Learn alongside people who practise ballooning

Discover the principles and equipment

Outings and conversations offer opportunities to understand the equipment, crew roles and stages of an activity. Preparation, inflation, ground support and retrieval all help reveal what makes flight possible.

You develop your understanding by observing, carrying out tasks assigned to you and talking with those present. Start with curiosity and build your knowledge of ballooning through successive encounters.

Are you training as a balloon pilot?

For student pilots, spending time with an experienced crew helps connect topics studied with situations in the field. You discover how an outing is organised and develop questions to work through with your instructor. Charles Desmet’s experience as a ballooning instructor and examiner for more than thirty years offers a useful perspective, complementing the work with your training organisation.

The path to a Balloon Pilot Licence, or BPL, involves specific training. Club life, observation and mentoring complement your experience. Membership does not replace that training or automatically entitle you to flight hours recognised within your course.

Ballooning mentoring and exchanges between student pilots

Meeting other people involved in ballooning helps you understand the activity and reflect on your path. The club values shared experience and mentoring. Explain your level and expectations so we can discuss the support available. Charles Desmet contributes by advising and supporting members. A balloon pilot since 1978, he helps put observed situations into perspective and identify questions to explore further. This support depends on the club’s possibilities and is neither an official course nor a commitment to individual coaching at a fixed frequency.

Advice to take your interest further

The club Journal explores crew life, briefings and student pilots’ questions. These articles help you understand situations and prepare for conversations. Charles Desmet’s experience can inform this advice and observations from the field without replacing the organiser’s instructions or those of your instructor.

Let’s discuss how you would like to develop

Already taking lessons or considering becoming a pilot? Describe your background in your message. We will explain how the club’s encounters and activities could meet your interests.