Oct 12 Albuquerque, #1

While in Santa Fe we watched the weather closely, and it looked like Saturday might be rainy.  We got up early on Friday and drove to ABQ from Santa Fe, arriving at the Balloon Fiesta grounds a little after 6am.  By the time we inched into the parking area and walked the half mile to the actual balloon area, it was about 6:30.  It was still pretty dark, but the Dawn Patrol balloons were already in the air.

At the Balloon Fiesta the spectators are in among the balloons.  You're right there as they layout and inflate the balloons.

 The first daylight flight with the National Anthem

 More balloons begin to inflate

 And they begin taking off

 Rainbow Ryders provided paying customers with a bucket list trip

 Eventually there were hundreds of balloons in the air

 They inflate the balloons with an industrial fan, which is what's happening below, then fire the burner into the inflated bag to make it rise.

 There was a Special Shapes Rodeo this morning.  This is Arabella.  She didn't fly (she did on Saturday) but was on static display all morning.

 When Pigs Fly

 A koala with a really great registration number -- G-DAAY

 Star Wars

 Looks like Van Gogh, but he has both ears here.  I guess the hot air would leak out if they made it true to life

 You could buy this balloon, Mr. Fish, for $33,300 according to flyers posted along the food midway.  I don't know what all you get for your money, but there's a lot of support equipment necessary for the basic balloonist.

 Rocket J. Squirrel.  No sign of Bullwinkle.

 Tom & Jerry

 For the round balloons there was a competition.  They flew several miles away then returned and attempted to fling a hula hoop sized ring around the white poles erected on the field.  Since the balloons have no ability to move any direction except up and down, navigating to a particular point is pretty incredible.  Albuquerque has a phenomena known as the Albuquerque Box, caused by the surrounding mountains, where winds move one way down low, and the other way up higher.  Several pilots actually got a ringer while we watched.