Really it was something like that.
Decided I could not decide on which to use as today's banner shot so you get both!
Top shot is after everyone got back to the field from flying today. It was such and awesome day that looked to be a breakfast day.. but more about that in a moment.... then the flag shot as I was about to leave the tailgate and go home .. the winds picked up but the flag looked great against the mountains.
So we got out to the field at Unser and Westside in Rio Rancho New Mexico and there was a brisk wind going East. That was not in the forecast at all.. South at 5 was the forecast.
It was me and Mezz and one other then right before sunrise the place packed in with balloonists.. Lots.. So many that some were going up the hill to the motocross area and some were over at the school on the hill and even some in Cabazon park... Everywhere.. but the winds were not happy.
Three or four Pibals went up.. All went up to about 100 feet.. zigged and zagged in a five foot area then went up another 50 or so and did it again then at about 200 every one of them looked like the added jets and zipped Southeast!!! Not good.. not good at all...
But some thought they might be able to squeak a flight in and started setting up. I watched. I wanted to see what was going to happen to them when they tried to go... Since most everyone was setting up I decided we would get the basket up and prep it so that if it was good we would jsut have to pop the envelope out and go...
By the time we were set up and the envelope attached one balloon went up and promptly headed Southwest!! Wow.. fantastic.. so we started our inflation and were standing in less than ten minutes. There looked to be a higher layer going Southeast and a medium layer going South and a low layer going Southwest so some movement area... that's real good.
So up and off we went.... catching a couple of those layers and wiggling about at 200 feet. We were heading more West than South so I boosted us up and got more of that Southwest... Drove over the houses and started a descent into the local large arroyo and came to an abrupt stop at about 200 over the wall... had to lift back up about 50 to get moved over and then dropped into the arroyo.
Winds in the arroyo were flowing East which brought us over the only scrub tree in there... could have hit dead center. Flew over that.. ground tracked and landed in the sand. Nice and easy. Popped up from there and grabbed that Southwest and looked to see where everyone ahead of my had landed and figured that I could get there also and did. Crossing Paradise and dropping down faster than I expected I had to do a heavy burn to stop us about 3 feet up and then vent like crazy so we didn't go right back up as I had put a lot of heat into the envelope.
That was a perfect thing to do and we stayed around 3/4 feet off the ground and tracked right towards Mezzes crew and balloon laid out by Unser. We looked to be passing him on the right but ended up having him stop us before we ran right into the bottom of his basket. Fickle winds. Laid it down to the side and back to the field for some bagels and talk. Excellent day.. Excellent!
The video came out nice on both cameras but this time the Kodak 360 stopped short which was odd but the gopro went the whole way.. which was really odd. Clips below.
So wonderful wonderful and now looking at pictures and editing and laughing. I love taking pictures while flying. Flying over rode some really great shots but that's the rules. Fly first shoot second.
Here are the clips from the video and then some select shots from the Sony RX10V4.
In some crazy order here....
From my cell cam... Alan attaches the velcro that keeps the crown in place while we inflate.
Shelly and Nick hold the throat open to get that fan air in and envelope packed with cold air.
Way out of order.. an initiation for a first time flyer and newly engaged young lady.
Pano of the huge tailgate. There were layers in the back and please do not look at Mark.
Koday 360 4k cam. Forgot to set it to down shoot so the whole flight is in the round. Interesting viewpoint.
Making sure the crew on the throat are ready to go.
Going hot and standing up Nice work on the crown Alan and no roll back towards the trailer.
Up we go with Elisa beside up and Debi out past her.
Cruising along and taking pics and watching what other people are doing as we go over or under...
The one tree in the Arroyo... and we go right to it. Magnetic.. Woodnetic?
Coming into a landing and being chased by our shadow.
Back up out and over Fred. Nice close flyby..
Down into the nice field on the corner of Unser and Paradise. Watching the speed of the descent it really looks like we are going to bang into the ground.
Laying down on the job again. But its a nice place to relax. Red ( white/blue ) line in hand venting the top out still. 45 minute flight. 35 on one tank and not off the peg by any means on the other and max temp of 146.. Nice.. Love this envelope!
So that was the side cameras.. here are a few from the Sony. With its 600mm reach I could get into other baskets... Sorry.. no privacy in the air.
All the way across the field and a nice close up. They have no clue. Brian.. get to work!
Over Babs laying out. A shot to show how your hand and baggie should be placed during a gravity drop during competition.
A few out at the motocross area where its a bit less crowded.
Looking back at the field and noticing that the little hills are getting closer to covering the area.
Hi Debi!!! Lookin good!!! She is about 200 feet or so up.
Eric cruses below like a flaming shark looking for a kill... They did too.. They threw a baggie on a storm drain top and hit it too. Saw it I did!
Eric prepares to do something... Im not sure but it was like.. "What... Im flying here!" A Kubi basket with a door... a DOOR!!!
A nicely lined up shot. Great when I can get this without looking.
Me and my shadow....
Fred! Fred!! Yeah.. he knows Im there.. we know each other so well that we know what we are going to do so very close. If you have ever flown in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.. you get to learn how to fly touching other balloons and how to manage that... We do it all the time.
A wonderful day as I said. Hoping we have more wonderful days in the future. Since we just found out we have been accepted into the 2018 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta I am hoping all the days of Fiesta are like today.
Oh..was playing with this.. maybe for a base ball cap patch...
