by : Svatava Svihlikova

A Balloon Show was held in Svratouch recently. Great many visitors came to see the picturesque launches and flights of balloons in the first week of August. Thanks to beautiful weather all the thirteen planned flights took place, which - as many told us - had not happened at any fiesta for a long time. Everybody went home satisfied, both visitors and crews, who came not only from all over the Czech Republic but also from Slovakia, Denmark, Slovenia and the USA.

Event Poster. Made by Ivo Stepanek, Czech "naive" artist.

Beside the fiesta, the 3rd round of the Balloon Cup Competition of the Czech Republic was held in excellent conditions of the area. There were ten tasks to be completed in four different flights. Ranking among the first three pilots were 1. Pavel Merinsky, 2. Jan Krizek, 3. Pavel Kostrhun. The unofficial results of this year's cup, not counting in participation in competitions abroad, were 1. Pavel Merinsky, 2. Michael Suchy, 3. Pavel Kostrhun.

People who came to see the Balloon Show could engage in many different activities all day long. There was entertainment, including a Fair of Trades, competitions for children and adults, an internet centre, organised and free activities in the open nature.

The event culminated on Saturday when, in addition to the above, owners of spectacular vintage cars and motorcycles from all over the country met in Svratouch. More ultra-light aeroplanes than in the preceding week could be seen at the local airfield specially made for the occasion. Both football fans and players enjoyed enormously the match between a team of Czech journalists and an international team of balloonists in which the journalists, who proved to be a better trained team, beat the balloonists 7:4.