gsGroundScholar
Sign in
Unmanned Free Balloons

AIM ¶ 7-6-5 — Unmanned Free Balloons

AIM 7-6-5 explains why pilots should avoid flying beneath unmanned free balloons due to hidden suspension lines, antennas, and payloads.

In Plain English

Unmanned free balloons often look like a single object in the sky, but most have hidden hazards dangling beneath them — including a suspension device holding the payload or instrument package, a trailing wire antenna, or both. These thin lines can be nearly invisible until you're dangerously close, and striking one could damage your aircraft or bring down the balloon system.

AIM 7-6-5 offers a clear recommended practice (not a regulation): use good judgment and stay well clear of all unmanned free balloons. Specifically:

  • Do not fly beneath an unmanned free balloon at any time.
  • Remain well clear laterally as well — subsystems extend further than they appear.
  • Report any sighting to the nearest FAA ground facility you're in contact with.

Your pilot reports help ATC identify and flight-follow these balloons, improving safety for everyone in the airspace. This is especially relevant as high-altitude research and weather balloons become more common in the NAS.

AIM Source Text
FAA AIM ¶ 7-6-5
7-6-5. 7-6-5. Avoid Flight Beneath Unmanned Balloons The majority of unmanned free balloons currently being operated have, extending below them, either a suspension device to which the payload or instrument package is attached, or a trailing wire antenna, or both. In many instances these balloon subsystems may be invisible to the pilot until the aircraft is close to the balloon, thereby creating a potentially dangerous situation. Therefore, good judgment on the part of the pilot dictates that aircraft should remain well clear of all unmanned free balloons and flight below them should be avoided at all times. Pilots are urged to report any unmanned free balloons sighted to the nearest FAA ground facility with which communication is established. Such information will assist FAA ATC facilities to identify and flight follow unmanned free balloons operating in the airspace.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1Why should pilots avoid flying beneath an unmanned free balloon?
Per AIM 7-6-5, most unmanned free balloons have a suspension device holding the payload and/or a trailing wire antenna extending below them. These subsystems are often invisible to pilots until the aircraft is very close, creating a potentially dangerous situation.
Q2What action does the AIM recommend if you sight an unmanned free balloon in flight?
Per AIM 7-6-5, pilots are urged to report any unmanned free balloons sighted to the nearest FAA ground facility with which communication is established, so ATC can identify and flight-follow the balloon.
Q3Is the guidance in AIM 7-6-5 a regulation or a recommended practice?
AIM 7-6-5 is a recommended practice based on good pilot judgment, not a FAR mandate. It advises pilots to remain well clear of all unmanned free balloons and avoid flight below them at all times.
Related Paragraphs in AIM Chapter 7
7-6-1
GA Accident Causal Factors
7-6-10
Volcanic Ash Operations
7-6-11
Emergency Airborne Inspection
7-6-12
Precipitation Static
7-6-13
Laser Illumination Reporting
7-6-14
Flat Light Brownout Whiteout
7-6-15
Ground Icing Operations
7-6-16
Exhaust Plume Hazards
Master the AIM
Stop guessing. Drill it.

Adaptive questions tied to the live AIM + FAR. Mock checkrides predict your DPE pass rate.

5 questions/day free • No credit card
AIM 7-6-5 — Avoid Flight Beneath Unmanned Balloons