Putrajaya balloon ride experience

Our reporter, Sheila Sri Priya, recounts her experiences flying for the first time in a Hot Air Balloon.

I was like a little girl after being assigned to fly on a hot-air balloon.

My dream came true thanks to the 6th Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2014.

My wish to ride on a hot-air balloon began after I watched the animated movie Up which featured an elderly widower Carl Fredricksen, 78, and a young explorer named Russell.

Fredricksen tied thousands of balloons to his home and flew to the wilds of South America seeking adventure. Little did he know that young Russell was on board too.

I knew that the best opportunity for me to achieve my dream would be at the yearly hot-air balloon festival in Putrajaya.

Every year, members of the media are given a chance to ride in the hot-air balloons. The balloons, from all over the world, come in various shapes and sizes. Among the most memorable is the Darth Vader balloon which first made an appearance in 2010.

Although I was keen, luck was never on my side. However this year my lucky stars were aligned and I was chosen. I was asked to be at Precinct 2, Putrajaya by 6.45am as the balloon would take off at 7am.

I was so excited I could not sleep that night and was up and about at 5am. However, I got lost in Putrajaya trying to locate the hot-air balloon launch pad.

When I arrived, there was already a long queue of people waiting for their turn to go on one of the three tethered hot-air balloons.

At the media registration booth, I was told I would be flying on the Darth Vader balloon. This was the icing on the cake and I had to restrain myself from jumping for joy like my two-year-old would.

The Darth Vader balloon is among the most popular and was made with approval from Lucasfilm Limited.

The balloon was manufactured in Britain and my pilot Benoit Lambert, and his co-pilot and girlfriend Caroline De Vilie were from Belgium.

The world’s largest balloon, the ‘Flying Superbike’ was another highlight at the fiesta, as were balloons in the shape of an ice-cream cone from Belgium and a heart-shaped one from Taiwan.

Participants came from Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and the United States. Malaysian hot-air balloon pilot Mohd Sobri Saad also participated in the free-flying hot-air balloon.

After taking in the splendid sights surrounding me, I hopped into the wicker basket of the Darth Vader balloon.

The take-off was smooth and we flew as high as 700m. The view was breathtaking. My pilot, Benoit, said he was inspired to become a hot-air balloon pilot by his father.

“I first flew when I was eight years old with my dad. I decided I wanted to become a pilot just like him,” said Lambert.

He added that flying in Putrajaya was different because of the many buildings in the area.

Lambert has four balloons but none are as popular as the Darth Vader.

“When I first flew it, people were screaming and crying,” said Lambert, adding it cost about US$150,000 (RM470,000) to make.

“I wanted to have a famous balloon and I wanted it to be a villain. Darth Vader came to mind.”

Lambert makes a living as a full-time private balloon pilot. He travels on holiday to attend hot-air balloon festivals. His best experience was flying in Australia, especially the sight of kangaroos hopping around.

“Although it was a short, 20-minute ride, the experience was something I will never forget.”

Lambert also issued me a flight certificate which read: “The emperor notarizes that Sheila Sri Priya has completed a flight with the Darth Vader Balloon. – Now you know the power of the darker side!”

As I was heading back to the office, I heard that the Flying Superbike Balloon did not have a smooth landing. It got stuck in a lamp-post near a residential area and the Fire and Rescue Department had to be called. Luckily, no one was hurt.

For details, go to www.myballoonfiesta.com

via – The Star Online.