The Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków once again had the honour of taking part in the Małopolska Balloon Festival “Amazing Małopolska”, which took place on 27–30 March. This year’s edition was a true aerial fiesta, full of spectacular views, emotions and aviation attractions. Among the many extraordinary aircraft was our historic Yak-18, which delighted the audience both on the ground and in the air.
The Podhale sky became an arena for approximately 50 colourful balloons that majestically floated above the snow-covered Tatra peaks, Gorce mountain meadows and blue lakes. Launches took place from the airfield in Nowy Targ, Górna Równia Krupowa in Zakopane, Białka Tatrzańska and Czarny Dunajec. Participants could admire, among others, a replica of the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon, a mighty Baba Yaga, a large pink pig and the famous flying Małopolska. This year’s edition attracted crews from Poland as well as from Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Turkey and Hungary.
Among the many aerial attractions, our historic Yak-18 aircraft could not be missing. This classic Soviet training aircraft, which played a tremendous role in pilot training around the world, continues to impress with its silhouette and the characteristic sound of its radial engine. During the festival, the Yak-18 was showcased both on the ground and in flight, arousing enormous interest among aviation enthusiasts. Spectators could admire its dynamic flyover above the airfield, which became one of the highlights of the programme for fans of historic aviation.
“Amazing Małopolska” is not only about spectacular launches and flights, but also exciting balloon competitions. Over four days, thirteen events were held, such as Fly In, Hesitation Waltz, Pilot Declared Goal and Minimum Distance. The first flight took place on Thursday (27 March), while Friday morning flights had to be cancelled due to strong wind. Despite this, the following days provided incredible experiences, and pilots competed in morning and afternoon flights. After tallying the points, the winner of the festival was Przemysław Mościcki from the Leszno Balloon Club, who scored 8,728 points. Second place went to Rita Becz from Hungary (8,647 points), and third to Szabolcs Garab, also from Hungary (8,630 points). We warmly congratulate all participants!
We are delighted that we could be part of this exceptional event and showcase our flying exhibit in such beautiful scenery. We sincerely thank the organisers and all festival participants for unforgettable moments. We are already looking forward to the next edition! See you at “Amazing Małopolska” next year!
We invite you to view the gallery of our exceptional flying exhibit – the Yak-18:
Photos by: Dariusz Wesołowski, Agata Łukaszyk
