Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Heritage Committee

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781467117197
• eBook ISBN: 9781439657454
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

From its humble beginning in 1972 when 13 hot-air balloons ascended from an Albuquerque shopping center parking lot to a stunning annual gathering of 500-plus aeronauts, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta lives on as the most-photographed air show on the planet. As you page through this book, imagine yourself going along for the ride and soaring to new heights. Or if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, imagine yourself strolling among hundreds of swaying giants, seemingly lost in a dizzying kaleidoscope of color. Join in the camaraderie that draws pilots and fans to Albuquerque from all over the world. You will find yourself mesmerized by the Balloon Fiesta's signature events and its spirited competition among hot-air balloon pilots. As an added attraction, step back in time to when hydrogen-gas balloons once graced Albuquerque skies and enjoy the fascinating world of silent flight, the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race.

One

AN OVERVIEW OF
THE FIESTA

Many phrases have been used to illustrate and explain what exemplifies the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, including “A Carnival in the Sky,” a “Visual Feast,” “Floating Color and Magic,” and “Balloons Galore.” This chapter presents an introduction to some of the smaller featured events within the main event. Although the first balloons in Albuquerque were powered by coal gas and hydrogen, the invention of the modern hot air balloon in the early 1960s created the possibility for any person with a few thousand dollars to own a balloon and fly it using a relatively cheap fuel source—propane.

Similar to airplanes, helicopters, blimps, and virtually anything else that flies, balloons are classified by the Federal Aviation Administration as aircraft, and as such, they must be constructed, registered, maintained, and repaired in accordance with strict federal standards. Balloon pilots must be trained and certified by FAA-certified instructors, and all balloon events must be safe and run by experienced balloonists.

The main Balloon Fiesta event in the early 1970s featured the inflation, flying, and deflation of hot air balloons, sometimes in all-together launches, sometimes in simple competitions. The man behind all this was Sid Cutter. In the mid-1970s, the mayor of Albuquerque, Harry Kinney, stepped in to help save the Balloon Fiesta and help form the embryo of the organization that exists today. The Balloon Fiesta’s Balloon Glows, Special Shapes, Dawn Patrol, competitions of various sorts, mass ascensions, and more came later.

Here we go!

—Tom McConnell

The first Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was held in April 1972 at a large, then unoccupied field that was the site of a future expansion of a retail shopping mall. Sid Cutter collected 13 balloons from around the United States for a race. Aviation legend Don Piccard took first place, and his wife, Willie, took second place. (Dick Brown.)

In February 1973, the first World Hot Air Balloon Championship was held at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. This was also the second Balloon Fiesta hosted by Sid Cutter. The festival included 142 balloons from around the world. Dennis Floden, from Michigan, became the first world hot air balloon champion. (Tom McConnell.)

In February 1974, the third Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was held at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. This event included 111 balloons from the United States, and several other countries participated. This was the third Balloon Fiesta hosted by Sid Cutter, and again he lost money. This turn of events forced him to face the choice of either cancelling the next Balloon Fiesta or getting help from some other source. (Tom McConnell.)

Simms Field, the third launch site for the Balloon Fiesta, hosted 170 balloons in October 1975. This was also the site of the second World Hot Air Balloon Championship held in Albuquerque, hosted by the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Inc., set up by then mayor Harry Kinney to help preserve this now world-famous event. (Tom McConnell.)

Special events have been added to the main Balloon Fiesta over the years. Two such events occur either before sunrise (Dawn Patrol) or after sunset (Balloon Glow). In the Dawn Patrol event, balloons fly out of the launch field in the early morning, and the Balloon Glow happens in the early evening. This photograph shows the Dawn Patrol event against a black sky. (Paul deBerjeois.)

Balloons created in special shapes became popular in the 1980s. Scores of these are featured at Balloon Fiesta every year. The shapes and colors are left to the imagination of the owner and the engineer—and the fullness of his or her pocketbook. These actually fly more or less like normally shaped hot air balloons. (Paul deBerjeois.)

Hundreds of balloons flying over the mighty Rio Grande exemplify the spectacle of color on display for all those who live in the towns and villages of Albuquerque, Corrales, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, and Los Ranchos, as well as the pueblos of Isleta, Sandia, and Santa Ana. (Tom McConnell.)

Crowds at the launch site are huge, especially for weekend mass ascensions, Balloon Glows, and Special Shape events. It is not uncommon to have 80,000 or more people on the field at one time. (Paul deBerjeois.)

Cell phones and fancier cameras occupy the attention of most guests on the field—and all over the landscape—as balloons launch and then fly away during weekend mass ascensions or fly into the field during weekday competitions. (Paul deBerjeois.)

Children especially enjoy the carnival in the air, and they bring their moms and dads to share what they see. (Paul deBerjeois.)

Many of the competitive events involve pilots launching at least a mile away from the launch field, then maneuvering to a target and getting their own baggie very close to a target—in this case, an “X” in the center of the field. Many pilots who fly in Albuquerque are experts in this exercise, accumulating points that go toward a new truck, a motorcycle, cash, or some other prize. (Paul deBerjeois.)

Gas ballooning requires a special balloon inflated with either helium or hydrogen. This harkens back ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. An Overview of the Fiesta
• 2. Mass Ascension, Fiesta Fun-Flying, and Competition
• 3. Special and Spectacular Events
• 4. Early Days
• 5. Faces of Balloon Fiesta
• 6. Behind the Magic
• About Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Inc., and Its Heritage Committee