Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a world-renowned attraction and the premier ballooning event destination for all ages. For more than four decades, the first week in October has brought the smell of roasting chiles and the beautiful, magical moving picture show of hot air balloons sailing silently through the crisp fall air.  -excerpt from the 2014 Guest Guide

To view the entire 24 page Guest Guide take the following link and then click on the Guest Guide icon in the middle left of your screen>>>>> Visitors Guide otherwise just review the Visitors Guide to see what the festival has to offer.

I broke this blog into separate 7 blog articles.  You can access each blog from the "Blog Archive" at the left side of the blog page.  All 7 articles were published in October of 2014.  To access that month, click on the carrot to the left of 2014 and then click on the carrot left of October.  That displays all the articles written in October.  Then select the article you wish to review.

Or follow these links:
How They Work
Dawn Patrol
The Mass Ascension
Shaped Balloons
The Glow
The Box

Enlarging the pictures for better viewing......  Right click on the picture and then select "Open Link in New Tab". Then go to the new tab to see an enlarged view.

How They Work

Hot air balloons are based on a very basic scientific principle: warmer air rises in cooler air. Essentially, heating air makes it expand.  The result of the expansion is that a given volume of  hot air is lighter than the same volume of cooler air.  A cubic foot of air weighs roughly 28 grams (about one ounce). If you heat that air by 100 degrees F, it weighs about 7 grams less. Therefore, each cubic foot of air contained in a hot air balloon can lift about 7 grams. That's not much, and this is why hot air balloons are so huge -- to lift 1,000 pounds, you need about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.

A hot air balloon consists of three main components.  The basket, the envelope, and the propane burners.  Of course it would not work very well without a pilot and a ground crew.

Basket with Propane Tanks

The ground crew unloads the 3 components from their vehicle.  The vehicle is usually a cargo van and may include a trailer.  Since there are balloonists of all economic well being, the rigs can be pretty plain to very elaborate.

Envelope

When off loaded, the envelope (the balloon) is stretched out on the ground in preparation for inflation.

Propane Burners

Gasoline Powered Fan for Envelope Inflation

The next step is to fire up the gasoline powered fan.  The fan is strictly for use on the ground and does not go up with the balloon.

Inflation of the Envelope with Fan

With the fan running, the envelope is opened and the fan is aimed so as to push air into the envelope.  This begins the inflation process.

Burn Off

Final Inflation and Liftoff

This is a a burn off.  It is a test firing of the burners.  I didn't get a picture of the balloon being inflated with hot air off the burner, so we are going to have to imagine how it goes.


What happens is the basket is on its side and the  flame is shooting out horizontal to the ground.  The fan blows the hot air into the partially inflated envelope.  Slowly the envelope starts to rise as it fills with hot air.  Finally the envelope is light enough to lift itself and the basket upright.




Ballooning is a mix of high technology and old fashioned know how.  The materials include space age metals in the framework, modern light weight fabrics that can stand up the heat and stresses that the envelope endures, and then old fashioned wicker for the basket.  Some teams go all high tech and even replace the traditional wicker with ultra lightweight carbon fiber or fiberglass.


Click here for information from Wikipedia >>> Hot Air Balloon Info

Dawn Patrol

The view from our hotel room was amazing.  The window directly faced the Fiesta grounds several miles away.  These pictures were all taken out that window.

The Dawn Patrol began at the Balloon Fiesta in 1978, when two California balloonists developed position lighting systems that allowed them to fly at night. Dawn Patrol pilots take off before sunrise and fly until it is light enough to see landing sites. Fellow balloonists appreciate the Dawn Patrol because they can watch the balloons and get an early idea of wind speed and direction at different altitudes.

Dawn Patrol

The Mass Ascension begins at daybreak.  They take off in 2 waves of up to 300 balloons.  Waves are required because even though the staging field is bigger than 54 football fields, it cannot accommodate all the participants at one time.

Mass Ascension

The prevailing low altitude winds brought the balloons right at us.

Closer and Closer

As the balloons begin to get into town, they began to split east and west, to allow themselves a better selection of landing areas.

Which back yard looks the biggest???

That doesn't mean they avoided town completely.  They landed wherever there was a spot big enough to accommodate them. 

Setting Down.

The people of Albuquerque love the Balloon Fiesta and the balloonists.  Many rush out of their homes or from local work places to help the balloonists land.

The Mass Ascension

The mass ascension begins just after dawn.  The Dawn Patrol has been gone for 30 to 45 minutes and the pilots have a good idea of the prevailing winds.  The first wave beings filling their envelopes.  Launching begins at the north and south ends of the field simultaneously, meeting in the middle.  It is monitored very carefully by Launch Directors (aka Zebras because of the black and white striped uniforms they wear).  As the first wave takes off, the second moves onto the field and lays out their balloons.

I really don't know how long it took to launch all the balloons, probably 90 minutes to 2 hours.  I just never looked at my watch, I was too fascinated by the sights.  However, I did get a crick in my neck.

The only way to get a better vantage point for the ascension than from the field would have been to be in one of the balloons.  In retrospect, I would do that if I ever go to another Fiesta.

Shaped Balloons

The Special Shapes Rodeo started in 1989 and now has become the most popular event at the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. They participate in the Fiesta along with their more traditionally shaped friends.  They also have two of the ten Fiesta days set aside just for them.

More info from the 2014 Visitor's Guide>>>> Special Shapes Rodeo

Below are a few of the more than 100 special shapes, some on the ground, some floating by, all simply entertaining.

Victor (Belgium)

Buddy Beaver (Billings, Montana)

The Blue Whale (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Airabelle (Golden, British Columbia, Canada) and right behind her you can just make out a portion of a Wells Fargo Stagecoach named Center Stage (Albuquerque, New Mexico).

Fireplug (unknown)

Sushi (Dayton, Nevada)

Lady Jester (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Little Screech (Osasco, Brazil)

Ham-Let (Deland, Florida)

Smokey Bear (He has history here.  Smokey was born in New Mexico.  Now he has returned to fly in the almost always blue skies around Albuquerque.)

 

Yoda and Darth Vader (I could not find Yoda's home, but Darth Vader is from Belgium)

The Glow

It is one of those "you had to be there", but the GLOW just after sunset is terrific (even that word is weak for how it appeared).  The Balloon Glow was invented at this event in 1979.  It is the visual effect brought on by the burners of 100's of balloons bringing the envelopes to life in full color.  There is music playing, balloons glowing and flickering, and tens of thousands of people milling around and sounding off with their delight.  I thought my wife would jerk my arm off spinning me around and around to "get a picture of that one".

It is hard to imagine how the balloonists synchronize their light show, but they manage.  As a spectator you can just barely hear the countdown to the different burns they do, but the pilots couldn't possibly hear over the roar of the burners.  But it happens and it is glorious.

It was a cool evening when I saw this, probably in the middle 50's.  However, after the first 5 minutes of the GLOW, the temperature on the field had risen by 15 degrees.  The 250 to 300 balloons participating where dumping a lot of propane into the show.......and it was worth it.

Enjoy the pictures, sorry they are inadequate to really make you feel the show.  Ya had ta be there!!!

Read more about the GLOW>>>> Balloon Glow

And fireworks too..........