For years, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta was the February fixture of Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga — billed as “a weekend of everything that flies”. On the wide grounds of the former Clark Air Base, dozens of hot air balloons from around the world rose at dawn over the field, joined by aerobatics, skydiving, paragliding and kite displays through the day.
For a photographer the fiesta had two magic hours: the dawn launch, when the balloons inflate in the half-light and lift off as the sun clears Mount Arayat on the horizon, and the night glow after dark, when the tethered balloons fire their burners in sequence and light up the field like giant lanterns.
The Balloon Fiesta in photos, 2010–2013
This gallery gathers my coverage of the 2010 fiesta, the 16th fiesta in 2011, the 2012 fiesta, and the 18th fiesta in 2013 — including its night glow. Click any photo to open the original post.
Clark is on Angeles City’s doorstep — pair the balloons with the city’s October Fiestang Kuliat, and with the December Giant Lantern Festival in nearby San Fernando.