By Joe Hizul

At the media launch of the 2nd Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010, TOKL had the good fortune of chatting up with some of the pilots taking part in the event.

The second pilot we talked to is Captain Mohammad Sobri Saad, a CEO of a local IT company.

How long have you been a pilot?
15 years but I am not a full-time pilot. I have a full-time job running an IT company in KL.

To be a good pilot, we need to have full concentration. As a part-time pilot, wouldn't it be more challenging for you?
It’s all about experience. When you fly the balloon, you give full concentration to your surroundings. Be aware of the wind speed and check for a safe place to land.

What got you interested in hot air balloon in the first place?
Khairuddin and I were University mates in the UK. I returned to Malaysia in the early 90’s and met him again. He bought a balloon and was training pilots at that time. I knew nothing about ballooning and got interested after attending the lessons.

How long were the lessons?
During my time, there were four written papers. We learn about balloon technical, air law, and navigation. DCA issued me a student pilot license and I practiced the required min.15 flying hours. That was about 15 years ago and I managed to do it in 17 hours, had my first solo flight, and got my pilot license.

You’ve flown all over the world?
I have flown in Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Korea, and Thailand among others. Mostly Europe.

Best place?
The Austrian Alps. The altitude and snow made my best flights.

Is flying in the mountains different?
Yes, the altitude is so high that we bring oxygen supply to fly at 10,000 feet (about 3,000 metres).

Do you fly alone?
Flying alone is boring. In Europe, I fly with my German friend which I bought a balloon from him and sold it to Khairuddin.

One trivia about hot air balloon?
Like an air craft, hot air balloons need to have a registration code which is similar to a car plate number. For Malaysia, the registration code is 9M.

What is the best thing about hot air balloon?
First, it makes the world small and secondly, travelling and meeting new friends. I get to know people from different countries who share the same interests, and we stay over at each other’s places. Besides flying, we learn about the local culture, food and place as we fly mostly in remote places like villages.