The 2018 China Hot Air Balloon Club League · Hubei Xiangyang Station and the Xiangyang Hot Air Balloon “Dream Sky Festival” competition event grandly opened on September 22. As the recognized hometown of hot air balloons, Xiangyang’s first hosting of the China Hot Air Balloon Club League sparked a wave of hot air balloon flight fever locally, drawing hot air balloon enthusiasts from across the country to come together and witness this romantic, magnificent, exciting, and thrilling competition.
As the highest-level domestic hot air balloon event, this league attracted 60 top domestic hot air balloon pilots from 30 leading hot air balloon clubs across the country to compete for the blue sky here, presenting a series of spectacular competitions, performances, and experience activities for the citizens and tourists of Xiangyang, greatly enriching the holiday lives of the city’s residents and visitors.
During the exciting competitions on the 23rd and 24th, the citizens and tourists of Xiangyang enjoyed thrilling competitive events such as the “Wandering Waltz” flying toward the main venue, delivering an ultimate sensory experience for the Mid-Autumn Festival feast for all attendees.
Among the many competitive events, the “Wandering Waltz” is particularly eye-catching. Before takeoff, the competition director announces two or more designated targets. Contestants pilot their hot air balloons toward any one of the targets and drop marker bags as close to the target as possible. Watching dozens of brightly colored hot air balloons dancing simultaneously in the sky is a rare viewing experience.
Another competitive event, the “Designated Target,” is more technically challenging. It involves aiming for a target designated by the judges, where an X-shaped target is placed at the endpoint. Athletes aim to drop their markers as close as possible to the intersection of the X. The closer the marker lands to the center, the higher the score. For spectators, it’s a very easy-to-understand competition, featuring massive teams of hot air balloons flying toward the target, creating a spectacular sight. The competitions over these two days tested the contestants’ aerial skills across multiple dimensions, including flight altitude, speed, and wind control.
It is reported that the China Hot Air Balloon Club League competitions follow the rules of the “FAI Hot Air Balloon Competition Regulations.” The competition adopts a multi-stop format, with results tallied by team rather than individual rankings. The league is a Class B event organized by the Chinese Aeronautics Association, with overall league scores being the sum of results from each stop. Individual stop results also contribute to the 2018 pilot competition points system.
On September 24, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, an unforgettable hot air balloon fire-breathing parade officially kicked off at Zhuge Liang Square, pushing the “Xiangyang Hot Air Balloon Dream Sky Festival” to its climax. Dozens of pickup trucks, each carrying hot air balloon burners, snaked through the streets of Xiangyang like a giant dragon, gracefully crossing the beautiful Han River and connecting the opposite banks of Fancheng District and Xiangcheng District. As music played, the hot air balloon burners spewed flames up to 5 meters high, accompanied by thunderous sounds, turning the night sky into the most stunning stage under the full moon of Mid-Autumn. The parade eventually returned to Zhuge Liang Square to conclude. The fire-breathing parade decorated the city in festive splendor, transforming Xiangyang into a “city that never sleeps, a dreamlike city,” offering residents a grand visual feast, greatly enriching cultural life, and bringing vitality and energy to urban development.
What follows will be the climax and finale of this league. Over the past few days, citizens and tourists have together witnessed the grand opening ceremony, admired the magical and dreamy illuminated balloon performances, enjoyed wonderful artistic shows, experienced the thrilling tethered flights, participated in positive public welfare flight activities, and personally felt the city-shaking fire-breathing parade. Attendees expressed that it was truly rare to be able to watch and experience such exciting events with family during the short Mid-Autumn holiday, while out-of-town visitors said their trip to Xiangyang exceeded expectations and was absolutely worthwhile.