Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Last updated
Philippines International
Hot Air Balloon Festival
Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2.jpg
Balloons being inflated during the 20th Festival
Genre Hot air balloon festival
DatesEvery 2nd week of February
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s) Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga
Country Philippines
Years active1994–1998, 2000–2019
Founded1994
Attendanceapprox. 1
Website https://www.philballoonfest.net/

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual four-day air-sporting event held between January and February at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. It was initiated by Nelson Mayo in the late 1900s. As one of the longest-running aviation sports events in the Philippines, it features participation from over a hundred balloon pilots worldwide and attracts an audience of more than 100,000 visitors from various locations. [1]

Contents

Program

The Fiesta's programming has changed and developed over the years. In addition to hot air balloons, some of the attractions present have been: [1]

History

Hot air balloons in flight over Clark Freeport Zone during the 20th Fiesta. Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.jpg
Hot air balloons in flight over Clark Freeport Zone during the 20th Fiesta.
Night glow display: Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga Hot air balloon fiesta.JPG
Night glow display: Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga

Opening: 1994

In 1994, three years after the eruption of the Mount Pinatubo, the tourism secretary Mina Gaborand, Sang-kee Paik, British Airways General Manager John Emery, and the German aviation enthusiast Max Motschmann engineered the first ever Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta to help jumpstart the local economy and spirit of the Central Luzon region. This was done with the commitment of developing hot air ballooning as an aviation sport in the country and making the Philippines one of the leading sports aviation and travel destinations in the Asia Pacific region. [2]

Organizers

Participants

  • 21 balloon pilots from 10 countries
  • One entry from the Philippines, Captain Joy Roa, was the only registered Filipino balloon pilot at that time.

1995

The success of the festival in 1994 brought about an increase in the number of participants in 1995 to 27 balloons, including a basketless one-man balloon, and two entries from the Philippines. The 1995 festival also saw the introduction of ultralight planes to the events.[ citation needed ]

1996-1998

By 1996, responsibility of the event was transferred from the Department of Tourism to Air Ads, Inc. under Captain Joy Roa. Between 1996 and 1998, the growing popularity of the festival was expanded to include other aero-sports activities:[ citation needed ]

Additions

Aerobatic stunts and precision maneuvers courtesy of the Blue Diamonds and later the Red Aces of the Philippine Air Force also became a regular attraction of the festival. [3]

1999

Financial challenges faced in 1999 led to the discontinuation of the festival.[ citation needed ]

2000

However, a notable resurgence occurred in 2000 when a total of 12 balloons and 18 light planes hailing from Thailand, Japan, and Singapore, contributed to an air rally that has since become a regular and integral element of the overall celebrations.[ citation needed ]

2003

The year 2003 marked a significant departure from the conventional ballooning format. This departure was manifested through the introduction of specially crafted balloons, including ones shaped as a flying newspaper from South Korea and a large dog from Japan. [ citation needed ]

Countries Represented

  • Malaysia
  • South Korea
  • Japan
  • Germany
  • The United Kingdom
  • Sweden
  • Czechoslovakia
  • The Netherlands

2006

The 2006 festival featured 30 multicolored hot air balloons and more than a hundred balloon pilots. It also drew approximately 60,000 visitors to the event. [4]

Countries Represented [4]

  • Finland
  • Sweden
  • The Netherlands
  • Germany
  • The Czech Republic
  • The Slovak Republic
  • Hungary
  • The United Kingdom
  • Canada
  • The United States
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • The Philippines.

2017

In 2017, [5] the 21st Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta showcased 30 hot air balloons. The award-winning Twinz Aerobatic Paragliders, as well as former members of the British Red Devils also participated in the event. The Fiesta's main theme was "Exchange of Cultures," a tribute to aviation's contributions in "making the world smaller." Apart from aviation enthusiasts, the Fiesta also invited artists and performers from around the world including Turkish folk dancers, carpet makers, and ceramic masters; international singers from South Africa, Samoa, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe; and the Amganad Music and Dance Ensemble from Banaue, Philippines. [6]

Countries Represented [6]

  • The United States
  • Canada
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Belgium
  • Germany
  • The United Kingdom
  • Netherlands
  • Hungary
  • Turkey
  • China
  • Japan
  • Thailand
  • The Philippines

2020

In 2020, the PIHABF was not held at its usual venue in Clark, Pampanga citing a "lack of government commitment" to be involved in the event amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the organizers held a hot air balloon festival, which they dubbed as "Flying Carnival 2020", at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. [7] [8]

2021-2023

This fiesta went on hiatus in 2021.[ citation needed ]

2024

The 24th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta was held in New Clark City from February 16 to 18, 2024 with the inaugural Skydiving Philippine Flag Jump ceremony.

Attractions

Countries Represented

  • The United States
  • The United Kingdom
  • The Netherlands
  • Spain
  • Brazil
  • Austria
  • Hong Kong
  • The Philippines

18 hot air balloons participated. Each balloon reached sizes of up to 30 meters and soared up to 12,000 feet. [9] [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hang gliding</span> Unpowered glider air sport

Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered with synthetic sailcloth to form a wing. Typically the pilot is in a harness suspended from the airframe, and controls the aircraft by shifting body weight in opposition to a control frame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fixed-wing aircraft</span> Heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings generating aerodynamic lift

A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft, and ornithopters. The wings of a fixed-wing aircraft are not necessarily rigid; kites, hang gliders, variable-sweep wing aircraft, and airplanes that use wing morphing are all classified as fixed wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultralight aviation</span> Aviation field involving lightweight aircraft

Ultralight aviation is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailerons, elevator and rudder, calling the former "microlight" and the latter "ultralight".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lubao</span> Municipality in Pampanga, Philippines

Lubao, officially the Municipality of Lubao, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 173,502 people.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1905:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fédération Aéronautique Internationale</span> World governing body for air sports

The Fédération aéronautique internationale is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintains world records for aeronautical activities, including ballooning, aeromodeling, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), as well as flights into space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angeles City</span> Highly urbanized city in Pampanga, Philippines

Angeles, officially the City of Angeles, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 462,928 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powered paragliding</span> Form of ultralight aviation

Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a back-pack motor which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, and on level ground, by the pilot alone—no assistance is required.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsport</span>

A windsport is any type of sport which involves wind-power, often involving a non-rigid airfoil such as a sail or a power kite. The activities can be land-based, on snow, on ice or on water. Windsport activity may be regulated in some countries by aviation/maritime authorities if they are likely to interfere with other activities. Local authorities may also regulate activity in certain areas, especially on crowded beaches and parks.

The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Founded in 1905, it is the oldest national aviation club in the United States and one of the oldest in the world, it serves as the “Aeroclub of the United States” and, by its Mission Statement it is "…dedicated to the advancement of the art, sport and science of aviation in the United States.” The NAA is headquartered at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark International Airport</span> Commercial airport near Mabalacat, Pampanga, Philippines

Clark International Airport, known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. It is located 80 kilometers (50 mi) northwest of Manila. It is accessible by way of the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air sports</span> Range of aerial activities

The term "air sports" covers a range of aerial activities, including air racing, aerobatics, aeromodelling, hang gliding, human-powered aircraft, parachuting, paragliding and skydiving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisig</span> Filipino dish that consists of pork scraps

Sisig is a Filipino dish made from pork jowl and ears (maskara), pork belly, and chicken liver, which is usually seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili peppers. It originates from the Pampanga region in Luzon.

1997 World Air Games was an international competition of air sports, held between September 15–21, 1997 in Selçuk, Turkey, hosted by Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK). It was the first of World Air Games organized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale once every four years. The games marked the first time more than 3000 participants from 60 countries took part in 16 different championship categories at 7 different locations at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Tissandier</span> French aviator

Paul Tissandier was a French aviator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Newman (aviator)</span> American aviator

Larry Newman was an American pilot, business man, and balloonist. He was part of the balloon crews that made the first Atlantic ocean crossing by balloon in the Double Eagle II and the first Pacific ocean crossing by balloon in the Double Eagle V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AeroSuperBatics</span> British civilian formation aerobatics and wing-walking team

AeroSuperBatics Limited, legally known as Aero-Super-Batics Limited, and commonly known merely as AeroSuperBatics, is a British civilian biplane multi-aircraft formation aerobatics and wing walking team. They currently perform as The AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers, and were branded as 'The Flying Circus' in 2018. They were previously branded Breitling 'Swiss Chronographs' in accordance with their sponsorship agreement with the Swiss watch manufacturer Breitling. Prior to that, branding included Guinot 'Institut Paris', Colt Cars, St.Ivel 'Utterly Butterly', Cadbury's 'Crunchie', and Yugo Cars, according to their commercial sponsors at the time. Their display options currently consist of either a solo aircraft, or two-ship formation pair, or three-ship display, and previously included a four-ship formation, and during the 2008 display season, a five-ship formation. They are the world's only formation wingwalking team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Aces (aerobatic team)</span> Military unit

Gaining the same praises like the "Blue Diamonds" the Philippine Air Force "Red Aces" were the 7th Tactical Squadrons Aerial Demonstration Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora Music Festival</span> Annual music and arts festival held in Pampanga, the Philippines

The AURORA Music Festival is an annual music and arts festival featuring live music, food, art installations, and hot air balloons held in Clark Global City in Pampanga, Philippines over the course of two days.

References

  1. 1 2 https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/hot-air-balloon-fiesta-to-soar-over-south-of-manila-in-2020/
  2. "Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta | PDF | Aviation | Aeronautics". Scribd. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  3. Miko Santos Asian Journal Online. Hot Air Balloons Grace Pampanga’s Sky. Retrieved on February 7, 2007.Archived 2006-08-24 at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 "Hot Air Balloon Fiesta soars at Clark". The Manila Times. 7 February 2007. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007.
  5. Razon, Joey O. (February 12, 2017). "Hot air balloon fiesta in Pampanga | Photos | Phillippine News Agency". Phillipine News Agency. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  6. 1 2 21st Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Magazine
  7. "Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta flies again, this time in Cavite". The Philippine Star. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  8. "PH's hot air balloon festival opens in Cavite". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  9. "Asia Album: Highlights of Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta". Xinhua News Agency. February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  10. Cerezo, Anna (February 17, 2024). "3-day Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta kicks off". ABS-CBN . Retrieved February 20, 2024.