Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: Balloon Flight

By Laci in New Mexico, Travel Tales on
30 comments

During October the International Balloon Fiesta took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you ever get the chance go. There were 550 registered balloon pilots.

Our first morning at the fiesta was the morning that we were scheduled to go up in a balloon. I’d had this planned for months, done and paid for the moment we decided to go to the fiesta.  We went with a company called Rainbow Ryders and there were 600 people on the waiting list and all the balloon flight for every day of the festival were booked solid. Balloon and flags

We had to be at Balloon Fiesta Park by 5am; we were up at 3:15 and there by 4:30. There was no way we were missing this. Just FYI, if you do ever fly with Rainbow Ryders it is totally worth it to get the Ryder’s Club upgrade. They feed you and there is coffee along with a heated tent, totally worth it. We were nervous, I’ll admit but nerves weren’t enough to stop us from flying if we could.

Our flight was scheduled to take off at 7am, around dawn, but the wind was not in our favor. If it is too windy the balloons cannot fly, it is not save. Finally around 7:30 we got the green flag and were able to get going. The balloon crew and chase crew were awesome people who were happy to talk and answer all of our questions. The dawn patrol did not go up the morning we did, it was too windy but the balloon of the day did fly, testing the winds for the rest of us.

Floating Head

Take off was interesting, as soon as the envelope (real name for the actual balloon) starts to stand up they tell you to climb into the basket and you have to climb in fast. There were 12 of us passengers and the pilot in thee balloon. Yes it was cramped but not too badly. Take off was smooth, you could barely feel it. Note: the directors on the field are called Zebras, they are pretty much air traffic control for ballooning. They all coordinate the take offs so that balloons don’t take off too close together or other dangerous situations.

The flight itself was breath taking. I’d do it again in a heart beat. So many balloons going up around us and the sky was blue with not a cloud to be seen.  I was standing under the blowers and yes they are loud (as you will hear in the video) but my spot was perfect because I was able to talk to our balloon pilot. Black and White Balloons

Landing was its own animal, it was a blast but it was rough. To land the basket bounces and the ground on specially built skids and the pilot pulls the internal parachute in the balloon to release all the hot air. We loved the landing and were laughing ourselves silly.

We landed on the Indian reservation that is near Albuquerque. It took a while for our chase crew to reach us because they are required to be escorted by the reservation police and 40 balloons landed on the reservation that day. By the time they got to us we had helped the pilot to layout the envelope and get the basket on the road. We learned while waiting that all balloons are up to aviation standard and must be inspected every year or after every 100 hours of flight.

I hope that you all enjoy this video, you can hear my questions to the pilot and some amusing radio chatter. I hope that you enjoy it and that you have a great Wednesday!

Photos by KW PhotographySignature 1

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Published by Laci

Texas born, I grew up hunting and fishing. Now I love travel and cooking, a good beer and a great story. People are their stories and I hope to share mine. I have a ridiculously adorable canine companion named Bear, a supportive family, and a wonderful husband.

30 comments on “Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: Balloon Flight”

  1. What a great video! We have a lot of hot air balloons during spring and summer in the area where I live on the east coast. Sometimes they come right over our house (very low too – we can hear them talking) and sometimes they have landed in our yards or on other streets in our development. It’s very pretty to see them from the ground, though I’ve never been up in one!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you for commenting and watching! This was my first trip up in one and it was amazing.

      When looking for the right place to land they can be low for a while. If you get the chance, fly in one. The experience is fantastic.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I love balloons when I see them floating across the skies in all their splendor and bright colors.I have never been up in one but it is on my bucket list. Great post enjoyed the video.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Hi Laci! The photos of the balloon festival brought back memories of when I took my son to one in New Jersey. The winds were too high that early morning so the flights were canceled. It was still a good day because we were able to get inside one of the grounded balloons. It was so cool. Thanks for the photos.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. What an amazing video. Great variety of balloons and attractions. I really enjoyed the video. It was fun watching the sky fill up with all different colours and shapes of balloons. I could feel your excitement and curiosity in the video.
    Adding the balloon Fiesta in my bucket list. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful experience.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Wow, this experience definitely goes on my bucket list! I am afraid of heights, so it will be fun to see how much I freak out, or if I freak out at all. But I definitely would love to go… How much time in advance you advice booking it and planning it?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The fiesta is really popular. I would suggest booking everything at least 6 months in advance. Hotels, car rental, balloon flight. The fiesta tickets you can get on the grounds but I do recommend getting to the Balloon Park before the gates open.

      Liked by 1 person

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