ILLES BALEARS BALLOONING FESTIVAL
Already back in 2019, when the European Hot Air Balloon Championship was announced to take place on the island of Mallorca, we had thought about going there – but eventually abandoned the idea because it was too much of an effort, and quite expensive as well.
Five years later, we should get a second chance, when we got an invitation forwarded by good friends: About twenty balloons should meet for a little event in the north-east of the island in late October 2024. We didn’t have to think about it for long, but instead gave it a go almost right away.
So, on October 19th, we embarked on a long journey across Switzerland and France – two days early, luckily, as our car broke down in beautiful Nimes just as we were trying to find a parking spot to visit the Roman amphitheatre. Luckily, because this left us just enough time to have our own car brought to a workshop and get a rental to continue our travel to Barcelona, where we picked up our good friend Tommie who had flown in from the Netherlands. We even managed to squeeze in a visit at the Ultramagic ballon factory in Igualada before boarding the ferry to Mallorca – thanks to Pieter Kooistra and the Llado family for making that possible! =)
Just 24 hours after we had arrived on the island, it was time for the first flight. Taking off only 100 meters from the shore, you can certainly imagine our excitement! An unforgettable experience, that’s for sure. Our luck with the weather continued, as we could fly the next three slots as well – and all from different launch sites! After one day break due to some rain, we could even do a fifth flight on Sunday morning and a final night glow in Capdepera in the evening.
A huge thank you to Jordi and his great team from Illes Balears Ballooning – rarely have we experienced such a well organised debut of an event. Of course, the Cap Vermell Grand Hotel also had a share in this, generously accommodating us for the time of the meeting. And last but not least, thanks to all the other teams from all over Europe who made this week ever so special!
See you in 2025! ;-)
