17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Feb 9 Thursday First Fiesta Day 
5.00-5.45 am Philippine Flag jump 

5:50-6:00am PAF High Speed Opener and SF260 Fly By

5.45-7.00 am Hot Air Balloon flight 
5.45-7.30 am RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition 
7.30-8.30 am ACFC Ultralight / Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights and Flour Bombing 
8.30-9.00 am Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show 
9.00-9.30 am AFP/PNP/Brunei/Malaysia Sky Diving Exhibition 
9.30-9:45 am Radio-controlled model aircraft demonstration 

9:45-10:00am USAF F16 Flight Demo

10.00-11.30 am AOPA-P Light aircraft balloon bursting competition

11.30-12.00 nn KAP / KTP Kite Flying Exhibition

12.00-12.30 pm Airlink / WCC / Omni /Aviators/ Alpha flyby 
12.30-1.00 pm Radio-Controlled Model Aircraft Demo 
1.00-1.30 pm Skydiving and Tandem jumping Exhibition 
1.30-2.00 pm Ultralight Flour bombing demonstration 

2.00-3.00 pm AOPA-P Light aircraft balloon bursting competition

3.00-3.30 pm FEATI/PHILSCA Rocketry Demonstration

4:00-4:30 pm Philippine Air Force Silent Drill and SPOW Bomb Sniffing Dog Exhibition

3.30-4.00 pm ACFC Ultralight/Microlight aircraft formation flights

4.30-5.00 pm Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show 
5.00-5.30 pm RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding exhibition 
5.30-6.00 pm Hot Air Balloon Fly-In 

Feb 10 Friday Second Fiesta Day 
5.00-5.45 am Philippine Flag jump 
5.45-7.00 am Hot Air Balloon Flights 
7.00-7.30 am RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition 
7.30-8.00 am ACFC Ultralight/Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights and Flour Bombing 
8:30-9.00 am Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show 
9.00-9.30 am Sky diving exhibition 
9.30-10.00 am Radio-Controlled Model Aircraft Demonstration 
10.00-11.00 am AOPA- P Light Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition 
11.00-11.30 am KAP / KTP Kite flying exhibition 
11.30-12.00 nn WCC / Aviatours / Omni / Aviators/ Alpha/Leading Edge / flyby 
12.00-1.00pm German aerobatic glider flight 
1.00-1:30 pm Skydiving exhibition 
1.30-2:00 pm Jet Turbine Radio-controlled modeller demos 
2.00-3.00 am AOPA- P Light Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition 
3.00-3.30 pm Car Drifting Display 
3.30-4.00pm FEATI/Philsca Rocketry demonstration 
4.00-4.30 pm ACFC Ultralight/Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights 
4.30-5.00pm Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show 
5.00-5.30 pm RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition 
5.30-6.00 pm Hot Air Balloon Fly-In 

Feb 11 Saturday Third Fiesta Day 
5.00-5.45 am Philippine Flag jump 
5.45-7.00 am Hot Air Balloon Flights 
7.00-7.30 am RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australia Paragliding Exhibition 
7.30-8.00 am ACFC Ultralight/Microlight aircraft formation flights and flour bombing 
8.00-8.30 am Tandem Skydiving exhibition 
8.30-9.00 am Turbine RC flying display 
9.00-9.45 am Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show 
9.45-10.30 am Helicopter flight display 
10.30-11.00 am Philippine Coast Guard Rescue Demonstration 
11.00-12.00 am PT13 Stearman / AOPA-P Flyby 
12.00-12.30 pm WCC / Aviatour / Omni / PPA / CIA / Orient / flyby 
12.30-1.00 pm Radio-Controlled model aircraft demonstration 
1.00-1.30 pm Winch-launched German aerobatic glider flight 
1.30-2.00 pm KAP / KTP Kite Flying Demonstration 
2.00-2.45 pm AOPA-P Light aircraft balloon bursting competition 
2.45-3.15 pm Skydiving Exhibition 
3.15-3.45 pm CIAC Fire-fighting demonstration 
3.45-4.30 pm Meynard Halili Aerobatic Show 
4.00-4.30 pm ACFC Ultralight / Microlight aircraft formation flights 
4.30-5.00 pm FEATI/Philsca Rocketry Demonstration 
5.00-5.30 pm RP/Malaysian/Spain/ Australia Paragliding Exhibition 
5.30-6.00 pm Hot Air Balloon Night Glow 

Feb 12 Sunday Fourth Fiesta Day 
5.20-5.30 am Philippine Flag jump 
5.30-7.00 am Hot Air Balloon Flight 
7.00-7.30 am RP / Malaysian / Spain/ Australia Paragliding Exhibition 
7.30-8.00 am ACFC Ultralight / Microlight aircraft formation flights and flour bombing 
8.00-8.30 am Tandem Skydiving Exhibition 
8.30-9.15 am Meynard Halili / Aerobatic Show 
9.15-10.00 am Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Demo 
10.00-11.00 am Wings Over Asia / AOPA – P Light Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition 
11.00-12.00 nn CIAC Fire-Fighting Demonstration 
12.00-12.30 nn Radio-Controlled Model Aircraft Demonstration 
12.30-1.00 pm Car Drifting demonstration 
1.00-1.30 pm PT13/ WCC / Aviatour / Omni / Leading Edge/ Airlink flyby 
1.30-2.30 pm KAP / KTP Flying Exhibition 
3:00-3:30pm AFP / Civilian Skydiving Exhibition 
3.30-4.00 pm ACFC Ultralight / Microlight aircraft formation flights 
4.00-4.15 pm PT13 Stearman fly by 
4.15-5.00 pm Meynard Halili aerobatic Show 
5.00-5.30 pm RP / Malaysian / Spain/Australian Paragliding Exhibition 
5:30- 7:30 pm Hot Air Balloon Night Glow And Fireworks


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17th PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA

The 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Lets go and vist the The 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta!

This will be held in Omni Aviation complex in Clark Airfield, Angeles City from february 9-12, 2012! Mark your calendars, go and visit the fetival and amaze yourself and love ones on this wonderful event.

Entertain your self with the beautiful hot air balloon flights, Paragliding Exhibitions, Ultralight Aircraft Formation Flying, Kite Flying Exhibition, Rocketry Demonstration, Hot Air Balloon Night Glow, Crew and Awards Night Party, Search and Rescue Flying Exhibition and more!

2012 Hot Air Balloon

The yearly colorful, head-raising Clark Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is once again gracing the aviation field of the Clark Freeport. This venue is projected to host over 100,000 tourists from February 9th thru 12th 2012. This anticipated crowd is 20,000 more than last year's 80,000 figure.

With the increased popularity, media recognition and the evolving program size, larger crowds are expected to visit the 17th annual Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta held at Philippine Air Force's (PAF) ADAC hangar at the Clark Airbase.

It's anticipated the spectators are to be treated to a larger and more varied 4-day event as at least nine countries are expected to participate according to Noemi Garcia, the head of the CDC Tourism and Promotions Office. This is more balloons from a larger number of countries than in 2011. In addition, the Balloon Fiesta is rumored to include additional exhibitions and more varied aerial demonstrations.

The Clark Freeport zone has become the home to this annual international aviation sporting event for many reasons. The wide-open spaces, favorable flying weather, scenic ambiance and the general features and tourist amenities the zone has to offer make it the ideal venue. Also, Clark has a wide array of hotels and resorts to cater to just about every budget, from simple and small single unit hostels to incredibly high-end hotels and leisure establishments that provide full suite and even villas for any number of group accommodations. Golfers, casino lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will also be happy with the array of these facilities that cover the zone. The close proximity of Angeles city, with all of its casinos, resorts, night life, bars and restaurants and mention additional lodging options, makes for a complete, integrated fun zone for this – the largest of all events in the Philippines.

2009 Clark Hot Air Balloon

According to the Tourism and Promotions Office of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), 2009 will see even more balloons and countries participating in the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival than in 2008. At this point, it looks as if 25 countries will be joining this event, which seems to be growing by leaps and bounds each year and becoming more like a major air show than a hot air balloon event.

In 2008, only 19 balloons were flown from 13 countries; with the increased publicity of this event worldwide and on the internet, and the growing popularity of the event with Filipinos, Clark could have significantly more balloons than ever in the air this year. The scheduled date is set for February 12 to 15 th of 2009. The organizers are in the beginning phases of planning for this Philippines mega event, we will post the schedule here when it is available.

For 2009, well over 100,000 spectators are expected to attend five days of fun in the skies, or as CDC refers to it: “the weekend of everything that flies.” This event is currently scheduled to be held in its usual location where the large hanger is visible from the main entrance road, designated as the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, right alongside the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

The associated events, as last year, are sure to be additionally inspiring. CDC seems to want to grow this event to ever-increasing heights of excellence. You can be sure that the show will be bigger and better than ever for 2009, bringing greater levels of exposure to the Freeport in order to further promote business and leisure investment in the area.

The CDC is looking to grow the Clark region, not only internationally, but as a major Filipino destination of tourism and relaxation. For this event and all subsequent events in Clark, the area will become even more easily assessable from Manila. With the completion of the SCTEX this year, and the soon completion of the new SCTEX Clark Interchange in December, you will be able to exit directly into the Freeport from the highways, only a couple Kilometers from the entrance of the balloon festival. If you have attended the Balloon Fiesta in previous years or have been to the Clark Freeport, you know that the last few kilometers are the most frustrating as you exit NLEX to pass through the intense traffic in Dau and Angeles City to the Clark Main gate; sometimes taking as long as an additional 30 minutes. That will soon be a thing of the past and make the balloon festival and Clark in general, an even more pleasant destination.

This years balloon festival is lining-up to be the greatest ever, and it will be easier to attend then ever before. So, if you have never been to this mega event, or if you wait anxiously each year to see the myriad of balloons and other demonstration aircraft and exhibits, then make your advanced hotel reservation plans now as the Freeport is sure to become booked-out very quickly and in advance for this event.

THE HISTORY OF HOT AIR BALLOONING

On the 19th September 1783 Pilatre De Rozier, a scientist, launched the first hot air balloon called 'Aerostat Reveillon'. The passengers were a sheep, a duck and a rooster and the balloon stayed in the air for a grand total of 15 minutes before crashing back to the ground.

The first manned attempt came about 2 months later on 21st November, with a balloon made by 2 French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. The balloon was launched from the centre of Paris and flew for a period of 20 minutes. The birth of hot air ballooning!!!

Just 2 years later in 1785 a French balloonist, Jean Pierre Blanchard, and his American co pilot, John Jefferies, became the first to fly across the English Channel. In these early days of ballooning, the English Channel was considered the first step to long distance ballooning so this was a large benchmark in ballooning history.

Unfortunately, this same year Pilatre de Rozier (the world's first balloonist) was killed in his attempt at crossing the channel. His balloon exploded half an hour after takeoff due to the experimental design of using a hydrogen balloon and hot air balloon tied together.

The next major pivotal point in balloon history was on January 7th 1793. Jean Pierre Blanchard became the first to fly a hot air balloon in North America. George Washington was present to see the balloon launch.

Now a large jump in time, of over 100 years: In August of 1932 Swiss scientist Auguste Piccard was the first to achieve a manned flight to the Stratosphere. He reached a height of 52,498 feet, setting the new altitude record. Over the next couple of years, altitude records continued to be set and broken every couple of months - the race was on to see who would reach the highest point.

In 1935 a new altitude record was set and it remained at this level for the next 20 years. The balloon Explorer 2, a gas helium model reached an altitude of 72,395 feet (13.7 miles)! For the first time in history, it was proven that humans could survive in a pressurized chamber at extremely high altitudes. This flight set a milestone for aviation and helped pave the way for future space travel.

The Altitude record was set again in 1960 when Captain Joe Kittinger parachute jumped from a balloon that was at a height of 102,000 feet. The balloon broke the altitude record and Captain Kittinger, the high altitude parachute jump record. He broke the sound barrier with his body!

THE ATLANTIC CHALLENGE

In 1978, the Double Eagle II became the first balloon to cross the Atlantic, another major benchmark in the History of Ballooning. After many unsuccessful attempts (see our section on Atlantic Crossings for more detailed accounts) this mighty Ocean had finally been cracked. It was a helium filled model, carrying 3 passengers, Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman. They set a new flight duration time at 137 hours. There is a full story breakdown here in the Atlantic Conquered part of the site.

THE PACIFIC CHALLENGE

The first Pacific crossing was achieved 3 years later in 1981. The Double Eagle V launched from Japan on November 10th and landed 84 hours later in Mendocino National Forest, California. The 4 pilots set a new distance record at 5,678 miles. 3 years after this, Captain Joe Kittinger flew 3,535 miles on the first solo transatlantic balloon flight, setting yet another record.

In 1987 Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand were the first to cross the Atlantic in a hot air balloon, rather than a helium/gas filled balloon. They flew a distance of 2,900 miles in a record breaking time of 33 hours. At the time, the envelope they used was the largest ever flown, at 2.3 million cubic feet of capacity. A year later, Per Lindstand set yet another record, this time for highest solo flight ever recorded in a hot air balloon - 65,000 feet!

The great team of Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand paired up again in 1991 and became the first to cross the Pacific in a hot air balloon. They travelled 6,700 miles in 47 hours, from Japan to Canada breaking the world distance record, travelling at speeds of up to 245 mph. 4 years later, Steve Fossett became the first to complete the Transpacific balloon route by himself, travelling from Korea and landing in Canada 4 days later.

Finally, in 1999 the first around the world flight was completed by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones. Leaving from Switzerland and landing in Africa, they smashed all previous distance records, flying for 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes.

2011 Hot Air Balloon

The organizers of the Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) are expecting a significant increase in the number of spectators and balloons participating in the 2011 or 16th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. The crowds are expected to be bigger than ever with the hotel rooms booked months ahead of the scheduled event.

With the event’s ongoing ad exposure on the internet and other media, the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is at the forefront of all events in the Philippines. This year’s event is not just a simple air show of multicolored hot air balloons with amazing designs and incredible shapes but the balloons will represent the uniqueness of each of the participating countries in some way.

Clark Freeport Zone became the home of this international aviation sport event mainly due to the facilities vast, open paved areas and clear, calm skies; these are significant requirements for a successful hot air balloon show involving flight of monster airships.

Another reason for Clark Freeport winning the bid for this incredible event is that it is a home to a number of high-end hotels and other leisure establishments that can provide accommodation and superior comfort to the thousands of spectators and participants the Hot Air Festival draws. Additionally, for those spectators wishing to make the trip from other surrounding Asian countries, Clark is equipped with its own world-class international airport.

For the past 15 years, PIHABF has been an extremely successful event that attracts thousands of spectators both local and international. Aside from the display of a plethora of multi-colored hot air balloons, the festival also features a number of expedition events such as skydiving, flag jumps, micro-light aircraft and rocketry demonstrations, small plane fly-bys and fly-ins, remote-control airplane and helicopter flying exhibitions, freestyle aerobatics, precision maneuvers, light airplane balloon bursting, ultra-light flying formation and bomb dropping, kite-making and choreographed kite-flying, hi-start launch gliding, pylon racing, banner towing, aero-modeling symposium and races between ultra lights and motorcycles.

The Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta was first organized in 1994 in an effort to help spur the local economy of Central Luzon with the stated objective of making hot air ballooning a common aviation sport in the Philippines and promoting the country as a premier sport-aviation and tourist destination in Asia. The Fiesta was pioneered by the Department of Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor along with Korean businessman and hot-air balloon pilot, Mr. Sung Kee Paik and British Airways General Manager, Mr. John Emery, and German aviation enthusiast Max Motschmann.

Clark Subic Marketing is a closely-aligned partner with the Clark Freeport Zone and most of the great venues, hotels and resorts therein. Inasmuch, Clark Subic Marketing provides advance booking services these hotels and resorts and assures great accommodation and a wonderful stay for events such as the Clark Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

As mentioned above, this event is quickly booking-out available hotel and resort facilities in the Clark Freeport Zone. Even now, in early December, is the time to book a room in order not to be left-out of this extremely popular Philippine event. For those who would like to witness the 2011 PIHABF, Clark Subic Marketing is now coordinating and delivering great deals at most of the world-class hotels and resorts in Clark.