The 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Guess, what it is a few days to go before the the 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. It will be held on February 21 to 24 at the Clark Freeport Zone.

There will be early morning and late afternoon balloon flights, aeromodelling demonstrations, ultralights, and fixed-wing aircraft competitions. You can also watch paraglider pilots and skydivers float through the air, as well as witness our own servicemen perform rescue demonstrations.

But the highlight of this years fiesta will be the participation of the Breitling Jet Team, the largest civilian aerobatics team in the world. Now, I have been to previous hot air balloon festivals at Clark but the prospect of real live air daredevils makes me want to come back. Next weekend.

Tickets are available at SM ticketnet outlets for P250.

An Inside Look at the Hot Air Balloon Festival

I am confident we were watching the same thing but these guys from the media obviously had way better view of the hot air balloons than the public who had to deal with the fence and some blocking tents, not to mention great cameras to picture the balloons with.

Check out this video posted at Inquirer.net VDO to really appreciate the grandeur of the scene.

14th Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark

It is not only information and trainings which improve us. Sometimes, a good sight uplifts the spirit more and fuels us to greater heights. This is why I felt really lucky attending a workshop at Clark Air Field in Pampanga just when they were holding a very special event.

I was there on opening day, February 12, and before the sun rose, to watch the Hot Air Balloon Festival, a four-day event dubbed as a "weekend of everything that flies". I say I saw all those colorful giant balloons get inflated and rise up to the air right after sunrise.

It was a very colorful sight, something which my 6-year old son would have loved to see. Nevertheless, I took tens and tens of pictures with my not-so-high-tech digital cam for him to see. See the video of them pictures above.

The event actually runs 'til tomorrow, February 15. You can see not only the balloons but also lots of other aviation shows and exhibits, including sky divers, plane exhibitions, etc. Everything there is a testament that man has really conquered the sky.