The hot air ballooning, as beautiful as a butterfly, the gentle giant of the skies, a peaceful but exhilarating means of viewing the countryside, suddenly seems a dangerous way to fly. Yet only a few months ago its safety record seemed impeccable. Now, after four accidents and 17 deaths in quick succession, more than hot air will be needed to restore faith in ballooning as a sport, recreation and tourist delight. Bad luck is not acceptable as an explanation for disasters involving passengers and pilots.

Air ballooning has a long tradition, and it is unthinkable that it should be banned. This would destroy a pleasure and an industry that belong as much as high-powered aircraft to the skies and which are among the least noisome expressions of humankind’s determination to be airborne. The Premier, Mr Bannon, is correct in resisting a ban, as he would be if, following glider or light plane fatalities, it was proposed to ground all such aircraft.

But the disasters since August need to be thoroughly investigated, not only to discover whether there are common factors. It must be determined whether the balloons and balloon operators are satisfactorily vetted for safety. Civil aviation authorities and commercial balloon operators appear to be aware of their responsibilities to learn what they can from the four accidents, but the public – potential passengers and people on the ground need to know that structural and safety requirements and pilot skills are of the highest standard. This should be required of any public operation which takes passengers aboard.

As two of the accidents involved collisions with powerlines it may be that new regulations will have to be framed about where balloons are permitted to fly and the knowledge balloon pilots must demonstrate about whereabouts of powerlines and other potential hazards. Vision and visibility may be factors, too, along with ability to react quickly in emergencies; this latter perhaps involving some pre-flight instructions to passengers.

While the helium-filled Double Eagle had virtually no controls and was at the complete mercy of the winds, the pilots of the Pacific Flyer will be able to maneuver the balloon up and down until it is centered in the core of the jetstream.

Ballooning is an adventure, and it would be a tame world that banned provision or enjoyment of adventurous pursuits. The task of authorities is to set standards and see that they are maintained, so that those who take to the air in balloons are not taking a greater risk than they know about.

Do you want to pursue a career as a pilot? If so, you are in for major excitement. Flying a plane can be one of the most exhilarating experiences in the world, and doing so day in and day out is a great career. But before you get too excited about becoming a pilot you need to be aware of all the careers that are available in this field. After all, the more that you know about pilot careers the better off you will be in the long run.

The most obvious career choice for a pilot is to work for a commercial airline. These airlines employ hundred of pilots to fly from one end of the world to the next, everyday of the week. The only bad part about trying to break into this area of the industry is that jobs are scarce due to a lot of competition. But with that being said, this does not mean that you should shy away from looking into this area of interest. If you stick with things long enough you will eventually work your way up to being a pilot of a major airline company.

Another career path that you may want to look into is becoming a private pilot. There are many people who need pilots to fly them around the world based off of their busy schedule. You can even start your own chartering business if you have enough interest in this line of work. Although it may take some time and money to get started, you can make much more in the long run.

Overall, there are many careers that you can follow if you are interested in becoming a pilot. You may be up against a bit of competition, but when you think about it this is the same regardless of what type of career you are interested in. The key is to find out what careers are available, and then make a decision early on as to what path you want to follow.