Balloon landings on roads deliberate: organizers

 

A hot air balloon lands on a field in Tuyen Quang Province, March 30, 2022. Photo by Facebook/BeatVN

Festival organizers have asserted that all landings of hot air balloons in the northern province of Tuyen Quang Wednesday morning were intentional.

After social media clips and photos showed hot air balloons falling on roads, near a river and on a field during the ongoing hot air balloon festival, questions were raised about the skills of the pilots.

Nguyen Van Son, chairman of the northern province that is organizing the festival, said that all the landings were intentional and there was no accident.

"Hot air balloons cannot be targeted to land at a specific place like aircraft because they are driven by the wind. The pilots often land them in a large and safe areas," he told VnExpress.

Wout Bakker, a representative of the International Balloon Association, also said that some pilots decided to land on the road because some rice fields were filled with water and the landing could ruin them.

The balloons land slowly and car drivers can see them land on the road. It should take around 10-15 minutes for the pilot to clear the area, he added.

Festival organizers assured the public that the pilots have over 20 years of experience and were well capable of managing the balloons.

The province’s first hot air balloon festival started March 30 and will continue until April 3.

Visitors can pay to be taken up to a height of 300 meters and get an aerial view of the province.