Honoring the 2020 and 2021
HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENTS The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF) Heritage Award recognizes individuals who have made significant and longtime contributions to Balloon Fiesta through preservation of AIBF corporate or event history, promotion, communication, or educational activities, or through other innovations that have been shown to help achieve AIBF’s mission statement. The Balloon Fiesta Heritage Committee selects a recipient every year, and is proud to honor two Balloon Fiesta veterans who were chosen as Heritage recipients for 2020 and 2021.
ever did. He was an active pilot for 20 years before largely retiring from flying as pilot-in-command, having instructed many student pilots and accumulated about 550 hours. Jim was an Assistant Safety Officer for AIBF in 1984 and 1985, but is best known for his contributions to
2020: JIM BYRD Jim Byrd – better known to many as Jimmy -- began his ballooning career in March 1973 when he joined the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (AAAA), shortly after his dad, the legendary J.W. Byrd. Jim helped club founder Sid Cutter with all of Sid’s projects, so much so that Sid offered Jim free pilot instruction from himself and two of his employees, Gary Higman and Greg Wilson. Jim received his pilot certificate from Sid in February 4, 1974, the first FAA check-ride Sid
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2021 Official Program
competition scoring. After receiving a degree in computer science, and with encouragement from his dad, Jim wrote the first software for scoring balloon races in 1990, which was used by both AAAA and the Balloon Fiesta. Since then, the scoring program has gone through
