The Sky of Russia Aeronautics Festival has started in the Ryazan region

The Ryazan Region hosts the Sky of Russia Aeronautics Festival, which turned 35 this year. Hundreds of tourists visited the region to climb to the clouds in a hot air balloon.

The last preparations for the flights were carried out around 05:00 (coincides with Moscow time). 35 balloons were preparing to take off under the control of experienced pilots. Alexey Ratin, one of the balloon managers, shared that he had once skydived. According to him, it took him a long time to get used to such activities.

"Extreme sports are more present in parachuting, it was a bit boring here, I think, but what about the dashing turns and stuff. And then I realized that the calmness of the flight was something contemplative, and I got carried away," Ratin said.

Every year, new routes are created for the festival, as well as new balloonists are introduced. Vasily Kotchenko, a professional athlete and balloon pilot, shared that at first it was unclear to him how it all worked, since the balloon did not have a rudder.

The festival successfully combined with the weather — despite the thunderstorm a few days ago, the sky turned out to be clear and the wind was weak. From a height of 200 m, there is a view of the entire Ryazan region. The balloon descends smoothly at first, and then it seems as if the balloon is flying so low that you can touch the grass with your hand. Some even celebrate their birthday on balloons.

"Today it's a gift for me, I'm 50 years old today, so you can applaud. I am happy, satisfied," said Vladimir, a participant in the flight.

Participant Anna also celebrated her birthday in flight. She made herself such a gift and met the day in the sky to be filled with energy.

The festival day does not end after the flights. The program also includes concerts, workshops, games, and outdoor recreation. All events are scheduled until August 11th. At the end, the evening glow is planned, when dozens of balls simultaneously illuminate the sky.

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Earlier that day, it became known that the balloon pilots would not only take part in the competition, where they would be able to demonstrate their skills, but also compete for the Russian Aeronautical Cup. Then Kotchenko shared that he came to Ryazan for the first time and enjoyed the views of the region on flights.

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