Over 400 hot air balloons took to the skies during the Grand Est Mondial Air Balloons (or Great East) festival in Chambley-Bussieres, France late last month.
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Organizers said the colorful, biennial event was the biggest international event in the world with a record of 456 balloons filing into order during festival.
Photo:Reuters
Participants attempted to break the 2017 record, although it seemed as if this may have to wait for the 2021 festival.
Photo:Reuters
Though no records were broken during the three-day festival on July 30, aviators did set the bar higher for future competitors, opting to use eco-friendly biopropane to power their majestic balloons.
Photo:Reuters
The biopropane was made from recycled industrial and vegetable oil products.
Photo:Reuters
Some 360,000 people visited the visual event to admire the wide array of flying machines.
Photo:Reuters
The international affair was established in 1989 by Philippe Buron-Pilatre, and has debuted as many as 1,000 hot air balloons.
Photo:Reuters
The event draws hundreds of thousands to the abandoned U.S. air base in Chambley-Bussieres each year.
Photo:Reuters
Other events await enthusiasts such as model balloon night show, star observations, two daily mass launches, as well as a host of entertainment, activities and exhibitions.
Photo:Reuters
Two temporary cities are constructed for the event as well as camping areas for visitors.
Photo:Reuters
Not too far from the encampment is the Aéromusée Pilâtre de Rozier, where the history of air balloons is explained and displayed in the array of artefacts kept there.
Photo:Reuters
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