Paid flights sell out as preparation continues for Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival

“It went over extremely well. Within a couple of days we had 132 spots called for,” Taillon said.

“We just hope Mother Nature is nice to us on the Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival weekend and we can get up all our balloons and all our scheduled flight times.”

The festival has located hot air balloons to use for those travelling from far distances.

With balloon pilots coming from as far away as Quebec, Montana and Colorado.

Taillon will be the only pilot from Medicine Hat, but there is another pilot from not far away, coming from Rolling Hills.

Taillon said the pilots will start arriving to the festival May 22, they will have a welcome barbeque and do a master safety briefing with all the pilots and their crew chiefs.

“It’s a sanctioned event with Transport Canada. So just some paperwork that we got to sign, go over any questions at any of the newer pilots flying in this area. We’ll have a representative from the airport there,” Taillon said.

“It’s just a good way to kick off a weekend. We get to see each other and then starting Thursday morning, weather permitting, we’ll go for our first a.m. flight.”

There will be two different balloon glow nights planned this year, both flying out of Kin Coulee Park.

A number of other activities are also taking place downtown.

by Jesse Gill

Paid flights sell out as preparation continues for Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival

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