KUALA TERENGGANU, Sept 7 — Malaysia’s first female hot air balloon pilots, Izzati and Atiqah Khairudin will embark on their first hot air balloon expedition in over nine states in Peninsular Malaysia come this September till October.

After an epic launch at Putrajaya, the "Balloon Sisters” are now embarking on their East Coast expedition to Terengganu. Through Life on Air, an initiative from AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd, the sisters want to educate and expose the public to the gentle giants in their natural environment. 

Their arrival at Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuala Terengganu for a balloon workshop along with their crew members was met by a group of 60 enthusiastic students who had gathered at the school field to set sights on 9M-AKA. The weather, while sunny and clear, was too windy for the balloon to be up for too long.

Izzati however was not easily discouraged.

"It’s not a let down, to be honest. In fact, it is a good way to demonstrate the nature of the balloon so that they can understand that in some circumstances, too much wind is not ideal for this aircraft, especially when it is tethered to the ground.” explains Izzati.

Usually seen on display in Putrajaya and Penang Fest, hot air balloons are still very foreign to many Malaysians who have never seen them in the "real world”.

The sisters often take turns to pilot the balloon, and Atikah stressed that teamwork is very important in ensuring each flight is successful.

"When we fly, we are very dependent on a lot of things. We need help from our ground crews, input from the Department of Civil Aviation, the locals, especially when we fly somewhere unfamiliar. Balloons are also submissive towards the weather, so safety is always number one. Eventually you will realise that you don’t just make it on your own. It’s about teamwork and cooperation.”

Heavy rain yesterday morning clearly did not dampen the sisters’ spirits. Attempting for a free-flying session, the team then head over to a field in Bukit Payong and set their balloon while it drizzled. It finally stopped, just before the balloon was fully inflated.

Up in the air with ‘local hero’ Abdul Aziz Yusof. — Picture courtesy of Life on Air

Abdul Aziz Yusof, a local hero from Marang was selected to fly with the sisters. His work with the Fishery Department has kept him close to the sea, and he is well-known in the local surfer community. He uses photography to bring tourists and surfers to come to Terengganu during the monsoon season, and firmly believe that conservation of nature happens when people start to appreciate it.

"The best waves come when the coral reefs break the waves,” he explained. "When people who start surfing realise this, they take the extra mile to make sure not to harm those reefs so that they can enjoy good waves when they surf. It is not easy to get people to share the same values when they do not see what is "in it” for them.”

The sisters will be visiting schools in selected states to host balloon workshops.

The sisters will be visiting several states to bring awareness about hot air balloons to members of the public.

To find out more information on the expedition, visit www.lifeonair.asia and #LifeOnAirMY on Facebook and Twitter. A live feed is available on Youtube and Snapchat, @LifeOnAir.