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.

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.[1] An estimated

 60,000 visitors locally and from around the world come in

to see this event.

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual event that

 occurs between January and February at the Omni Aviation Complex in

Clark Freeport Zone, 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.

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 events.

History

1994/1995

In 1994, three years after the devastating effects of the G.Mount Pinatubo

 eruption, Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor together with Korean

businessman and hot-air balloon pilot, Mr. Sung Kee Paik, and

British Airways General Manager, Mr. John Emery, and the German

aviation enthusiast Max Motschmann engineered the Philippine

International hot air balloon festival to help jumpstart the local economy

 and spirit of the Central Luzon region with the commitment of developing

 hot air ballooning as an aviation sport in the country and making the

Philippines one of the leading sports aviation and travel destinations in

the Asia Pacific region. The 1994 event originally organized by the

Department of Tourism (DOT), the Hot Air Balloon Club, the Clark

Development Corporation and British Airways initially began with 21

balloon pilots from 10 countries and one entry from the Philippines.

The success of the festival in 1994 brought about an increase in the

number of participants in 1995 to 27 balloons including a basketless

one-man balloon and two entries from the Philippines. The 1995

 festival also saw the introduction of ultra light planes to the events.

 1996-1998

By 1996 responsibility of the event was transferred from the

Department of Tourism to Air Ads, Inc. under the watchful eyes

 of Captain Joy Roa who is also an avid licensed balloon pilot.

Between 1996 and 1998, the growing popularity of the festival

was expanded to include other aero-sports activities such as

sky diving, paragliding, motorized hang gliding, remote controlled

 model aircraft (aero modelers), and kite flying. Aerobatic stunts

 and precision maneuvers courtesy of the Blue Diamonds and

later the Red Aces of the Philippine Air Force became a regular

 attraction of the festival.

 1999-2003

Financial difficulties in 1999 led to the cancellation

 of the festival, but saw a resurgence in 2000

with 12 balloons and 18 light planes from Thailand,

 Japan and Singapore, all participating in an air

 rally which has become a regular component of the

 festivities. 2003 saw a change in the traditional

ballooning format. Specially designed balloons in

the shape of a flying newspaper from Korea and a

large dog from Japan made their debut over the

Pampanga skyline. Balloon participation from Malaysia,

 Korea, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden,

Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands drew crowds from

 around the world.

2004- Present