Explosion of colour in Hamilton sky with Balloons over Waikato 2023 ...
MARK TAYLOR/STUFF
The weather was ideal as Balloons Over Waikato kicked off following a Covid-induced hiatus.
A husband and wife who have flown over migrating wildebeests and Buddhist temples took to the sky in Hamilton as Balloons over Waikato launched a kaleidoscope of colour.
The official opening of the five-day festival brought a few thousand people to Innes Common early on Tuesday morning – something they hadn’t been able to do since Covid-19 arrived.
Milton and Elly Kirkman strapped themselves into their Cloudhoppers – with a single seat underneath the balloon – just after 7am.
“No basket makes it very versatile, we just sit in this little harness with our single gas tank strapped to our back and away we go.
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The pair are commercial balloon pilots used to taking big groups, so it was “very serene” flying solo, Milton Kirkman said.
“I have about 1500 skydives, and about 4500 balloon hours, so I’ve been in the air a lot of my life, so not scary any more.”
He and his wife Elly are based at Coffs Harbour in Australia, but said the single balloons make the trip across the ditch pretty simple.
“We just take them to the airport and check them in as luggage. Makes life a lot easier. We went to the Saga [Japan] balloon festival a couple of years ago and just took it on the plane and the train.”
The hoppers have slightly less control than the larger balloons, which use turning vents, and they are also made out of super light fabric.
MARK TAYLOR/Stuff
Elly and Milton Kirkman in their Cloudhopper balloons over Hamilton on Tuesday morning.
Kirkman likes flying in the hopper because the couple are commercial balloon pilots for the rest of the year, often with 24 other people.
“When you are in a balloon by yourself it's very serene. I love the peace and quiet. One person can pack it away, where others need a crew. There are a lot of balloonists who go Uber ballooning - so you take your little balloon out, go flying, you land, pack it away and you Uber back to your car.”
Originally from New Zealand, Kirkman moved to Australia in 1982, and was introduced to ballooning through his job washing dishes in a restaurant. His former boss bought a balloon, and he became part of the crew before gaining his licence in 1989.
He and his wife now fly all over the world.
MARK TAYLOR/Stuff
A few thousand people turned out to the launch of the Balloons over Waikato festival at Innes Common.
“We spend three months flying across the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya during the migration of the wildebeest. We fly over the ancient city of Bagan in Myanmar, over 2200 Buddhist temples, and we recently flew in Jordan.”
Kirkman said this is his third time to Balloons over Waikato – which gives him the opportunity to catch up with whānau.
“We like coming to things like this festival because we can fly together, we don’t have to fly in the same basket so no family arguments.”
