Hotair Balloon Team

Ballooning and Amateur Radio Club of Ireland

Our Communication Links     

We use type approved aviation (air-band) transceivers to communicate between Puffin, the retrieve crew and A.T.C when and where appropriate.

On Board the Balloon

For air band communications on board Puffin, we use a *Professional-Grade Air-Band Portable Transceiver.Our chosen radio for flying is a rugged 'military-spec' unit and is of water-resistant construction, ideal for the odd "bumpy" landing. An I.A.A issued Flight Radio Telephony License is required in order to operate an air band radio transceiver.

On Retrieve

Rugged and reliable for serious ground crew communications. Setting a new standard for ground based communications, the ICOM-A110 provides durability and reliability in demanding operating environments.

Airborne Amateur Radio

Puffin is fully licensed to operate Ham Radio and even has her very own unique call sign: EI 2 AIR

The radio we use is also unique as it allows for transmission on the aircraft band (AM) and also the amateur band (FM).

For more information on Amateur Radio, go to our Amateur Radio page: click here