Early morning play of colors over the Oberaargau

This morning, around 60 hot-air balloons were launched from Bleienbach airfield. Several hundred spectators of all ages did not want to miss this spectacle.  

The Bleienbach airfield came alive in the middle of the night. The balloon pilots from Switzerland and neighboring countries have already gathered at 4 a.m. for the briefing. Now they and their passengers treat themselves to refreshments in the airfield restaurant, whose operators have been making sure that those present have a warm drink and the opportunity to refresh themselves since 3am. More and more spectators join them. Including many families with children. Hot air balloon launches seem to be a motivator to get children to get up. 

Start at dawn

At dusk, the teams roll onto the runway with their trailers, test the burners and lay out the balloon envelopes. Balloons are rigged all along the runway. You can barely get a picture of all 60 of them. What the eye of the beholder sees is captured on cell phones and cameras. Soon the first envelopes are upright, pilots and passengers line up in the baskets and one balloon after the other takes off into the cloudy sky at a chilly 12 degrees.

But let the pictures do the talking - enjoy the impressions from the ground and from the air!

Pictures: Andrea Bolliger, Urs Holderegger, Chrigel Markoff