Hot air balloon competitions combine strategy, skill, and spectacle. Pilots fly through a series of challenges, scoring up to 1000 points per task by demonstrating precise control and smart decision-making. Whether flying high-tech racer balloons or traditional shapes, the true deciding factor is the pilot’s judgement in the air.

Ballooning is not only a technical challenge but also a spectacular visual sport, drawing crowds with its colourful inflations, graceful flights, and dramatic landings. While pilots focus intensely on wind, altitude, and timing, the atmosphere on the ground is festive and picturesque.

Hot air balloon competitions are designed to test a pilot’s skill in:

  • Navigation and precision
  • Judgement and adaptability
  • Strategic flying under shifting weather and wind conditions
  • Team coordination and leadership
  • Sustaining motivation and focus throughout the competition

To win, a pilot must:

  • Perform consistently across a variety of flight tasks
  • Accumulate the highest total score
  • Avoid penalties that reduce their score

The winner is the pilot with the best overall performance across all tasks once the competition ends.

Task Types: Aerial Challenges of Precision and Timing

Each flight includes one or more tasks. Common examples:

  • Pilot Declared Goal (PDG):
    Pilots choose their own target before launch and aim for it.
  • Judge Declared Goal (JDG):
    A fixed target is provided; the closer the marker, the better the score.
  • Hare and Hounds:
    Pilots follow a lead balloon (the "hare") and try to land near it.
  • Fly On (FON):
    After reaching one goal, pilots declare and fly to a second mid-flight.
  • Elbow (ELB):
    Scored based on how accurately a pilot changes direction mid-flight.
  • Race to Area / Fly to Area (RTA/FTA):
    Involve arriving in a designated area, sometimes at a specific time.

Recently, 3D tasks have been introduced, where pilots must achieve goals such as Pilot Declared Goal (PDG) or Fly On (FON) in the air, aiming to accumulate the greatest possible distance or time within a defined airspace.

Pilots must read wind patterns at different altitudes to steer—balloons can’t turn like aircraft, so altitude control is the key.

Scoring: How It Works

  • Maximum Points Per Task: 1000
    The top result in each task earns 1000 points. Other competitors receive a proportional score based on how close they came.
     
  • How Scores Are Made:
    • Pilots drop a physical marker or log an electronic mark using the Balloon Live app
    • Results within the Marker Measuring Area (MMA) are given the highest scoring value, but pilots can still obtain valid results by dropping electronic markers elsewhere within the scoring area. 
  • Distance-Based Tasks:
    Points are awarded based on how close the marker lands to the target.
  • Other Metrics:
    Some tasks are scored based on time or angles, as well as the distance or time accumulated
  • Backups:
    If a marker is lost, the pilot’s GPS track can be used instead.

Penalties: What Can Cost You Points

Infractions that may lead to point deductions or disqualification include:

  • No marker or invalid GPS mark
  • Entering restricted airspace
  • Unsafe flying
  • Late electronic data upload
  • Launching or landing in forbidden zones
  • Not respecting distance or time limits 
  • Misconduct or tampering with equipment

Penalties typically range from 100 to 500 points per task.

Final Scores & Jury

  • Scores are first published as provisional and become official once all results are.
  • Pilots may submit complaints or protests, which are reviewed and judged by an international jury.
  • Final ranking is based on total points across all tasks. Tie-breakers follow specific criteria (e.g. number of task wins).

When & How Competitions Take Place

  • Flights take place in early morning or late afternoon, when wind conditions are calmer and safer for inflation, steering, and landing.
  • Events often span several days, with morning and evening flights as weather allows.

About the Balloons Themselves

  • Modern competition balloons are known as "racers":
    • More streamlined than standard balloons
    • Can climb and descend quickly, helping pilots find and use different wind layers
    • More responsive to sudden changes in wind
  • Size:
    • A typical competition balloon has a volume of 1800 to 2200 m³
  • Who Can Compete?
    • Any pilot with a standard-shaped balloon can win—pilot skill matters more than balloon type
    • Special-shape balloons (e.g. animals, buildings) are not allowed due to poor manoeuvrability