Experience the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Pampanga

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HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

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The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual event that occurs between January and February at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark Field, Angeles City, Pampanga. It features multicolored hot air balloons with more than a hundred balloon pilots from around the world. This three to four day hot air balloon event is the biggest aviation sports event in the Philippines.

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The festival also features a number of events in skydiving, flag jumps, micro light 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. An estimated 60,000 visitors locally and from around the world come in to see this event.

Para Gliding

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Kite Flying

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Sky-Diving

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Helicopter / Airplane Display / Flying Exhibitions

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2014 Celebration Update!

HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL WILL FINALLY SOAR!

IT’S OFFICIAL!

The much-awaited Philippine International Balloon Festival 2014 will finally be held in Lubao, Pampanga on April 10 – 13, 2014 or some 33 kms. away from Clark International Airport.

This was the announcement made by Mr. Noel Castro, Jr., the chairman of the newly established corporation registered as Pilipinas International Balloon Festival, Inc. which will henceforth manage and operate this year’s ballooning event and future events as well.

Mr. Castro said that the annual festival has been moved to its new location in view of the air traffic situation in aviation – related activities at the Clark International Airport where some ten (10) international and domestic airlines now operate in Clark and flying in and out from various destinations around the world. It has been expressed to the committee that flying hot-air balloons at an altitude of 4,000 feet may inconvenience airlines especially if launched during peak hours, thus the decision to move out of the 25-km no-fly zone for balloons off Clark.

This year’s venue is situated in 250-ha. property in Brgy. Prado Siongco in Lubao where a world-class theme park is now under construction. It is now host to the largest wakeboard park in Southeast Asia coupled with some 57 international standard villas and soon a championship golf course.

Aside from the fly-in and fly-out events early in the morning and late afternoon, the pilots are expected to showcase their evening spectacle called night glow by pumping their tethered balloons with hot air to simulate a kaleidoscope of multi-colored incandescent bulbs. This will be launched on a Friday and Saturday only. Other special events would include wakeboarding, kite flying, parade of festivals, live bands, cultural presentations, cook fest, craft demonstration and car show.

Mr. Castro is the founding president of the Angeles City Four Wheelers Club, Inc., the same group that volunteered to serve as the so-called chase crew during the event since the start in 1994. The corporation is also membered by Mr. Steve Kim, a 30-year Korean veteran balloon pilot who has been participating in the same event since its beginning.

This time, the organizing committee is supported by the Culture, Arts and Tourism Office of Pampanga led by its provincial tourism officer Mr. Arwin Lingat who will be assisted by the provincial tourism council composed of tourism officers from all the towns in the province.

How to get there: From Clark, drive towards SCTex along Clark South, turn to Dinalupihan exit plaza, then make a left turn towards Lubao to find the venue right past the Lubao – Dinalupihan welcome arch. Travel time from Clark is only about 45 minutes. From Manila, take the NLex and exit San Fernando toll plaza, then drive left towards Jose Abad Santos Ave., (formerly Olongapo – Gapan Rd.) leading to Lubao. The site is close by the welcome arch on the right.

Spectators are advised to arrive at the site daily at 5:00 in the morning to catch the early morning fly out. Entrance tickets are pegged at P150 per person; parking fee for cars at P50 each and P100 for buses.

For further inquiries, please contact the Culture, Arts and Tourism Office of Pampanga, Capitol Compound, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Tel. No. (63 45) 963-0107 or email at pampanga_tourism@yahoo.com.