Except when he is floating 1,000 feet above the ground, Kyle Miller shares a great deal in common with other suburban 16-year-olds.

But one burgeoning talent distinguishes Miller from almost every other 16-year-old in the country.

He can fly.

“It’s awesome looking down and seeing everything so small,” he said. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

In March at the old Stead Air Force Base in Reno, Nev., Miller, a high school student from Roseville, Calif. became the youngest licensed hot-air balloonist in the nation.

To prepare for his pilot’s exam, Miller logged nearly 39 hours of flight, almost quadruple the 10 required. He had felt prepared for months, but he had to wait until his 16th birthday, to meet the minimum age. On exam day, he was surrounded by his family; his mentor, Iris Taggart, who introduced him to ballooning; and his flight instructor, Gary Rominger.

Still, Miller felt surprisingly jittery as he released a helium-filled black balloon. Glen Moyer, spokesman for the Balloon Federation of America, estimated there were 3,500 active balloon pilots in the country, but said he knew of only half a dozen that were near Miller’s age.

KYLE MILLER, 16, disassembles a balloon after he landed his first flight as a licensed pilot on his 16th birthday in Reno, Nev. Balloon pilots must be 16 to get a license, making Kyle the youngest balloon pilot in the country.

Taggart introduced Kyle Miller and Rominger in 2001 at a leukemia fund-raiser where Rominger was displaying the balloon Empyreal Rose. When Taggart suggested Miller help with the balloon, he readily agreed.

The next weekend, and for 17 months afterward, Miller helped Rominger with the Empyreal Rose, and Rominger gave Miller lessons.

As he made his landing, Miller was speaking excitedly of his plan to earn a commercial ballooning license and then join the Air Force as a fighter pilot.

By the time he climbed out of the basket, the sun had melted the ice out of the morning air. In front of a makeshift table covered with an old blanket, Rominger instructed Miller to kneel.

“It gives me great honor as your flight instructor to give you your wings,” he said, pinning a gold balloon with silver wings on Miller’s chest.