Hualien has "hot air balloons" too！Test flights return this week

▲Dafengdafu Plain Forest Recreation Area in Hualien held its first hot air balloon flight event this year. The photo shows the beautiful scene during last month's test flights. (Photo / Provided by Hualien County Government Tourism and Public Affairs Division)

Tourism Center / Taipei Report

The "2013 Hualien Soaring Season International Hot Air Balloon Festival," which hosted an exciting eight-day test flight event last month, is taking off again！This weekend on April 27 and April 28, hot air balloons will take to the skies once more. Aside from test flights, if there's enough lift, they will also be open for local residents and tourists to ride. Why not head to Hualien this weekend and look up at the balloons as they ascend?

Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi stated that the Dafengdafu Plain Forest Park is a prime location in the longitudinal valley plains, featuring vast land, convenient transportation, and stable airflow—making it highly suitable for hot air balloon activities. It can also enrich recreational options in the East Rift Valley region and establish Hualien as a “hot air balloon tourism destination” for ultra-light aircraft, transforming the Hualien Soaring Season into a new landmark for promoting both Hualien travel and the East Rift Valley.

Su Yishun, Director of the Tourism and Public Affairs Division and the event organizer, mentioned that the hot air balloons are provided by Cameron Balloons of the UK—a manufacturer known for zero accidents—and the event is overseen by TransAsia Airways as the overall commander. In compliance with civil aviation regulations, wind speeds and weather conditions are closely monitored with the Civil Aeronautics Administration to ensure the highest safety standards for all participants.

Frank Wechter, the chief pilot and head coach for the event, boasts over 5,000 hours of hot air balloon tethered flight experience. He emphasized that the key to successful balloon ascents lies in the weather: wind speeds must not exceed 10 mph, and because the balloons are made of 12 million fiber layers, they cannot get wet. As a result, flights are not permitted in winds of force four or higher, during light rain, or when temperatures exceed 28°C. Safety is paramount, so there are no exceptions.

The hot air balloon test flights are mainly aimed at evaluating the stability of airflow during launches and planning traffic flow. They are not yet fully open to public riders. However, visitors traveling to Hualien this weekend can still come to admire the beauty of the balloons as they ascend and capture rare moments.


▲Blue and white hot air balloons stand out vividly against the green lawns of the forest recreation area. (Photo / Provided by Hualien County Government Tourism and Public Affairs Division)

【Event Information】
Test Flight Events: April 27 (Saturday) and April 28 (Sunday), 2013, from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Due to balloon availability and weather conditions, riding opportunities will be offered flexibly on the day.
Official Event: June 22 (Saturday) to September 1 (Sunday), 2013, from early morning to evening, subject to weather conditions for takeoff.
Venue: Dafengdafu Plain Forest Recreation Area (Ri Di Yue Pool Area), Guangfu Township (Hualien Forest District Office)