Flights of Fancy
The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta serves up an aviation feast
By Nonette C. Climaco The annual hot air balloon festival in Clark Field, Pampanga, has been scaling new heights since it was first organized in 1994.
In 1996, during its third staging, my family decided to drive up and check out the event. I remember spending the night at a friend’s place in Angeles City (there were not too many decent lodging facilities in the area then) so we could be in the airfield before sunrise the following day. My kids were still in preschool, and like them, I was thrilled to see around seven giant balloons take off right before our eyes. A few hundred spectators watched the balloons float away until they were just specks in the dawn sky. Once the balloons were no longer in sight, that was our cue to rush to the then-still-popular duty-free shops.
Ten years later, in February this year, my family thought it would be a good idea to relive the experience, so we again made the two-hour drive to Clark for the 10th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Since it was a last-minute decision, we had difficulty booking accommodations, so we ended up staying in the “red light” district of Angeles. I was surprised to see that years after the U.S. had turned over the airbase to the Philippines, westerners still abound in the area. What amazed me, too, was that despite the proliferation of lodging facilities in the city in recent years, with new hotels and resorts catering to all income classes sprouting all over, we still had difficulty reserving our rooms. It became apparent to us that this annual event has been highly successful in drawing visitors to the area. After our visit this year, we understood why.
All Things Aviation
The flight of hot air balloons is just one of the many activities lined up during the annual affair. Over the years, the organizers have introduced new events such that the festival is now the country’s biggest aviation sports event. In addition to the daily flights of hot air balloons, one can also catch some skydiving; flag jumps (a skydiver jumps with the Philippine flag while the National Anthem is played to start off the day’s activities); microlite aircraft demonstrations; ultralight aircraft fly-bys and fly-ins; remote-controlled airplanes exhibitions; aerobatics; light airplane balloon-bursting competitions; ultralight formation flying and bomb-dropping exhibitions; helicopter fly-ins and exhibitions; air rallies from Clark to Vigan; rocketry demonstrations; kite-flying exhibitions; and races between ultralights and motorcycles.
This year, some 21 hot air balloons decorated the Pampanga skies. A standout was the Pedigree dog balloon, which aptly introduced the Year of the Dog in 2006. Participants included corporations promoting their products, as well as international balloonists, some of which were return participants who had come back to rejoin their local counterparts.
Not everything that was happening was in the air though. On the ground, the Armed Forces of the Philippines set up a mini-exhibit of military vehicles. Children and adults gave in to their curiosity and inspected the insides of armored personnel carriers or got a feel of being seated in a “camouflaged” helicopter. Also available were building and flying lectures and demonstrations.
The festival also offers a venue for ancillary activities not necessarily related to aviation. This year, the Kid Venture area was very popular with the younger children, offering activities like face painting, a paper airplane–making contest, kite-flying exhibitions, and other fun activities. Various stalls, including restaurant outlets showcasing Pampanga’s mouth-watering delicacies, were set up for spectators.
Visitors also had reasons to stay on for the night. Organizers arranged for an evening concert with entertainers imported from Manila. An added feature for concertgoers was the “night glow,” where floating hot air balloons were lit up, producing an amazing display of colors and light against the backdrop of a dark blue sky.
More in 2007
Taking home a one-of-a-kind visual experience from this year’s balloon fiesta, my family resolved that we would be back for the 2007 event and book our accommodations earlier. Next year, the event will be held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines grounds, still within Clark Field. The venue’s bigger space will allow for a better view and a bigger area for picnics and bazaars.
Judging from the very good turnout of both participants and spectators at the festival in recent years, the organizers are surely meeting their objectives to promote the Philippines as a sport aviation destination in Asia and to increase public awareness of hot air balloons as an aviation sport. Moreover, as the organizers continue to improve on the previous years’ stagings, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta has become an immensely enjoyable, memorable, and even educational treat for families as well.
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