Man who flew 42 hours in hot air balloon to lead balloonists in Lubao

LUBAO, PAMPANGA—Hot air balloonist Sabu Ichiyosi of Japan will lead 35 participants in the 4th Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival (LIBMF), touted as the biggest balloon event in Southeast Asia, on April 6-9.

This will be the first time the 71-year-old Japanese will fly from Pradera Verde in Lubao, according to Noel Castro, LIBMF chair.

Ichiyosi broke a world record by clocking 42 hours in a single flight on a hot air balloon.

Castro said the festival would feature 35 balloonists from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, South Korea, Switzerland, Vietnam, The Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Several balloons entered in the event will take the shapes of a lemon, a lobster, a rooster, an octopus, a fox, a frog, a heart and a teapot.

“We hope to make Pampanga the ballooning capital of the Philippines,” Castro said, adding that LIBMF remains the biggest balloon event since a show in Thailand drew 32 balloonists.
LIBMF has been attracting 40 to 45 balloonists since its launch in 2014. Last year, the festival drew 100,000 people.

According to Castro, the participants are drawn by the “box wind,” which allows balloonists to fly for a longer duration over Lubao at this time of the year.

The musical concerts that will accompany the festival have also been expanded to include artists such as Alex Aiono, Red Foo and Party Rock, to join Bamboo, Parokya ni Edgar and Spongecola.

Aside from hot air balloons, local delicacies, activities for children, a carnival, aerial exhibitions, a night glow display, fireworks, wakeboarding, golfing and visits to local tourism sites would be held during the four-day festival. Entrance to Pradera Verde costs P300 per person. —TONETTE OREJAS