US will require hot air balloon pilots to pass medical exam

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pilots of hot air balloons carrying paying passengers will need medical certificates, just like pilots of other kinds of commercial aircraft. That’s according to a final rule that the Federal Aviation Administration adopted Wednesday. The rule comes four years after Congress passed a law including the requirement for balloon pilots to get a medical certificate. Federal safety officials had called for the requirement after previous accidents. The FAA received about 200 comments on the matter before it issued its final rule.