Ray of sunshine for balloon event

8 February 2011

One of the past stars of Wairarapa’s annual hot air balloon festival is set to return for next month’s event, thanks to support from an anonymous donor.

Crowd favourite in 2004, ‘Sunny Boy’ from Ohio USA, will make a flying visit to New Zealand, appearing exclusively in Wairarapa skies with his pilot Carol Weiner who flew the balloon there in 2004.

Event organiser, Jonathan Hooker, said the return of the popular balloon and its pilot had been made possible by the support of a donor who had followed the event for the past 12 years and wanted to give something back to it. “The gesture reflects the passion that all kinds of people have for the festival and the community support which makes it possible,” Mr Hooker said.

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Standing 43 metres high, Sunny Boy has enough surface area on one side to fry 1.8 million eggs. He sports a cool shaded look with sunglasses on one side and is wide-eyed on the other.

“I am so very excited to be returning to the beautiful country of New Zealand with Sunny Boy,” said Ms Weiner of Seasons Hot Air Balloon Team. “I am looking forward to training new crew and reuniting with my original New Zealand crew from the past events.” Ms Weiner will be accompanied by a group of pilots and crew from the USA who will visit New Zealand for the first time.

The last time a special shape balloon attended the festival was in 2008. Ms Weiner also flew in Wairarapa in 2005 with another of her special shape balloons “Miss Daisy”.

This year’s festival has been extended to four days, thanks to a successful event in 2010 and on-going support from Trust House and other supporters.

The goodwill of the pilots, local sponsors and volunteers has enabled this event to continue but we are always looking for new sponsors to help keep make it happen year after year,’ Mr Hooker said.
More than 20 other hot air balloons and their pilots from throughout New Zealand and from overseas are expected for the 13th annual festival to be held from Thursday 17 March until Sunday 20 March.

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A revised programme will see this year’s official festival opening held over Masterton with a ‘mass ascension’ from the Pioneer Rugby fields. “This means we will have balloons flying over town before heading out to the country, which is always great fun,” said Mr Hooker.

The festival highlight, the spectacular Trust House Night Glow will be held on Saturday 19 March at Masterton’s Colin Pugh Sports Bowl, where tethered balloons light up the night sky in a dazzling light-show choreographed to music.

Other events include a Friday morning flight over Carterton’s Memorial Square with pilots competing for points by throwing markers at targets on the ground.

Wairarapa College will host a Friday evening balloon launch combined with its annual gala. Saturday morning will feature the traditional ‘splash ‘n dash’ over Masterton’s Henley Lake where pilots attempt to splash their baskets into the lake to score competition points.

The festival will conclude on Sunday with an early morning flight over Masterton at a venue to be decided on the morning.
Further information is available from www.nzballoons.co.nz

ENDS

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