NM Boy, 9, Preps for Solo Flight in Balloon

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Bobby Bradley is ready. He's been training for about five years and he has had the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced and decorated pilots in the sport of ballooning.

When he lifts off from a desolate patch of desert south of Albuquerque in about seven weeks, he'll be making a bit of his own history.

At 9 years old, Bobby will become the youngest trained pilot to fly solo in an ultra-light hot air balloon.

As the son of veteran balloonists Troy and Tami Bradley of Albuquerque, he's not your average 9 year old.

Both have been licensed pilots since they were teenagers and they come from families that have been immersed in the ballooning community for decades.