suffering partner.

Angry Balloonists thankfully make up a very, very small number of the overall community. Most likely due to their hearts giving out from the increased stress.

Rude and abrasive it’s best to steer clear. If you lay out near them, land near them, fly near them or look at them and something goes wrong, it will be your fault so prepare for that if avoidance is impossible.

Fun Fact – Jamie our pilot sometimes gets mistaken for an Angry Balloonist due to him looking miserable. This is due to a rare medical condition called RBF (Resting Bitch Face), he is actually approachable and friendly.

The Commercial Rides Pilot –

The bus drivers of the sky! These pilots make a living taking fare paying passengers for pleasure rides in some of the biggest balloons in the world, all over the world!

From cozy two person flights to crammed thirty-two person flights and everything in between.

These pilots are often very experienced and skilled. They need to be as well, not only do they have to fly the balloon, navigate, and manage fuel as normal they also must manage each and every one of their passengers during the flight. On top of this they have to find some enjoyment in it too as its hard work.

People are weird and wonderful things, and they do weird and wonderful things all the time! Even at two thousand feet in the air! So, the Rides Pilots must be on the ball before take-off, during flight and on landing to make sure everyone has a safe and fun time.

All balloons work the same in principle however the bigger they are the less responsive they are in general. It has been described as the difference between driving a small two door car and an articulated lorry, only at two thousand feet. Landing these beasts is no easy task either especially when its on the breezier side.

Rides Pilots are usually easily to identify on the launch field due to the balloons they fly. Off the launch field its even easier as they will only too happily tell you that they fly balloons for a living!

Fun Fact – The (current) biggest active rides balloon in the world is a Cameron Z-750. This holds seven hundred and fifty thousand cubic feet of hot air and can carry up to thirty-two passengers!

The Helpful Balloonist –

These form some of the best of the community. Always happy to lend a hand whether that’s with advice, support, or physical help on the field. Nothing is too much trouble for the Helpful Balloonist!

They will make sure you launch safely, even waiting for you to go first before they take off. Land in the same field as them? They will often offer to help you pack up first or find the landowner. Want some advice? They will give it to you without hesitation.

Thankfully, there are more helpful balloonists than not in the sport. If you meet one, look after them and they will look after you.

Fun Fact – Being helpful and friendly is easier than being unhelpful and an idiot.

The Fair-Weather Pilot –

Before we go into this entry, people should only every fly in conditions they are comfortable with.

The Fair-Weather Pilot however think that six knots is fast and eight is gale force. Four on the ground but fifteen at two thousand feet? Absolutely not. Rain thirty miles East of the flight location, too much risk.

These guys and gals are more than happy to sit back and watch others fly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Only flying in absolute best of conditions the fair-weather balloonists can often be found with pristine, low houred balloons decades after purchase.

Generally, friend and lovely people there is a small risk of (de)volution into a keyboard warrior if enough times goes past without flying.

Fun Fact – Hot Air Balloons can fly in ground speed conditions of up to fifteen knots.

The Balloon Fanatic –

These guys and girls eat, sleep, and breathe hot air ballooning. We believe that at some point every single balloonist becomes a fanatic even for a short period of time.

Balloon Fanatics are some of the most genuine, lovely, enthusiastic, and often times sadly misunderstood people you will meet in ballooning. Typically, easy to spot due to wearing balloon related merchandise whether that’s clothing, pins, hats, lanyards, or anything in between they can usually be found either watching from a distance or in the mix of the action happily snapping photos or helping out.

Balloon Fanatics often make the best crew too. They are more than happy to get stuck into any task even packing up a heavy rides balloon or special shape. They usually have an awesome collection of memorabilia too.

At Molly Mae Ballooning we love all aspects of ballooning often collecting bits and pieces as we go too. If you meet one on your adventures don’t be annoyed by their enthusiasm, embrace it and let them get involved. You may just help them on their way to becoming a future pilot.

Fun Fact – Balloon pin badge collecting is a popular hobby in ballooning with some collectors boasting thousands of badges. It hasn’t quite caught on as much as Pokémon, not yet anyway.

The Glory Days Pilot –

Our last entry for part one.

The Glory Days Pilot has been involved in the sport since the heydays of ballooning in the eighties and nineties. They have usually flown every kind of household object in balloon form all over the world. They tell the best stories and are usually the most experienced and skilled balloonists around.

No meet, flyout, event or even balloon will ever come close to what it was back in the day, and they will be sure to tell you this at every opportunity.

Most have flown for either VABC, Flying Pictures or had their own Enterprise back in the day and they were all highly successful. With their exploits televised and published all over the world.

These guys possess stamina that today’s balloonists just cannot match having flown the event circuits for years back in the day. Getting up at 0400 for their media brief, in the air for 0600, back for breakfast, tethering at 1200, media brief number 2 at 1630 then back in the air again for 1830 was just a normal day in the office for them. All this three times over in a row then on the road for the next event.

There are still a number of these pilots flying today, many for rides operators, some privately and they are well worth talking to if you get the chance. They have a wealth of experience and are usually only too happy to share it over a pint (or 5).

Fun Fact – Aerial Marketing is still one of the most effective forms of marketing available when utilised properly and in conjunction with the correct media platforms. It is the only form of marketing that offers a mobile engagement platform that people naturally want to interact with, photograph and film.

We hoped you enjoyed part one, part two will be coming before the season kicks off in full.