Balloon masters ready for blast off

Masterton's skies will be filled with brightly coloured craft again for the 12th annual Trust House Balloons over Wairarapa this weekend.
Eighteen hot air balloons from throughout New Zealand will soar to 9500 feet, high enough to see the Southern Alps.
This morning the first event was due to open the festival with a mass ascension from Clareville showgrounds.
Event flight director Martyn Stacey said yesterday the weather was ''brilliant'' for the event, and hoped for a repeat of last year's ''box winds'' over Henley Lake, a special treat for balloonists because the balloons were more manoeuvrable on the different levels the winds provided.
The Wairarapa festival was one of the most fun balloon events in the country for pilots, Mr Stacey said, and was ideal for ballooning because of the district's superb flying conditions, stunning scenery, uncontrolled air space and the support of the community.
''You have all this beautiful big space and how far we can fly is quite unique because we don't have all these planes coming in, and we have beautiful farms and farmers and everyone's very happy to see you here.
''It's a fiesta, it's a fun time to show off skills and have a great time doing it.''
After 12 years of the festival, Wairarapa now had one of the more significant concentrations of balloon enthusiasts and skilled crew in the country, he said.
Late this afternoon the balloons are due, weather permitting, to circle Wairarapa College's grounds where the school's annual gala will be taking place. Then at 8pm a parade of balloon baskets and flaming burners will make its way down Carterton's main street on trailers.
Tomorrow morning pilots will take a punt at Masterton's Henley Lake in a competition to splash their baskets on to the lake surface without ending up in the drink. Saturday will end with a tethered light show choreographed to music at Masterton's Colin Pugh Sports Bowl. And the festival will wrap up with an early morning competition flight over Masterton on Sunday.
Because the weather can affect launch sites and flight paths, enthusiasts are recommended to check www.nzballoons.co.nz for information about where to see the balloons, cancellations, and how to book a flight.