Thousands of spectators went to the Clark Freeport Zone as the 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta kicked off yesterday, February 21. They were all set to watch balloonists and aviators ignite and fly their balloons from Russia, Sweden, Thailand, and many more countries.
The Balloon Fiesta’s first day were met with problems as strong winds prevented some of the big and irregularly shaped balloons to take flight. Only about half of the balloons were able to lift off and touch the skies.
One of the hot-air balloon pilots is Russian Igor Naymilov, flying for the first time at the Philippine Hot Air Balloon fiesta. He has been flying since 2000, and for six years now has been a hot air balloon pilot. His balloon is one of the biggest in the fiesta; unfortunately, the crowd on the first day was not able to see his balloon take flight..
Naymilov and his team found out about the balloon fiesta while browsing online. “We were browsing the Internet, searching for fiestas, and found this and decided to come here and we are lucky because Joy Roa, the event organizer helped us come here,” he tells us through his friend Dennis who speaks English.
The Russian balloonist has joined different competitions and festivals in Russia, Ukraine, and most recently last December in Thailand. Naymilov even placed third in a competition in Italy.
Making up for the colorful balloons were the astounding aerobatics given by the Breitling Jet Team, preforming first time in the Philippines. Europe’s largest civilian aerobatic display team left the crowd in awe with their inverted flying, opposite passes, synchronized maneuvers, and many more. The Breitling Jet Team is set to perform more on this dates, February 22, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., February 23, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and February 24, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The French Jet team is here as part of their Asian tour, “we heard about this (the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta), because it is a very famous one, and we expect to have a very big crowd and very organized event and we hope that it would be, from what we have seen it is the case,” shares team leader Jacques Bothelin. “We look forward to seeing the Philippine public, and the flights we will do in the next days.”
Normally, the Breitling Jet team does about 50 displays in about 10 to 12 countries every year, they have reached 32 countries in the world, but it is the first time in Asia, “we mainly fly in Europe, and the Middle East. It is the first time in Asia so we are very excited about that,” Bothelin comments. “I look forward to what I am going to see from the air. “
Bothelin, the team leader for 11 years now, remarks that the shows do not look for danger. “We are all experienced pilots, and it is with this experience that we hope to build and set up a show that people can remember. It is not a one pilot show, it is a team work,” he notes. “It is always a mix of what the pilots can do, and what the aircrafts can do.”
The Breitling Jet Team will give the Philippine public a 25 minute show that is a mix of aerobatics in formation, some splits, coordinated crossovers, various maneuvers. “I hope you enjoy the precision, and the job we do, it wants to be an artistical show, (full of) entertainment. The thing is for us to catch the attention of the spectators, and we try to give positive emotions to spectators with the aesthetics of the maneuvers, symmetry, the rhythm, the music, and some surprises in the end,” shares Bothelin
“This year’s Hot Air Fiesta promises to be another feast for the eyes,” shares Joy Roa, PIHABF event director. “We are proud to mark a milestone in the history of Philippine aviation with the participation of the world renowned Breitling Jet Team. That is just the icing on the cake because this year’s balloon fiesta will offer more than aerial entertainment.”
The 18th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta happens from February 21 to 24 at the Clark Freeport Zone.
source: interaksyon.com
