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

For Private pilot, certificate or rating is Private pilot — balloon; part 61 minimum is 10 hours of flight training that includes at least six training flights with an authorized instructor; part 61 section is 14 CFR 61.109(h); key sub-requirements is includes at least six training flights with an authorized instructor, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.

- **Certificate or rating:** Private pilot — balloon _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Part 61 minimum:** 10 hours of flight training that includes at least six training flights with an authorized instructor _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Part 61 section:** 14 CFR 61.109(h) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Key sub-requirements:** includes at least six training flights with an authorized instructor _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> A person who applies for a private pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air category and balloon class rating must log at least 10 hours of flight training that includes at least six training flights with an authorized instructor in the areas of operation listed in

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-E/section-61.109

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/).