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| Watching crews inflate hot air balloons is a hoot |
Seeing a PBS television special about this
amazing event held annually each October since 1971 in New Mexico peaked our
interest to make it a destination on our bucket list. The hot air balloon
fiesta is the largest of its kind in North America with over 500 balloonists
participating. It is an international event that has entries participating from
countries all over the world from Europe to Asia.
In early January we booked
reservations for dry camping space in the Standard RV lot amongst 1800 other
rigs near the Balloon Fiesta
Park for two weeks. This is almost as close to a tailgate rv
party as one can get. We set up lawn chairs, the BBQ, and a table outside for added enjoyment like other folks.
Our friends Bruce and Maria Wallace drove down from the
Bay Area and joined us in the motor home to share in the week’s balloon fiesta.
What brave souls each of us were rising to the alarm clock at 4:30 am to head
off in the dark amongst thousands of spectators to watch the morning dawn
patrol illuminate in the sky. RV shuttle buses ran folks daily to and from all the
morning and evening events which was most convenient.
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| 5:45 Dawn Patrol balloonists take flight |
Everything depends upon weather conditions
whether balloons will go up or not each day. The Dawn Patrol pilots take off in
the dark at 5:45 am and fly until it is light enough to see landing sites.
Fellow balloonists appreciate the Dawn Patrol because they can watch the
balloons and get an early idea of wind speeds and directions at different
altitudes.
During Mass Ascensions, balloons launch in two
waves. Launch directors, also known as Zebras, because of their
black-and-white-striped outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch
so balloons leave the field in a safe and coordinated manner.
What a
magnificent sight it is to watch hundreds of colorful hot air balloons floating
in the air.
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| A morning Mass Ascension |
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| Spectators can walk on the field amongst the balloons |
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| JR climbs atop our Chateau motorhome to enjoy a morning mass ascension overhead |
With thousands of attendees, the Special Shape Rodeo brings non-traditionally
shaped hot air balloons together for a morning of flying. The whimsical
event includes a variety of shapes, such as animals (a pig, dairy cow, lion,
and panda), famous characters (Darth Vader, Smokey the Bear, Spidey Pig, and
Humpty Dumpty), and even massive bugs, like the family of bees and an out of
this world butterfly.
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| Dark Vader and 9/11 Fire fighter are amongst a variety of special shapes |
Balloon Glows (Twilight Twinkle Glow™ and
Night Magic Glow™) is a tremendously popular event. Balloonists participating
in Balloon Fiesta gather on the field after sunset. Pilots inflate balloons and
fire their burners simultaneously, or flicker their fires for a twinkle effect.
With hundreds of balloons on the field lit together like ornaments, it is a
spectacular sight at night. On select nights, after glow fireworks are launched
from the side of the field to conclude the Balloon Fiesta balloon glows. The
fireworks are free to watch with admission, and guests are allowed to bring
lawn chairs to watch the fireworks from anywhere on the field.
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| Inflating the envelope |
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| Basket fuel tanks |
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| Pilots flicker their balloons but don't rise during a Night Glow event |
Highly
Competitive Field Set for 17th America’s Challenge of Gas Balloons this year
was an exciting event one morning session. JR and Bruce enjoyed them with
interest. Five balloon teams representing three nations and
featuring some of the world’s greatest gas balloonists lifted off. They
left the field in Albuquerque heading for Georgia before turning onward to
Washington, D.C.
Another
morning we all watch the Race Competitions flying over the Fiesta Park field.
Balloonists had three target areas to toss a streamer shot marker down as they
pass over ahead with their colorful inflated balloon (known as the envelope) and basket. It is fun to watch the Balloon Fiesta
Launch Directors (ZEBRAS) who take their jobs very seriously. These
dedicated volunteers have had hours of training before going on the field to
coordinate a balloon launch. They handle crowd control, observe pilots
, and work with them to get their balloons safely off the ground every morning
during Balloon Fiesta.
What a wonderful nine days of excitement filled with terrific memories. The camaraderie shared amongst the Wallaces, some full timer new RV friends Earl and Dot and ourselves added to the good time for everyone as well. The Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is a must do for your bucket list.
