he Lubao balloon will be piloted and manned by an international crew led by Korean national and veteran balloon pilot Steve Kim assisted by a crew coming from Malaysia, Thailand and the Netherlands.
The Lubao hot air balloon will be among 150 competitors in the biennial world championship held in the Saga Prefecture just outside Saga City along the Kase River in Japan.
Mayor Mylyn P. Cayabyab will also join the Lubao delegation agreeing to an earlier invitation extended by the organizing committee of the Saga International Balloon Fiesta, Kim said.
Competition Administrator Saori Kuroda said the world hot air balloon championship is governed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and organized by the Japan Aeronautic Association and the Nippon Kikyu Renmei (Japan Balloon Federation).
According to Kim, the international event will not only help in boosting the tourism industry in this town and the province but will also promote it as an ideal place for flying hot air balloons worldwide.
Kim said that Barangay Prado Siongco here, where the annual Lubao International Hot Air Balloon Festival is held, has unique wind patterns that make it ideal for flying hot air balloons.
“The winds are in wide circles and not uni-directional which make it favorable because the balloons virtually float in the air and most often come back to their take off points,” he explained.
Kim also noted the wide expanse in the area which is good as a staging zone.
