Due to slow Internet and travel days, I am behind on posting. Bob and I had a great time at the Balloon Fiesta. No, we did not get to fly, but we did crew for 6 days.
After leaving Heron Lake, we decided to drive straight through to Albuquerque--our space was available a day early. We got set up next to Sol's bigger sister who is owned by the Boomer hosts for the fiesta.
The Friday before the Balloon Fiesta begins is Albuquerque Aloft---pilots and crews take their balloons to local schools to show students what ballooning involves. Bob and I went with a group to a local elementary school. There were 2 balloons at this school. PTA sold coffee and doughnuts for the parents and it was a HUGE event. We arrived at the school at 6 a.m. to get started setting up our balloon. No, the inflated one is not ours. Ours is still zip-tied on the ground. First step after laying out the balloon is removing the straps.
Once the straps are removed, two people hold the throat of the balloon open so a big fan can blow cold air into the balloon. That is me on the left, the lines are really pulling as the fan inflates the balloon.
When the pilot determines there is enough cold air, he cuts the fan and gives it a blast of hot air--
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
If conditions are right, and they were, the balloon lifts into the air and off it goes, complete with the school's principal. Time for the chase team to start its journey trying to determine where the balloon will land. Our balloon landed in a neighborhood on the southeast side of Albuquerque. In fact, it landed in the middle of the street! Bob practiced 'weight on' to keep the balloon from going up again. We were waiting for the van with the balloon bags before laying the balloon on the street.
A woman and her son came out of their house---turns out she knows the pilot and they haven't seen each other in years. It was quite the reunion. In fact, the woman, Patricia, is in the Guinness World Book of Records for the longest belly dance in a hot air balloon!
Once the van arrived, it was time to lay it down and start the packing procedure.
That was the only time during fiesta that Bob and I got to chase. The pilot we were with for the remainder of the fiesta was very conservative about flying---his balloon is hand painted and he didn't want to take chances with wind or rain.
That afternoon, Bob and I went for a walk around Fiesta Field. It was empty!
The following morning we had to be at the field at 6 a.m. to help our pilot, Mark Whiting, with his balloon 'Big Top'. While waiting for him to arrive from the pilots' meeting, we were able to watch Dawn Patrol inflate and take off.
Then, it was time for all the other balloons to inflate! What a sight!
Of course, Bob and I had to get to work! It was not all fun and games. We helped spread a tarp on the wet ground before the pilot took the balloon out of the bag. Then we had to stretch it out and take off the straps. Next step was to make sure the lines weren't crooked and the crown was hooked to the top correctly.
Bob and I were each on the throat, so no pictures of 'Fire in the Hole!'
The circus scene is hand painted, it took 1000 hours to complete.
Yes, we got to practice 'weight on' while the pilot stayed static (didn't fly). He enjoyed talking to the kids and letting them get in the balloon. Each pilot is given trading cards which they give to people who come by the balloon. Mark gives out red noses if a child can tell him how many animals are on the balloon.
While he was doing this, I was able to get pictures of other balloons as they inflated and lifted off....
After we took 'Big Top' down, Mark took us all to breakfast at his favorite local restaurant. So, to get an idea of what we did for the balloon fiesta repeat the above for 6 days and add night glows to the mix--we had to be at the field at 5 p.m. to ready the balloon for a static night glow. We had a blast working with Mark and his crew--Vickie and Richard. But that was not all we did while at Balloon Fiesta so I will save the rest for the next post!
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