It’s no Skywhale but the Scouts ACT balloon is about to notch up some more airtime thanks to an initiative giving more children and young people a chance to sail through the sky.
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A debut program training members to navigate hot air balloons has just celebrated the certification of its first young pilot.
A fear of heights hasn’t stopped inaugural graduate, 22-year-old James Ansell, from securing his license.
“I just relish the challenge. One of the parts of the training was you had to go up to 4000 feet above ground level, then drop down as fast as you can, then stop from about 100 metres above the ground . . . and not crash,” he said.
“I like being fairly low down so you can kind of duck over trees and navigate – I have a bit more fun.
‘‘It can be a really good ice breaker too; ‘I’m a balloon pilot’.”
Scouts ACT received money to purchase the hot air balloon as part of the Centenary of Canberra last year.
The program enables one scout to complete their ballooning training each year on average, adding a sizeable ACT representation to the approximate 200 balloon pilots across the country.
Mr Ansell received his private pilot certification from the Australian Ballooning Federation in the mail less than a fortnight ago after about two years’ worth of theoretical and practical training, somewhat delayed by the activity’s weather dependence.
The ANU science student looked forward to navigating the Scouts ACT balloon above the capital’s restricted airspace once he had notched up 50 hours of flying experience in more open territory.
In the meantime he can fly across roomier spaces surrounding Canberra.
Scouts ACT air activities commissioner Ross McConnell said the initiative offered young Scouts something different while providing a lot more children with a flying experience.