# Commercial pilot — balloon — FAA flight training hour minimums: Part 61 vs Part 141, by certificate and rating

For Commercial pilot, certificate or rating is Commercial pilot — balloon; part 61 minimum is 35 hours of flight time as a pilot; part 61 section is 14 CFR 61.129(h); key sub-requirements is 20 hours in balloons; ( 2 ) 10 flights in balloons; ( 3 ) Two flights in balloons as the pilot in command, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.

- **Certificate or rating:** Commercial pilot — balloon _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Part 61 minimum:** 35 hours of flight time as a pilot _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Part 61 section:** 14 CFR 61.129(h) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Key sub-requirements:** 20 hours in balloons; ( 2 ) 10 flights in balloons; ( 3 ) Two flights in balloons as the pilot in command _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air category and a balloon class rating must log at least 35 hours of flight time as a pilot, which includes at least the following requirements: ( 1 ) 20 hours in balloons; ( 2 ) 10 flights in balloons; ( 3 ) Two flights in balloons as the pilot in command; and

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-F/section-61.129

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [FAA flight training hour minimums: Part 61 vs Part 141, by certificate and rating](https://referencesource.org/flight-training-hour-minimums-61-vs-141/).