After a total of ten days of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta I just want to lay up and rest.
I commend those that travel to New Mexico and have to travel back home. We do enjoy your visiting as family that just live elsewhere. We wish you could be here all the time to fly around in the skies over Albuquerque. Get home safely, get some rest, relax, prepare for next year.
Normally for those that are unaware of the events of the last ten days I can put it down here. First though let me say this. Normally we have a break somewhere due to weather. Be it rain, wind, snow, or other weather symptoms. This year... none.
Fiesta starts for me around Wednesday with the new evening registration. Thursday is the day to prepare by purchasing food and drink for four or so days. Ice is a three day thing. Then there is the equipment and other items that have to be prepared. A very long list.
Friday morning at 6am we are off to a school selected by ourselves or AIBF to show the children what ballooning is and then fly off. Didn't happen his year. Had a turning vent bind so couldn't launch. Did talk to the kids for quite a while and fix the line. Saturday through Sunday we get up around 3am and leave the house about 5ish loaded with crew and equipment for the field. Brief is at 615am and we launch when we are told. Monday through Friday we leave the house a little later. Give or take waiting for crew to show up or forgetting them and having to return to pick them up.. woops.
After ballooning we normally return to the field to tailgate, swap stories of the flight and visit with friends. When we are just too tired to talk ( hah ) we head home to unload, restock and prep for the next day. In the years past there is a nap in there somewhere. None this year. Terrible!
Highlights of this year.
The winds were for the most part South in an arc of 90 to 100 degrees. It was so unpredictable as to be un-guessable. The first day ( Saturday ) I had picked out about 7 different landing places based on the wind flow. It ended up being the middle one and that only by quickly adjusting height and dropping like a rock towards it.
On Friday the winds changed and headed somewhat Northerly. We were able to get two runs into the river on Friday. One was a miss since the wind was quick and I didn't go out past the river far enough before dropping into it. Second try was after I saw two friends low and heading back to the river and decided I had enough fuel to drop in on them and try for the river again. We did. It was fun. Got bumped by the Annony balloon just over tree top level. We waved and took pictures of each other before heading through a gap in the trees and into the river. After we lifted back off the water I found a nice little level of Southeast wind to take me almost back to the field.
Saturday was more of the same but weirder. I took an experienced crew member because as I expected we would end up on the Pueblo and be there under less than fun circumstances for a while. That all came true. We did get past the river. We did get bumped off the river cycle by another balloon. They seemed to want a close look at my basket and I refused to let them get near enough. It was trying. I was glad I had two very experienced eyes because it was that close. I had my racers speed to remove myself from the area.
Due to that, we missed our window to get down to the river there. We headed North and the winds hooked us back to the river much farther North than I ever like. We dropped in.. Splashed.. visited with some wonderful kayaks and then found ourselves stuck over the Pueblo. We landed and for about forty minuted we swung and swayed while other balloons dropped in around us. We did visit with some nice cows but in the end had to lay the envelope down and wait for the crew to walk two fields to us. Overall we were out in that field for ages. The Pueblo police and people were fantastic as usual. Due to the amount of balloons in the same area and the tourists stopping on the roads it was forever getting off and back to the field.
Fiesta was overall fantastic. A few problems here and there. I only flew veteran crew who could take a bump or bruise or sit in a field forever without going bonkers and I did take two others. One very nice guy who could take a hit and walk away smiling and the father of a crew-member on probably the best and softest day possible.... I think that was Tuesday.
Of the 6 days flown five of them we were caught out of the sky by the crew. The one day we didn't it was crazy winds and a cow field. LOL. A few we were going to fly at the end of the week we didn't get to because of those crazy winds. Unfortunate but that's Fiesta. You can hope to fly but like the last day ( Sunday ) ( Today ) we are at the mercy of the weather.
365 days till the next Fiesta. Many things to do. Many modifications to our plans.
Some ( hahaha ) shots taken. I did take a lot of pictures... Lots and Lots.. and video.. let me tell you!
The Ram and Trailer on our launch grid.
Black Magic Woman glowing.
Dawn Patrol. Hard to get good shots of them.
Morning breaking.
Low baskets, Low flight.
Far too many flags for me to remember.
PITAS KISS climbing.
Seven quick shots not touched up but interesting.. from the FIRST day! LOL.
Done and done.. its almost regular bed time and I have to get back on my cycle or its going to be hell going back to work and I want to go back to work... I have MANY things to do!
