learning.hotairballooning.org

WELCOME TO THE NEW HOME OF THE AAAA EDUCATIONAL COURSES!

Welcome to the new (as of January 2025) AAAA Education Course Web Site!

It has been both a challenge and adventure to continue to bring you our world-class balloon pilot instructional system on a new host server.  If you previously had an account, it should still be active (although we lost some your course quiz progress along the way.)

As proud of our effort as we are, we know it can be better. Your suggestions and comments at the end of course evaluation have given us some great ideas.  One of the ways we are improving is by lowering the price of our online course.  We are an all-volunteer organization, and managing the inventory and shipping of educational materials that supplement this course has become a huge burden and is costing our students too.

To complete our ground school courses, you will need a copy of:

1. The current Denver VFR Sectional Aeronautical Chart
2. A rotating head plotter, and
3. The ASA Course Test Prep book for your course (Commercial or Private)

You can purchase the sectional, the plotter, and the ASA Test Prep book directly from My Pilot Store (https://www.mypilotstore.com).   The total cost for these items will be between $55 and $60 with shipping; this is not an endorsement of that store and we do not get any ‘kick backs.’  If you know of another source you’d like us to share, let us know!  And while you're at it, grab a copy of the current FAR.  We will mail you a weight-temperature calculator directly from the AAAA Education Committee.  Students in the Crew Training course do not need these materials.

As of Feb 12^th, 2025 we know the following Known bugs

Problem: You will not receive and email if you forgot your password and try to reset it using the course tool.

Problem: Automatic course completion certificate is not sent.

Work around (for both): Contact registration@hotairballooning.org

Problem:  I have completed my test and the end of course pages, but my completion shows less than 100%

Solution:  Send an email to registration@hotairballooning.org to indicate you have completed the course.  (There are some hidden tests that even I can't find.)

Problem:  I retake the test, but it gives me the same set of questions.

Work around: None.  (The additional questions appear to have been lost in the transition to the new platform.)

Problem:  I do not have course access. 

Troubleshooting:

• Are you using your username, and not your email address?
• Have you changed or forgotten your password?
• Is it more than 6 months since you purchased the course? If you complete the test at the end of the course, access will be extended to your enrollment anniversary date.  (But you will need to contact us at this address.)

We thank you for your patience with our volunteer organization.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the registration@hotairballooning.org address.  We will do our best to get back to you within two or three days. (And we're often way better than that!)

Your AAAA Education Committee course admin team: Tom Fisher, Barbara Fricke, Neal Smith, and Beth Wright-Smith.

AAAA Ways and Means Committee Chair: Cynthia Lay

AAAA Board President: William Wadsworth

The AAAA online school is staffed by volunteers who are periodically unavailable due to travel, teaching, and other demands.  Thank you for your patience. (And don't hesitate to pester us via email.)

Updated: July 25, 2025