- Title: SWITZERLAND: 23RD INTERNATIONAL HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL OPENS IN SWITZERLAND
- Date: 20th January 2001
- Summary: CHATEAU D'OEX, SWITZERLAND (JANAURY 20, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. LOCAL BAND PERFORMING 2. PAN OF BALLONS ON THE GROUND 3. VARIOUS TAKE OFF 4. SEVERAL BALLOONS ON THE SKY 5. CROWD APPLAUDING 6. BALLON READING SWISS PRIMBEEF ON THE SKY 7. WIDE OF FIELD WITH SEVERAL BALLOONS 8. BALLOONISTS BERTRAND PICCARD AND BRIAN JONES WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BALLOONIST BERTRAND PICCARD SAYING Its a long distance competition which will be opened for twenty days. During twenty days the pilots can take off and fly as long as they want and they can also do three attempts during the three weeks. I think that it will really keep alive the suspense, the spirit of adventure and the memory of the take off , here, two years ago. 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BALLOONIST BRIAN JONES SAYING Any balloon flight weather short or long is agreat adventure and it will be interesting to see some of the flights during the three week period, from the 1st to 21st of March, just to see how far they can get. Its exciting. 11. BALLOON WITH THE SHAPE OF THE BREITLING ORBITER THREE 12. VARIOUS BALLOONS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CHATEAU D'OEX, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVA3CCIQDN58PNHHGETKKH4BA4BP
- Story Text: The 23rd international hot air balloon festival has
opened in Switzerland where some 80 balloons peppered the sky
above the snow-covered alpine peaks in a stunning array of colours.
It was also announced that the Breitling Orbiter III's
success, which took balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian
Jones to circumnavigate the globe, will be celebrated with a
hot-air balloon race on March 1.
The blue sky above Chateau d'Oex was filled with the
beautiful colours of hot-air balloons from around the world on
Saturday (January 20) as the region hosted the opening of its
annual balloon festival.
Some eighty balloons from 15 countries dropped in for the
week-long event, which celebrates its 23rd edition this year.
After a short contest aimed at testing pilots ability to
manoeuvre their craft, the festival featured a special shapes
flight. A flying cow, an elephant head, a bagpiper and a
monster were among those surveying the scene.
Hundreds of people lined the the field to watch the
balloon fiesta of Chateau dOex, the same village from where
balloonists Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland and Britain's
Brian Jones started their non-stop round the world odyssey.
And to commemorate their achievement, a long distance hot-air
balloon race will take place on March 1. The race will start
at 0800GMT and will be open during the time of the round the
world flight, until March 21 at 0552GMT.
Those who have never had a balloon ride will have a chance
until January 28, when the festival comes to end.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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