Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Memorable Trip of a Lifetime

Story by STEVE TRAIMAN
Photos by Bonnie & Steve Traiman

Your feature editor and wife Bonnie’s October 6-9 trip to the 49^th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® was the fulfillment of a long–time bucket list item and one of the most memorable. Getting home was another story!

The Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 as the highlight of a 50th birthday celebration for 770 KOB Radio station, according to Wikipedia. Manager Dick McKee asked Sid Cutter, owner of Cutter Flying Service and the first person to own a hot air balloon in New Mexico, if KOB could use his new balloon as part of the festivities. 

The two began discussing ballooning, along with conversation and help from Oscar Kratz, and McKee asked what the largest gathering of hot air balloons to date had been19 balloons in England, Cutter replied. Kratz asked “Can we get 19 here?” Cutter got commitments from 21 pilots, but bad weather kept some of them away. The first fiesta ended up as a gathering of 13 balloons on April 8, 1972, sponsored by KOB. 

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The first event was located in a 13-acre parking lot of the Coronado Center Shopping Mall with 20,000 spectators and with balloonists from Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Texas taking part. The first fiesta incorporated a “Roadrunner-Coyote Balloon Race” (a “hare-and-hounds” race elsewhere in the world) with one balloon being the “Roadrunner’ and the others being the “Coyote” balloons (the “Roadrunner” balloon had likenesses of both Warner Bros. characters). 

The next year Albuquerque hosted the first World Hot-Air Balloon Championships in February and the fiesta became an international event. In 1975 Albuquerque was looking at hosting the World Championships again, but the event was scheduled for October. So, the fiesta was moved to correspond with the championships. To maintain interest in Albuquerque’s bid to host the championships, a balloon rally was held in February of that year. Autumn being a far better flying time than February, the event has remained in early October to the present day.

The Balloon Fiesta grew each year for decades, and today is the largest balloon competition in the world. The number of registered balloons reached a peak of 1,019 in 2000, and today is about 1,000. On any given day up to 100,000 spectators may be on the launch field where they are provided the rare opportunity to observe inflation and take off procedures. Countless more people gather at landing sites all over the city to watch incoming balloons. 

Balloon Fiesta Park is 365 acres, with golf carts the popular transport mode, and the Launch Field is about 65 acres—comparable to about 54 football fields and custom-designed for the largest balloon fest anywhere. It also hosts the International Balloon Museum with many historic balloons and exhibits from around the world.  

Like most public gatherings in 2020, the 49th edition Balloon Fiesta  was postponed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Our Trip Aloft

Very early Thursday, Oct. 7, we got to the Fiesta Grounds and found our way to Rainbow Ryders, the premier and largest hot air balloon business serving the Southwest since 1983, with 40 balloons in its fleet. Their pilots have flown more than 50,000 hours, serving more than half a million passengers. All the pilots are FAA-certified and have nearly 200 years of combined experience,  and the company is the only “Covid Safe Practice Certified” balloon ride company.

Pilot expertise and commitment to safety are two important reasons why Rainbow Ryders has been the official hot air balloon ride provider for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® since 1999. Its founder and president Scott Appelman was the originator and organizer of the Fiesta’s Balloon Glow from 1987 – 1992, an event that is one of the most popular today. He also organized the event’s Special Shapes Rodeo and Albuquerque Aloft and won the Heritage Award from the Albuquerque Fiesta as well as the Tourism Hall of Fame award from the Tourism Assn. of America.

Our pilot was, a former Air Force pilot who flies the largest balloon basket holding a dozen riders. Our group then assisted in blowing up our balloon, done with giant fans and propane burners. There are foot openings on the basket sides but it’s so high that Bonnie had to be picked up and dropped into the basket. Our pilot explained that before we could take off, the Dawn Patrol pilots take off before sunrise and fly until it is light enough to see landing sites. They watch the balloons and get an early idea of wind speeds and directions at different altitudes and approve weather for launch, checking wind speed as maximum is 10 mph to take off. 

Then, 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 – clearing the way of spectators and volunteers so each balloon can inflate and straighten up for take-off.  The first wave of the mass ascension that we were in left before 7 am, the time of Albuquerque’s sunrise in early October.

Our pilot took us up with almost 500 other balloons in all sizes and shapes, including a swan, dragon, cow, beagle, Uncle Sam face, pig, carousel, and pumpkin among others. He then took us up about 2,000 feet so we were above the other balloons, and did several 360-degree turns so we could see all the balloons and surrounding landscape including the majestic Sandia Mountains. 

There is no more feeling of peace and tranquility than floating high above the earth, overcoming any fear you may have of heights or coaster rides. After a great hour aloft, we landed on the rim of a local golf course and were treated to a traditional champagne ceremony, plus personalized certificates of our flight and coveted Rainbow Ryder flight pins.

This was our sixth time up on a balloon, previously in California, Arizona, Florida, and France, and certainly one of the most  unforgettable experiences.

The next night we were at the exclusive Gondola Club for the “Glowdeo” that is a night glow for the balloons that are lighted as they go aloft. However, wind conditions kept the balloons anchored but we enjoyed a series of “Charges” as the propane burners were turned on to light up the balloons. We were then treated to a quartet of Fastrax Skydivers, who set off fireworks from their boots as they parachuted to the ground! This was followed by a great firework display to close a wonderful evening. 

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

In between our visits to the Balloon Fiesta Grounds, we had a chance to visit the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, founded in 1978 and operated by the 19 Pueblo tribes in New Mexico. It includes a museum and gallery space, kitchen and dining room, gift shop and outside courtyard that offers authentic Pueblo artifacts sold by their designers, and traditional dances from local Pueblo groups, including the Tiwa who performed that afternoon.

Among the interesting facts we learned: A Pueblo is a tribal nation and a body of land under a tribal governmental structure and a community of related people … There are 19 Pueblos in NM: Acoma, Cochiti, Isieta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Ojkey Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia and Zuni … A  Pueblo Feast Day celebrates an important date in the life of each Pueblo’s patron saint, celebrated in dances, ceremonial meals and prayer.

Most exciting, we saw photos of the custom balloon designed by Center artisans in fall 2020 as a proud ambassador for the Center and the 19 Pueblos. It features a unique Pueblo-inspired design and is named “Eyhane On The  Horizon” as Eyanhne means “Blessing” in Keres, one the five official languages. It flew close to us this year.

We spent a wonderful four hours at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, meeting and talking to many local artisans with their jewelry, pottery, and weaving, and had a very interesting, enriching and enlightening experience.

Unfortunately, our trip ended on a discouraging note as we were caught in the Southwest Airlines situation that canceled hundreds of flights and left over 31,000 passengers around the U.S. stranded in airports. It took two extra days to get home – eventually on a direct flight from Austin, Texas, to Tampa – but we would not let it take the edge off what was one of our most memorable trips in our almost 59 years of marriage.

[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Wikipedia; Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Rainbow Ryders and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center staff, for their vital assistance and excellent comments.]

[Feature editor Steve Traiman is president of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman, providing professional business writing services since 1993. He can be reached via email to traimancreativecopy@gmail.com or by phone to 727-363-7531.]