Hot Air Ballooning
Northam is the home of ballooning in Western Australia! Each year from April to November, you can take to the skies on a balloon flight over the picturesque Avon Valley followed by a beautiful Northam breakfast.
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Competition flights (tasks) require pilots to exercise skill in maneuvering their balloons over a set course with goals, targets, scoring areas, time and distance limits. Good results in competition tasks are achieved using the variation of winds at different altitudes to fly in the direction of a goal and accurately approach the target. Balloons do not land on the target itself. Crew members aboard the balloons drop markers onto or as close to the target as they can fly. The markers are small sandbags with streamers attached. We ask you to not touch the markers or move them as this may adversely affect the score of the pilots and their competition results.
Following the successful delivery of the 2015 and 2017 National Ballooning Championships, the skies of Northam will again be filled with hot air balloons between 6th - 13th May 2023 for the 23rd Australian National Championships, and again between 2nd - 9th September 2023 for the 5th Women's World Hot Air Ballooning Championships.
23rd Australian National Championships
- Practice Flights: Sat/Sun 6th/7th May, 2023
- Competition Flights: Mon 8th May - Sat 13th May, 2023
5th FAI Women's World Hot Air Ballooning Championship:
- Practice Flights: Sat/Sun 2nd/3rd Sept, 2023
- Competition Flights: Mon 4th Sept - Sat 9th Sept, 2023
23rd Australian National Championships
The Shire of Northam will be delivering a number of unique ballooning themed activities during the Championships including the exciting "Elevate" Community festival on Saturday 6th May 2023, which includes the visually spectacular ‘Balloon Night Glow’. Along with ‘The History of Ballooning’ display at the Northam Visitor Centre, a Ballooning Photographic Gallery, and a Star Gazing event. Hear Aboriginal cultural stories of the night sky followed by a "Beginner's Guide to Astronomy" and a closer look through telescopes as you travel back in time.
Shire of Northam President Cr Chris Antonio said “Northam is Australia’s premier hot air ballooning destination. This exciting and prestigious event adds another reason to visit the Avon Valley region and explore beautiful Ballardong country as well as all that the town of Northam has to offer". The Shire of Northam congratulates the organising committee ‘Northam Ballooning Events’ for the outstanding work they have done to secure these events.
5th FAI Women's World Hot Air Ballooning Championship
Thousands of spectators are expected to make the easy journey from Perth to Northam to witness the colourful vista of balloons at dawn and again in the late afternoons from several vantage points as the pilots complete a series of scored tasks.
Balloons will be in flight on practice days on 2 and 3 September, followed by five competition days showcasing the pilots’ precise skill and technique at varying winds and altitudes. Flights are weather dependent and will be confirmed on the day of competition. Spectators should follow the Northam Balloon Events social media for flight updates.
Kicking off the excitement will be the Northam Festival of Ballooning on Saturday 2 September – a tailor-made music, entertainment, and international food festival hosted by the Shire of Northam. The festival will incorporate the Championship’s Opening Ceremony and official welcome to competitors, as well as ballooning demonstrations, inflation and night glow.
The 5th FIA Women’s World Hot Air Ballooning Championship is organised by Northam Ballooning Events and supported by Tourism WA, Shire of Northam, Bendigo Bank Northam Branch and Windward Balloon Adventures.
History of Hot Air Ballooning
Hot air ballooning came to Northam in April 1977 when members of the Hong Kong Balloon and Airship Club were looking for a location to set altitude, distance and duration records for hot air balloons. Northam was chosen as their preferred site to set these records because it was within close proximity to Perth, one of their regular flight destinations and offered a sheltered valley perfect for ballooning with open farmland being ideal for safe landings.
In the early 1900s people became more interested in powered flight with the invention of the aeroplane in 1903, and ballooning became less popular and faded into the background.
The revival of the hot air balloon was pioneered by an American, Ed Yost. He was commissioned by the American Air Force to come up with a lighter than air lifting device for military application. Yost had made tethered flights in 1955 using a balloon made from plastic film and burning kerosene.
Ballooning became popular again after Yost made the first free flight of a modern hot air balloon in 1960, he developed the propane burner (resulting in a controllable and economical method of heating air inside the balloon), using light weight fabrics. This was the beginning of the modern hot air balloon which quickly emerged as a new and popular sport around the world.
In August 1980 the Western Australian Balloon and Airship Club (WABAC) was created. WABAC along with the Northam Aero Club jointly organised to host two National Ballooning Championships at Northam in 1981 and 1984. The National Ballooning Championships were then hosted again in Northam in 2015 and 2017.
1977 to present: Ballooning in Northam
In August 1980 the Western Australian Balloon and Airship Club (WABAC) was created. WABAC along with the Northam Aero Club jointly organised to host two National Ballooning Championships at Northam in 1981 and 1984. The National Ballooning Championships were then hosted again in Northam in 2015 and 2017.
Ballooning Records
Since 1977 there has been a number of significant hot air ballooning records which were achieved at or from Northam.
The Shire of Northam would like to acknowledge the achievement of the hot air ballooning pilots listed below: