Balloon Pilot - PT Flex, Up To 40 Hours/Wk, Late Feb-Late Oct, $15/Hour

Balloon Pilot, up to 40 hours/week, Late February- Late October 2026 $15/hour

Principal Function: The Balloon Pilot is responsible for the flying and ground handling of the Conner Prairie tethered balloon following operational and safety procedures outlined by Aerophile S.A. After successful completion of Balloon Pilot training, staff will be trained to operate our ticket kiosk including the sale of tickets to the experience and answering guest inquiries.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

As a pilot, duties include but are not limited to:

• Flies balloon according to a set schedule.
• Records and files all flight operations, phenomena, and regulatory information to pertinent agencies and individuals.
• Coordinates and ensures that appropriate safety standards, inspections, certifications and compliance with regulatory agencies are performed.
• Assists guests with loading and unloading procedures.
• Maintains the highest level of safety standards.
• Works non-traditional hours, nights and weekends.
• Interacts with guests on daily basis to provide a safe, high-quality tethered balloon experience.
• Works closely with Facilities staff for non-envelope and non-control-system maintenance concerns (winch, mooring point and electrical system maintenance problems).

As a kiosk cashier, duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides exceptional customer service to all guests.
• Works at the 1859 Balloon Voyage ticketing kiosk.
• Utilizes Blackbaud Altru point of sale database system to sell tickets.
• Collects various payments for transactions, following proper cash handling procedures and consistently balances cash drawer to zero at each shift.
• Prepares for daily operations by reviewing upcoming and occurring events and programs, securing cash bags, and setting up kiosk area.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Compensation:

This is a 16-40 hour/week, seasonal/flex position that is eligible for approved overtime. Benefits are not provided. Pay is based on experience and starts at $15/hour.

Schedule and Hours:

The standard hours for this position are Tuesday through Sunday, from 9:00a- 5:00p. Some staff may work select Monday's for balloon maintenance as needed. Some staff may also work select evening hours from 5:00p- 10:00p and other select hours for special events/holidays as needed. Training begins in early March of 2026 at Conner Prairie on the grounds. The balloon season ends the last week of October/first week of November 2026. Must be able to attend staff training week(s). This schedule description is for general illustrative purposes and is NOT a guarantee of available work hours.

Education and/or Experience: Must be a minimum of 18 years of age; enrolled in high school or college and/or graduated or obtained GED. Previous balloon piloting experience desired. Aerophile French Aviation Authority DLC-certified pilot desired (can be obtained/will train).

Other Skills and Abilities: The following skills and abilities are either required or desired.

• The ability to speak, read and write in English is required. Spanish is desired.
• The ability to work on-call as needed in the event of weather-related or other emergency-related scenarios related to balloon is desired.
• A passing grade certification of both written and practical exam (administered by Aerophile S.A.) is required.
• Previous experience with the Blackbaud Altru database is desired.