| Start: | Feb 8, '07 |
| End: | Feb 11, '07 |
| Location: | Clarkfield, Pampanga |
Come on over to the 11th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta!
The annual Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) is the country's biggest aviation sports event today. Hot air balloon and airplane pilots from all over the world fly into the Philippines to join their local counterparts in this breathtaking event. In addition to daily flights of the hot air balloons, other activities include: skydiving, daily flag jumps (a skydiver jumps with the Philippine flag while the National Anthem is played at the start of the day's activities); micro light demonstrations; small planes fly-bys and fly-ins; remote controlled airplanes exhibitions; aerobatics; light airplane balloon bursting competition; ultra-light formation flying and bomb dropping exhibitions; helicopter fly-ins and exhibitions; an air rally from Clark to Vigan; rocketry demonstrations; kite flying exhibitions; and races between ultra lights and motorcycles.
At night, a tethered hot air balloon glows while rock bands play in a concert. The event starts with hot air balloon take-offs very early in the morning and ends late at night after the concert. Various stalls, including restaurant outlets showcasing Pampanga's mouth-watering delicacies, are set up for spectators.
The festival, over the years, has attracted thousands of spectators and participants to this once-a-year affair in Clark Field – formerly the largest American airbase outside the United States. Local and foreign pilots offer fun flights in balloons, fixed-wing aircrafts and ultra lights to the public at reasonably discounted prices.
The Philippine Aeromodellers Club performs freestyle aerobatics, pylon racing, gliding on hi-start launch, banner towing, helicopter flying exhibitions and an aero-modeling symposium.
The Kite Association of the Philippines (KAP) – an all-volunteer, non-profit, nongovernmental cultural organization – participates in the fiesta to develop and promote the art of kite making and kite flying.
The Philippine Flightsimmers Group promotes flight simulation through the Internet. Although based in the Philippines, the Group's friends from all over the world make “group flights” to wherever they want to go, like say, from Cebu to Sydney or even Europe.
Of course the festival will not be complete without the participation of the Angeles City Four Wheelers Club, Inc. Members of the group do not merely serve as chase crews but have actually become real friends of the regular balloonists of the festival.
The annual event has two objectives, that is to promote the Philippines as a sport aviation destination in Asia and to increase public awareness of hot air balloons as an aviation sport.
- from www.philballoonfest.com
Schedule of Events at the Fiesta is on their website as well. Do visit it! For further inquiries contact: (0917) 814-2476 and (02) 833-3264.
pupunta ka rin dito pau? punta kme ng barkda ko ng last day, kukuha lang ng pictures with the balloons =) 
