HOT AIR BALLOONING IN PATTAYA Elite Balloon Pilots from Around the Word

This was no ordinary hot air ballooning festival, as it was by ‘invitation only’ for a very select few of the world’s balloon operators. These balloons were something special, with most being custom made in shapes such as “Coca Cola” bottles, cell phones, a clover leaf, the movie figure “Darth Vader” and even included a pink elephant.



However the star exhibit was a large blue airship owned by German balloonist Mr. Franz Tauscher, and he told us that there were only around eighty of these craft in the world. Sixty four year old Franz stated “I qualified as a ship’s captain and aircraft pilot around 32 years ago, then one day my friends invited me for a hot air balloon flight.





Within three minutes I was hooked on ballooning, and probably risked divorce, when I suddenly changed my lifestyle to go ballooning.” This amazing display of some of the world’s best hot air balloons was open to the public, and those who made the trip, really had a treat with sunrise and late afternoon balloon shows, as well as a static ground display of brilliantly lit balloons at night.

Many of the balloon pilots were employed in the manufacture or marketing of hot air balloons and their accessories, and so as real experts in this aviation field, they are very interesting people.




 
I made the effort to arrive at daylight, and was lucky enough to be invited for a flight in the large airship;  what a magnificent flight it was in terms of not just the experience, but the exhilaration of gliding silently along like a bird, not to mention the spectacular views of the beautiful Siam Country location.


 
There is no doubt that this big airship with its hot air gas burners, was the star of the show, as with its ultrafine aviation motor it could easily circumnavigate the take off field, and many compare it to being motor yacht of the hot air ballooning world.