The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted a final rule requiring commercial hot-air balloon pilots to hold medical certificates when flying paying passengers, except when the pilot is conducting flight training in a balloon. The rule mandates a second-class medical certificate, the same standard required for other commercial pilots.
 
The FAA Administrator signed this final rule on November 16, 2022. Upon publication, the document can be found on the Federal Register’s website at www.federalregister.gov.