This is a jolly good news to my fellow Malaysian photographers. They are going to hold a hot air balloon festival in Putrajaya this coming March. Yes it is a mecca for photographers and this kind of event doesn’t come often to our shore in fact it is exceptionally rare.
The last hot air balloon festival that I could remember was when the New Straits Times celebrated its 150th Anniversary and that was more than 10 years ago. Unfortunately I didn’t become a photographer yet at that time.
Never mind. Let the bygone be bygone. No point crying over the spilt milk. I hope this time I would be able to collect lots of awesome hot air balloon images. Watch this space 
The details of the eagerly-awaited event are as follows:
- The event: The First Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009 (Does this mean there is going to be the second, third, fourth?)
- Take-off site: “Monumen Alaf Baru”, Precinct 2, Putrajaya
- Flying area: Height of not more than 1000ft and 5 km radius from take off site
- Landing site: There is ample land in Putrajaya that is suitable for landing
- Date: 19-22 March 2009
- Number of participating hot air balloons: 25 – 20 standard shaped hot air balloons, 5 special shaped hot air balloons
In the anticipation of the fiesta, I am pleased to share some useful links to tips on how to shoot hot air balloons:
And below is the itinerary of the event that I copied from its official website.
Please check out the event’s official website here.
| Date | Time | Venue | Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19/03/2009
Thursday |
7.30 am | Site | Arrival of VIPs and guests |
| 7.45 am | Site | • Free flight with VVIP/Media
• Motorised para glider display • Remote control flying aircraft display |
|
| 2.00 – 5.00 pm | Site | • Motorised para glider display
• Remote control flying aircraft display |
|
| 5.00 – 7.00 pm | Site | Balloon Fun Fly | |
| 20/03/2009
Friday |
7.30 am | Site | Arrival of guest or VIP |
| 7.45 am | • Free flight
• Motorised para glider display |
||
| 2.00 – 5.00 pm | Site | • Motorised para glider display • Remote control flying aircraft display |
|
| 5.00 – 7.00 pm | Site | Balloon Fun Fly | |
| 21/03/2009
Saturday |
7.30 am | Site | Free flight with VVIP/Sponsors/Media/ |
| 7.45 am | Site | • Motorised para glider display
• Remote control flying aircraft display |
|
| 2.00 – 5.00 pm | Site | • Motorised para glider display
• Remote control flying aircraft display |
|
| 5.00 – 7.00 pm | Site | Balloon Fun Fly | |
| 8.00 pm | Site | Arrival of VIPs and guests | |
| 8.45 pm | Site | Night glow with music for 30 minutes | |
| 22/03/2009 Sunday |
7.45 am | Site | • Free flight with VVIP/Sponsors/Media/ public
• Motorised para glider display • Remote control flying aircraft display |
| 2.00 – 5.00 pm | Site | • Motorised para glider display
• Remote control flying aircraft display |
|
| 5.00 – 7.00 pm | Site | Balloon Fun Fly | |
| 8.00 pm | Banquet | Dinner and prize giving | |
Dear Zain,
Just to let u know that our 2nd Putrajaya International HAB Fiesta will be held on the 18th – 21st March 2010. Please visit our website at wwww.myballoonfiesta.com
Tks for your support
Dear Zain,
Looks like there will be a 2nd Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 scheduled from 18th till 21st of March 2010.Please check out our website…myballoonfiesta.com
Just to let you know.
Thanks En. Khairudin for the update. I am very glad to hear that I am hoping the event could be become an annual affair. It would put Putrajaya in a world map as one of the hosts of a hot air balloon festival. This will attract more tourists and photographers to Putrajaya in particular and to Malaysia in general. Kudos to your company for being able to manage such a grand event.
Cool site, love the info.
Hi Zain, thanks for the photography tips you posted here!! It’s good to do some study before going for the hot air balloon show as I can see your photos are so well taken. I didn’t do my study and only checked your website on last Sat. After reading it, I dashed out of the house to catch the nite glow of the balloons. But too late, by the time I got there, it was the final 2 seconds! Sigh!! I will improve on my knowledge before the next ballooon show!
I like your photos of the balloons flying over Putra Mosque and those big close-up of the balloons!
Wish you a good day!
HI THERE. IS THIS HOT AIR BALLOON OPEN FOR PUBLIC, I MEAN THAT , CAN PEOPLE FLY THE BALLOON ALONE OR WITH THE GUIDES? IS CAN , HOW MUCH FOR HOW LONG? I WILL BE HAPPY TO GO . I CANT MISS THIS.
may i know that can we ride the hot ballon or just for viewing the ballon fun fly?
Hi Jasie,
Thanks for dropping in at my blog. I am afraid I don’t really know whether the public are allowed to ride the balloon. What i know of is it is open to the press and the press will be taken for a joyride.
Hi Zain,
Thanks for the information on the Ballon Fiesta at Putrajaya. Basically myself and office mates are planning to organise a trip and looking forward to come there for photoshoot. Thanks again for the tips on hot ballon photography.
We will definite bring our own DSLR.
Azmi
KSE,Nilai
Just passing by.Btw, your website have great content!
_________________________________
Making Money $150 An Hour
Dear Zain,
Thanks for the wonderful and interesting comment about the fiesta.I have read photokaki as well.Just to add more info…..I will be giving the pilot briefing at 6.30am . The balloons will be inflated from 7.30am…thats also a good time to take photos. The balloons will start flying from 8.00am.Perhaps.. I would like to give all of you with cameras(not hp cameras please ) from your group and the association to be inside the launch field for 15-30 mins to take a closer shot and talk to the pilots as well?
Khairudin Abd Rani.
Chairman
Organising Committee.
Thanks En Khairudin for visiting my blog and for leaving a positive comment. I am glad to know that photographers will be allowed to enter early to shoot the scene which I expect to be awesome at the preparation stage.
Dear Zain,
I have had so much enjoyment from your web pages and your amazing images. Let me tell you a little about myself. I am a 48 year old mother of two that has taken an interest in photography over the last couple of years. I am still learning but I am very keen to know more. I am just a novice but a little bit more than a ‘Point and Shoot’. I have a Canon 30D with a standard lens, a 300mm Zoom lens and a recent Sigma Macro 105mm lens. I do not as yet have any decent flash equipment and I know that that is a hindrance, especially with the macro photography that I would like to do. I feel that I need to learn some more before I take that step. I have an amazing opportunity to produce photographic artwork here in Western Australia, where I live, for a building company that would like to use some pieces in their ‘Display Homes’. My husband and I and my sister in law and brother in law are all coming to Kuala Lumpur and also to Penang for a holiday in less than 2 weeks time. Something we have been immensely looking forward to. I have done quite a lot of research on KL, as I haven’t been there before, and I find the scenery and architecture amazing. Fabulous for photography. I am so looking forward to snapping away. I am planning on visiting the Botanic gardens, twin towers of course, china town, butterfly park and orchid gardens, Putrajaya and so on. I want a lot of interesting macro shots and architecture and colourful cultural photos. Through your site, I discovered the Hot Air Balloon event and will certainly be there to photograph that. We will be in KL from the 16th March to the 24th March. We will be in Penang for 6 days prior to that.
If there was anything that you could suggest for me or any advice that you could offer, I would be extremely grateful. If there were any club photos shoots that I might be able to join in with to learn more, even better.
Kind regards
Cathy Foster
Western Australia
25.02.09
Tht’s cool. See you there Faizal!
Wow!!
Thanks for all the info for the first Putra Jaya International hot air Balloon fiesta!
Looking at the details, it should starts at 7;30am? Great! Will be there and bring along my D90.
thanks.