Interactions in commercial ballooning company ops. (Pilots and crew).


* Pilots and crew who show any symptoms of COVID-19 must not come to work and must immediately seek medical advice.


  • Social distancing between staff and passengers must be maintained at all times where practicable.
  • Staff will be provided with and must wear face masks at all times.
  • Leather rigging gloves will be provided to staff, these gloves will be labelled with the staff member’s name and can only be used by that staff member to whom the gloves are issued.
  • Crew radios require cleaning between each day’s use, prior to return to the radio pool for charging for next day’s flight.
  • If an employee tests positive to COVID-19, we will follow the advice contained in the Safe Work Australia Fact Sheet
  • BalloonMan staff are all required to complete the online course COVID-19 “Infection Control Training” provided by the Australian Government, Department of Health.

Most workers (including contractors, volunteers and students on placement) are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination status to their employer in order to continue working outside their home. 


For more information, including vaccination deadlines visit information for industry and workers required to be vaccinated.

Workers aged over 12 years and two months, must be fully vaccinated (or have a valid medical exemption) to continue working on-site.


Guests over the age of 18 years old must be fully vaccinated (or have a valid medical exemption)

Our digital check-in and waiver signing process is 100% contactless, this is provided to every individual passenger electronically not less than 48 hours prior to any scheduled flight and required to be returned to us electronically not less than 24 hours prior to the day of your flight. This allows detailed contact tracing to be maintained.


All passengers are required to “check-in” using our company’s QR Code for the Service Victoria App.


If a passenger answers “yes” to any of the 4 standard questions (see below), they must not participate in the flight and they will need to make alternative arrangements based on their personal circumstances and our company policy.


Passengers in high-risk groups will be reminded about their increased risk.


For example:


  • people aged 70 years and over
  • people aged 65 years and over with chronic medical conditions
  • people with compromised immune systems
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50
  • Passengers who have special needs (e.g., physical disability) and will require assistance to enter/exit the basket must be aware that our ground crew are unable to assist (due to social distancing guidelines) and a friend or family member must be present to assist and must travel with them as a paying passenger on the flight.


NO FOLLOWERS PERMITTED – Followers are prohibited from attending – no one, other than our passengers are permitted to gather for the flight. Friends and family spectators are NOT permitted to “follow” the balloon, i.e. gather at launch site, and landing site, due to limits on public gatherings.


  • Social distancing – we abide by current guidelines for maximum size of groups, for people not from the same household.
  • Hand sanitiser is provided at our meeting point and will be made available for passengers before boarding the bus.
  • Masks are mandatory and will also be made available/offered at this point. Although Federal Govt. advice defines these as unnecessary. Passengers must wear masks whilst they are in the bus if social distancing cannot be maintained at 1.5 metres.
  • If we are using a venue, this is an opportunity to remind passengers to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before proceeding with the balloon flight.
  • The morning briefing by the pilot will include verbally detailing our
  • COVID-19 safety guidelines and procedures.

Hand sanitizer cannot be carried on any balloon flights, due to its highly flammable nature.


  • Hand sanitizer will be made available before boarding the bus. Masks will be offered to all passengers prior to boarding our bus.
  • Passengers must wear masks whilst they are in the bus if social distancing cannot be maintained at 1.5 metres.
  • Where possible whilst in the bus, we will request that passengers face forward and keep conversations to a minimum for the duration of the journey.
  • Provide advice to passengers upon confirmation of their balloon flight that they will be required to wear a mask during the activity.
  • We make a considerable effort to limit the time that people are in our vehicles to 15 minutes (maximum).

– It is recommended that we do not have people in vehicles when stationary.

– We invite guests to exit our vehicles for fresh air whilst the pilot and crew are conducting a pi-ball/weather check.


This way our passengers are not spending longer than necessary in a confined space.

Passengers MUST be reminded by our pilot and crew about social distancing.


  • Crew must only use their own issued and named gloves, and these cannot be used or shared with anyone else under any circumstances.
  • If people need assistance to get into and out of the basket, crew will be unable to assist (due to social distancing requirements) and a family member must be on hand to assist.
  • Whilst in the basket, passengers should be encouraged not to move around the basket unnecessarily.
  • Carriage of hand sanitiser in baskets
  • Alcohol-based hand sanitisers are most effective against the virus.
  • Alcohol-based hand sanitisers are classified as Class 3 Flammable Liquid substances and should not be carried in a balloon basket.
  • * Screening of passengers for these items will be done prior to flight.


Interactions with landowners are a risk and a significant stakeholder to manage.


The relationship with landowners needs to be managed carefully.


Operators in the same area may wish to manage this collaboratively (e.g. allocate out landowners to each company) and phone or visit them to outline that hot air balloon operations will be starting soon and to also outline what safety plans have been put in place.

Even if you have pre-approval for launch and landing – you should visit or phone them.


  • There may be a perception, especially in regional areas, landowners who may not want people from other regions to enter their properties because they perceive that it is not safe. This perception needs to be managed with providing landowner with information on how we are maintaining safe work practices.
  • When interacting with landowners, observe social distancing requirements. (e.g., 1.5 metres).
  • When locking and unlocking gates, you must wipe down the gate or ensure that the crew have gloves on.
  • Public relations will need to be planned for. All enquires will be referred to media spokesperson.


Covid Marshalls

Although our flights take place very early in the morning, we do occasionally have members of the public watching our activities.


Our ground crew and pilots have been trained to keep our passengers at a safe distance from members of the general public, at all stages of preparation, flight, pack-up and travel, our staff keep passengers socially distanced from each other and from the general public at all times.

If passengers are involved in the pack up, then consider


  • Passengers should be reminded about social distancing, including distances from passengers from other companies on a common launch/landing area.
  • Use of sanitiser or wearing of disposable gloves may be appropriate if passengers are touching balloon fabric.
  • Passengers to continue to wear masks at, all times.
  • Maintain social distancing (e.g., for putting the envelope back in the bag).
  • At pack up, we will provide a safe disposal facility for disposable, gloves, disposable wipes etc.

Cleaning/vacuuming/sanitising of the bus and basket occur after every flight. 



  • We maintain records of staff member who performed cleaning. 
  • We maintain a record of what cleaning needs to be done (by surface area).
  • Deep cleaning and sanitisation of bus and basket will occur if through contact tracing we confirm a passenger with COVID-19 has been carried.

During the current Coronavirus pandemic, we are doing all we can to protect our customers and their families as well as protecting our staff members.


Before you meet with any of our BalloonMan team, please answer the following questions. If you do answer “yes” to any of them, we will contact you to make alternative arrangements for your flight.


This questionnaire and Waiver must be completed by every individual passenger,

and will be provided to each passenger not less than 48 hours prior to scheduled flight.


  • Have you recently returned from overseas in the last 14 days? Yes/No
  • Have you knowingly come into contact with someone who has returned from overseas in the past 14 days? Yes/No
  • Have you knowingly come into contact with someone who has been:
  • (a) tested for (and waiting for results),
  • (b) diagnosed with or
  • (c) exposed to COVID-19 in the past 14 days? Yes/No
  • Do you have any symptoms that could be COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath or other symptoms)? Yes/No
  • are currently under a doctor’s supervision
  • are currently recovering from a major operation
  • suffer from any back problems or any physical condition which may affect your active participation

NB: Balloon Flights Over Melbourne Pty Ltd, trading as BalloonMan and its pilots reserve the right to refuse to fly with any person and need not assign any reason for any such refusal.

I understand that Balloon Flights Over Melbourne Pty Ltd, trading as BalloonMan makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that its expeditions and flights are conducted in a safe and responsible manner and that it can assume no responsibility for illness, personal injury, loss or damage to camera and other equipment, civil arrest or death by any participant in any one of its expeditions or flights.


Balloon Flights Over Melbourne Pty Ltd, trading as BalloonMan advises that any voluntary entry into a sky sport or hazardous environment, including ballooning, is not without some risk and that I as a potential balloon passenger or crew/chase person must be willing to assume that risk.


Therefore, I the undersigned, acknowledge the inherent risk in a balloon expedition and assume all risk and responsibility for my personal safety or loss or damage to property and I release and discharge Balloon Flights Over Melbourne Pty Ltd, trading as BalloonMan, its servants, agents or employees, from any and all liability for such risks during the course of the ballooning expedition.



I, the undersigned, have read and understood the preceding paragraphs with respect to my acceptance of risk and my release in favour of Balloon Flights Over Melbourne Pty Ltd, trading as BalloonMan.

Share by: