Cavite, Philippines–If road trips and an awesome out of town event is what defines the start of summer in the Philippines, then the Flying Carnival 2020 being held at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite is definitely a good destination to find yourself in.
Formerly known as the International Hot Air Balloon Festival, this year’s Flying Carnival has seen a change in venue, notably from Clark Pampanga and then now to Carmona Cavite, where some 45,000 spectators are expected to enjoy a multitude of flying and aviation activities.
The opening morning of the annual affair saw hot air balloons, the main attraction of the event, slowly expand to not-so-usual-everyday dimensions. The hot air balloon inflation spectacle, supplemented by live brass bands from Cavite, wowed the cheering people, which has seen a lot of attendees from other countries as well.
The Flying Carnival 2020 brought together not just local participants, the Philippine military no less, but also international aviation and stunt teams from Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Turkey, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. During the early coffee hours of Friday, a team of British skydivers and para gliders entertained the public, as well as a fair share of low altitude helicopter flyovers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Despite the corona virus scares, organizers of the longest-running sports aviation event in Asia said that the show must continue, but stressed their commitment to public health safety at the venue with special equipment for detecting possible signs of COVID-19, and that Medical City, its hospital partner, is on the standby to provide assistance.
Stalls of food, souvenirs, business outfits, and aviation schools dot the perimeter of the field. For those who prefer to be in the sky for real, the experience can be had by approaching the general information desks at the entrance of the venue. For the curious, the ride tickets are as follows:
- Hot air balloon ride for PHP 25,000/person
- Tandem paraglide for PHP 4,500/person
- Helicopter discovery flight for PHP 10,000/person
- Tandem skydive for PHP 20,000/person
Other packages:
- Prenuptial photoshoot pass for PHP 40,000/day
- Photographer’s pass for PHP 3,500/day
For more information, visit their website at: https://philballoonfest.net/
The Flying Carnival 2020 is happening until March 8, Sunday. Interested parties can check the organization’s website and social media pages for driving and commuting directions. General admission starts at PHP 500/day for economy class, PHP 3,500/day for business class, and PHP 6,500/day for first class.
