Can Hot Air Balloons Show Up On Radar?

For safety, every airport has a flight radar to detect any other objects which are high in altitude in case of potential disruption or collision with planes flying.

Hot air balloons typically do not show up on flight radars since they are flying under 3000 feet, but if they have a transponder, some can show up on the radar, especially when flying high up in the sky.

In our guide below, we will take you through what a flight radar is, what kind of hot air balloons can be seen on radar, what weather balloons are and transponders and how safe they are.

What Is A Flight Radar?

Have you ever seen that high tower at airports and wondered what there for? This is where people are monitoring and tracking flights, it allows pilots to find the right timing to take off so that every flight can land and take off safely.

Planes are seen within a flight radar only when they are in a certain perimeter and height, as soon as something enters this radar it flashes up.

Can Hot Air Balloons Be Seen On a Radar?

Hot air balloons can be seen on a radar depending on the type of radar, for example, some old plane watchman radars can show up hot air balloons, a flock of birds, helium balloons and more.

Newer more modern flight radars however mostly can’t see hot air balloons since they are not flying high enough or close enough to the radar, hot air balloons are not allowed to fly near airports, only in authorised areas.

What Are Weather Balloons?

As we mentioned, most hot air balloons never travel high enough to be able for them to be seen by a flight radar, but there is one exception for weather balloons. Weather balloons are very high altitude balloons that transmit weather information such as wind speed, humidity and other details back to the ground.

The weather can reach 40km in altitude, in comparison, mount Everest is 90km meaning they can become very high.

How High Can a Hot Air Balloon Fly?

Hot air balloons can fly very high if we are talking about high altitude hot air balloons, most are limited to 3000 feet, however. The highest a balloon has ever travelled is 68,986 feet as a world record, it is not safe however to operate commercial hot air balloons this high with passengers.

What Is a Transponder?

Hot air balloons with a transponder can be seen on the radar. A transponder is a device that is often found on planes and emits an air-based signal upon the reception of the ground.

This is what allows flight controllers to track and identify planes, through a transponder, air traffic can send a radio signal to a plane, which the plane can then send back to confirm its exact location, this is super important to avoid planes running into each other.

In conjunction with a transponder, ground crews and pilots will also speak in a squawk code so that they can have a unique identification code.

Are Hot Air Balloons Safe?

Hot air balloons are very safe since they operate at a slow speed, they never go above 3000 feet avoiding altitude sickness and avoiding a vertigo effect since you can’t feel yourself travelling upwards, you are simply floating.

In terms of crashes, hot air balloons have very few incidents per year, with most being power line related or from human error. One way to increase the safety of your hot air balloon is by equipping it with a transponder that is homemade, this allows you to appear on flight radars.

We’ve listed some tips and methods for making one below.

• Take some cardboard and assemble it so as it faces in all three directions, these could be a rectangle or circular surfaces, smoothly cover each piece with aluminium foil.
• Your cardboard must be facing in all directions so it can bounce back signal no matter the direction it comes from.
• The total diameter should be between 8 and 12-inches wide.

Has a Hot Air Balloon Crashed With a Plane?

Hot air balloons are at a small risk of crashing with planes since they do not fly high enough, but there is a potential when landing or with high altitude hot air balloons.

There was one crash reported between a plane and a hot air balloon in Germany in the year 2020, they were reported to collide in the sky then the plane crashed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hot Air Balloons & Radars

Are hot air balloons allowed to take off near airports? 

No, hot air balloons are not allowed to land and take off in a designated area around airports for safety reasons.

What are some flying regulations for hot air balloons? 

Hot air balloons are not allowed to travel below 1000 feet and above 3000 feet, they can also only land in authorised areas away from civilians and animals, unless there is an emergency landing.

How often do hot air balloons crash?

Hot air balloons crash rarely, they are one of the safest ways to travel in the air with an experienced pilot.

Final Words

Overall, hot air balloons do not often show up on a flight radar unless they have a transponder or they are flying high enough, most balloons do not have a transponder and stay below 3000 feet. Some high altitude balloons may show up on a radar such as weather balloons.