For hot air balloonists, the joy of a one-hour flight sometimes is diluted by a long wait for approvals from authorities. But as restrictions continue to ease on low-altitude airspace use, enthusiasts see an exciting future ahead.

In China, balloonists must apply to fly in advance. After getting approvals from the military and government authority that is in charge of the relevant airspace, pilots can fly their planned balloon routes.

Wu Gongyu, director of the ballooning commission of the Aero Sports Federation of China, says restrictions including altitude limitations have slowed the growth of the sport in recent years.

The altitude limitation of last November's China Hot Air Balloon Open was limited to 600 meters, while similar races outside China often allow competitors to fly as high as 2,000 meters, Wu says.

That's just one reason there are no more than 500 balloon pilots in China, while the United States has more than 20,000, says Liu Xiang, a veteran balloonist who often takes part in balloon races abroad.

But both Wu and Liu agree that more Chinese will either choose to become balloon pilots or take hot air balloon rides, thanks to China's ongoing loosening of its airspace restrictions.

Last month, the first airworthiness certificate was issued to a Nanjing-based company, making commercial balloon flights possible in China's future.

People who want to buy aircraft like hot air balloons and private planes are waiting to take pilot training, says Cheng Peng, general manager of a Hebei-based pilots club providing training programs.

"It takes at least half a year for people to wait for their training courses. The supply lags far behind the demand in terms of the pilot-training market," Cheng says.

While top international competitors may be invited to participate in balloon festivals in China, individual foreign pilots are not permitted to fly balloons in China, says Wu, the director of the balloon commission.

dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 01/09/2014 page8)