1. Text: | Print|

      Balloon pilot license to thrill

      2013-11-07 08:58 Global Times Web Editor: Li Yan
      1
      The Zhong Hang Balloon Club takes to the skies above Langfang in Hebei province. Photo: Courtesy of Cheng Peng

      The Zhong Hang Balloon Club takes to the skies above Langfang in Hebei province. Photo: Courtesy of Cheng Peng

      What is the safest type of aircraft? Hot air balloons, according to World Air Sports Federation statistics. But before you go up, up and away in your beautiful balloon, you'll need to earn your license.

      Balloon pilot licenses are issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. According to Cheng Peng, the 33-year-old who runs the Zhong Hang Balloon Club in Langfang, Hebei province, one must take a general physical exam, a flight physical, a written test and a field test to be fully licensed.

      "You have to pass a vertigo test, an ear-nose-throat exam, and also disrobe to show that you don't have injuries or large-scale tattoos," said Cheng. "This is the same as the physical examinations for pilots." Additionally, applicants must log 16 hours of flight training; even after the balloon pilot license is granted, an biannual inspection is required to maintain it.

      Cheng is the youngest of the eight coaches in China who are qualified to train balloon pilots. He earned his own license in 2003. Prior to that, he had amassed enough experience with hot air balloon flight to be selected to fly across the Three Gorges Dam in an outdoor-sports show, but was subsequently cut from the roster because he had no license. "To make up for missing out, I did the training and got licensed in one month," said Cheng.

      It wasn't all smooth sailing, though. Cheng was reminded that the most important factor in flying a hot-air balloon is maintaining a steady and safe flight path. "I was young and filled with the spirit of adventure. I wanted to show off during the flight exam by executing lots of 'dangerous moves.' I went up and down too fast and headed towards high-tension power lines," said Cheng. "Although I made a safe landing, my coach failed me, saying I was 'having too many thoughts.' So I had to take a second exam, in which I focused on safety, and passed."

      Since founding his club in 1999, Cheng has helped more than 200 people earn their balloon pilot license. The oldest member is 73 years old, and the youngest is only 16 years old, a girl named Bai Yuening who earned her balloon license in August of this year. "She trained very hard to get the license," said her father, Bai Songhao. "She got up at 4 am everyday to take flight lessons. Later, she studied theory. Though it was difficult, she is quite proud and happy to gain this skill. She took me up on a flight not long ago, which was very exciting."

      Foreigners who want to get a balloon pilot license in Beijing are welcome to join the club. According to Cheng, aspiring balloonists from Vietnam and the Philippines have come here to train. "But we have not had any trainees from Western countries, because this sport is quite common there, and even in Japan and South Korea. So balloonists there do not need to come to China to get a license."

      When training for a license, future flyers are taught that safety comes first - and that it starts on the ground. Pang Liya, 62, a coach at the Tianjin Aero-Sports School, told Metropolitan that choosing the right outfit is a very important part of training. "You have to wear hard leather shoes and gloves," said Pang. "Protective shoes will prevent your feet from being injured by heavy propane tanks and sharp rocks in the wild, and leather gloves can help you deal with fire emergencies and protect your hands from being injured by freezing liquefied gas."

      Comments (0)
      Most popular in 24h
        Archived Content
      Media partners:

      Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
      Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

      主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲国产精彩中文乱码AV| 久久精品国产亚洲av天美18 | 香蕉免费一区二区三区| 日韩国产免费一区二区三区| mm1313亚洲精品无码又大又粗| 亚洲AV无码一区二区二三区入口 | 亚洲国产成人久久笫一页| 亚洲人成电影网站| 国产97视频人人做人人爱免费| 免费中文熟妇在线影片| 国产AV无码专区亚洲A∨毛片| 免费无码黄网站在线看| 国产一区二区三区在线观看免费| 亚洲黄色在线播放| 国产一级a毛一级a看免费人娇| 成人午夜性A级毛片免费| 久久精品国产99精品国产亚洲性色| 中文在线日本免费永久18近| 亚洲成av人片在线观看无码不卡| 99久久99久久精品免费观看| 亚洲欧洲∨国产一区二区三区| 精品亚洲国产成人av| 四虎永久成人免费| 久久精品免费网站网| 亚洲国产成人久久综合一区77| 国产A∨免费精品视频| 老色鬼久久亚洲AV综合| 天黑黑影院在线观看视频高清免费| 亚洲成aⅴ人片久青草影院| 中文字幕在线免费看| 亚洲一区二区三区四区在线观看| 91免费资源网站入口| 91亚洲性爱在线视频| 日本视频免费在线| 亚洲av无码成人精品国产 | 免费99精品国产自在现线| 亚洲AV无码XXX麻豆艾秋| 亚洲va久久久噜噜噜久久天堂| 免费一本色道久久一区| 一区视频免费观看| 国产性爱在线观看亚洲黄色一级片|