Farmers at Chittur, Palakkad were awestruck when they saw a giant hot air balloon flying above a farm on Saturday. As the pilots and passengers in the balloon waved at them and asked the gathering if they could land in their farm, they gave an instant nod. The gaint balloon landed with a thud and the thrilled farmers rushed toward it. Siva Subramanian, the owner of the farm revealed that this was the first time he had seen such a huge balloon. “This has never happened in our farm. It feels surreal,” he said. As the passengers and locals exchanged pleasantries, the pilots got busy packing the balloon. Soon, a truck arrived and the balloon, cylinders and the basket was loaded on to it and the team left the spot. The curious villagers bid them goodbye.This balloon made in Germany, had flown all the way from Pollachi to Palakkad, traversing a distance of more than 25 km, thanks to the wind. The balloon was brought to India as part of the fifth edition of the Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival , which has been attracting visitors from different parts of the country. “This was my first ride and I am glad I could cover such a huge distance,” said Menaka, who had come down from Mumbai.Benedict Savio, the brain behind the carnival, says that the festival is only getting bigger every year. “We started the festival with two balloons four years ago and today, we have brought in ten balloons from countries like France, Germany, Poland, USA, Denmark, Belgium and Netherlands. We had the free-flying ride in the mornings and the tethered one in the evenings. The idea is to bring families together and enjoy the ride. Through the fest, we are also educating public on how hot air balloon works and how they are a source of entertainment. There are certain limitations, too. For instance, we can fly the balloons only for a couple of hours early in the morning and two hours before sunset. The public is gradually getting to know that we cannot fly during the day.”All said and done, organising the fest was not a cakewalk, says Benedict. “The biggest challenge is the sponsors as they are not aware of how this balloon works. Also, we need to plan at least few months in advance, so that we get the clearances and permissions for the balloons and pilots who are coming to the country. After all this, if the weather doesn’t co-operate, we are helpless. If the pilot says no, we cannot fly as safety is of utmost importance.”Andreas Baus, one of the pilots from Munich, Germany, whose balloon landed in Palakkad, says, “This is the second time I have come to the beautiful countryside of Tamil Nadu. This place is works well to fly hot air balloons. On the first day of the fest, we spent more than an hour in the air and covered a distance of 25 km. This was my longest trip in India.”Throwing more light on hot air balloons, Andreas, says, “There are four tanks of cylinders with a minimum of 100 kg gas inside which can help us fly for around 2 hours. It can go up to 1,000 feet above the ground. The maximum speed at which it can go is 8 miles per hour. A normal standard basket can hold up to four passengers. Safety measures have to be strictly followed. Landing in a hot air balloon is not easy and passengers are briefed the drill. They cannot get out of the basket, until the pilot asks them to. Also, the pilot can only steer the balloon up and down. The direction of the wind decides the rest.”The passengers on the balloon have been enjoying the view of the lush coconut groves in Pollachi. “People want to see something unique when they are on a hot air balloon. And, flying over Pollachi’s picturesque landscape is a visual treat,” sums up Benedict.

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