Albuquerque Baloon Fiesta! (Pics)

Those are great pictures.  One of these days we're going to arrange to be in Albuquerque visiting the in-laws when this is going on and I'll be able to see it.  My SIL told me it's really the most amazing thing to watch.

Joyce

I just love how you can just walk around all the balloon and be right next to them as they unpack the balloon, inflate it and then launch.  Here are a few more pics I just finished scanning:

Oooohhhh, I was there several years ago.  I worked for Air Force Reserve Medical Recruiting and we actually had our own (leased) balloon and we got to go up in it.  It was the most awesome experience!!  We went up just as the sun was rising and the view was  beautiful.  Landing was pretty scary though and it was fortunate I didn't consider "what goes up, must come down" before we took off [].   The "special shape" balloons were amazing..  

Ah, yes. I've seen 20 years worth of Balloon Fiesta!

The best one is the big cow balloon from the dairy. When I lived in the South Valley the Cow flew RIGHT OVER the back yard and the dogs just went NUTS trying to get that BIG DOG!

[sm=lol.gif] at the giant Alpo hot air balloon! 

I'd love to see that someday.  Thanks for the pics!

Awwww!  The cow!  I was on a chase crew for him about 5 years ago!  It takes something like a team of 20 to 30 to get that thing up in the air and bring it down.  When it lands everyone has to circle it and grab onto a leg so it doesn't tear as it lands.

I did a bit of case crewing a few years back.  Every regular morning in Albuquerque there are at least 15 balloons in the air.  My friend's dad was a professional pilot who flew every morning for tourist so when they needed an extra hand I would go along.  I've got to ride twice when there was some extra room in the gondola, it's so amazing!


The Albuquerque "Box" is what makes this place so special to fly balloons.  There are 4 different altitude at which the wind blows in a different direction one blows north the other south and the others east and west so pilots can acutely control the direction they want their balloon to fly buy moving it up or down.  Some can even land in the same place they take off from if they are that talented.

ORIGINAL: Roxie865

[sm=lol.gif] at the giant Alpo hot air balloon! 

I'd love to see that someday.  Thanks for the pics!

The Alpo dog food can took me by surprise also.  My photo does it no good.  In real life it looks like a real can of dog food just floating in the air, even has the shine a real can would have.

Here is a website about that balloon, they even have a dog on the crew. [linkhttp://events.purina.com/alpoballoon/index.aspx]http://events.purina.com/alpoballoon/index.aspx[/link]

Some can even land in the same place they take off from if they are that talented.

We landed in what I think was rock quarry.  It was pretty windy and it took awhile to quit skipping along in the basket.  I thought we were going to be swept back up but several other crews ran over and helped hold us down. 

Sadly, on the drive back with the chase crew, we all saw a balloon get sliced from the basket by some electrical wires.  It was a horrible thing to see and had I seen it before we went up, I'd have passed on the opportunity.  I think the pilot was from Napa and only had one other guy in the basket with him. 

I've never been in Albuquerque at the right time:-((
But, my cousin lives in Corrales - maybe someday....  Anyway, love the Alpo can!  Thanks for sharing.

Wow. That's really neat Xebby. I've only been to Albuquerque once before, July of 2004 when we moved from Maryland to here (California), but it's really beautiful. I really liked it. It was almost sunset on our way in, so the hills were all glowing. It was so pretty.

I've always wanted to go to this rally - what a sight it must be.  I think my company usually has balloons at this event.  Did you see any Wells Fargo balloons?  They used to have a giant piggy bank and I think a stage coach?
 
Thanks for the pictures - fun to look at!

I've seen both of them, LisaMarie, many times. []

If you go to ABQ we BOTH have to go to the fiesta together!

If you go to ABQ we BOTH have to go to the fiesta together!

 
I'd have it no other way!

I remember the the giant piggy[]

When I was there on Saterday the stage coach didn't go up because the weather wasn't right. Most specal shapes didn't make it in the air that day because of that reason. Most were inflated but could not get off the ground. I think it had something to do with the air on the outside being too warm for thoes type of balloons. I hope they have better luck on other days of the fiesta, thoes are the fun ones to watch in the air.