Balloonists have fingers crossed on weather

Lift Off Levin organisers are anxiously watching the weather ahead of this weekend’s hot air balloon event in Levin, New Zealand.

Flight director Dennis Hall said they had committed to run the Easter event, but the forecast was for rain and wind, which was no good for the craft.

“Balloons don’t like wind or rain.”

Hall said the Levin event has had “extremely good luck” with weather over its nine years, but it was not looking good this year.

The event, which returned in 2013 after a year off, nearly didn’t happen this year, with Hall having open heart surgery on January 6.

Uncertainty around whether he would recover in time disrupted organisation and at one point a decision was made to cancel it, but a donation from Levin woman Helen Blake allowed the organising team to reconsider.

A mass ascension of balloons will take place on Good Friday from about 7.30am, from the Village Green on Queen St in Levin, and several other flying events are planned.

The most popular public event, the nightglow, will be held in the Levin Domain this year, starting about 5.30pm on Easter Sunday and finishing at 7.30pm.

Hall said they would make a call on Sunday afternoon whether to hold it or not.

Entry fee has been reduced to $2, “reflecting the fact that it will be a smaller event this year with around 12 balloons”. There will be stalls, food stalls and musical entertainment.

Hall said organisers will be updating information about the event, including any cancellations because of weather, on its Lift Off Levin facebook page.

via – Stuff.co.nz.