Heaven
for Hot Air Balloonists By Deborah Stone
N
ew Mexico is known for its dramatic skies, Native American influences, red and green chiles, and Carlsbad Caverns. But among the state’s other unique aspects is its reputation for being a hot-air ballooning mecca. New Mexico has a long history of ballooning, which can be traced back to more than a century ago when “Professor” P.A. Van Tassell, an Albuquerque bartender, piloted a “gas bag” from the center of town up to nearly 14,000 feet and then landed a few miles away at the west end of the city. Ballooning remained an obscure form of recreation, however, until 1972 when Duke City became the site of the first Balloon Fiesta. It all began as the highlight of a 50th birthday celebration for 770 KOB Radio. Initially, only one hot-air balloon was planned for the festivities, but the number grew to thirteen. Pilots from Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Texas joined the action and gathered in the parking lot of the Coronado Center shopping mall along with 20,000 curious spectators who watched the balloons ascend into the skies. The event incorporated what became known as the famed RoadrunnerCoyote Balloon Race with one balloon being the roadrunner and the others being coyote balloons. The winner of the race was the coyote balloon that landed closest to the roadrunner. Today, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is widely considered to be the premier international ballooning event and has put the city on the map as the prime destination for balloonists worldwide. The annual fiesta draws hundreds of balloonists and nearly a million spectators to Albuquerque every October for nine days of exciting ballooning activities, ranging from morning mass ascensions and dawn patrol shows to spectacular nighttime balloon glows. It’s the city’s ideal weather conditions — a phenomenon called the box effect — which has earned the city the title of balloon capital of the world. Winds blows predictably north at one elevation and south at another, allowing pilots to launch, fly, then change altitude to land close to their original launch site.
Though Albuquerque is the center of all things ballooning in New Mexico, other towns have helped to popularize the sport in the state, several of which now host their own balloon festivals throughout the year. In Taos, for example, the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally bills itself as a small, intimate event where spectators can get plenty of up-close and personal interaction with the balloonists. Near Gallup, the Red Rock Balloon Rally’s attraction is its size and scenery. It claims to be the second largest balloon event in the world with a landscape that’s a photographer’s dream. Balloonists soar over cemented sands of fossilized beach colored by dissolved iron and worn smooth by Anasazi residents who carved hand and toe holds into the walls to reach the mesa tops. The event is also
special in that it is the only one to offer spectators the opportunity to become active participants by joining the balloon chase crews. Over at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, there’s the Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta. Historically, the regatta can be traced back to the 70s when balloonists would welcome the start of spring by making a seasonal inaugural flight over the lake. Most popular of the activities at this event are the Splash-n-Dash balloon boat relay races. Also of special note are the chase crews, who perform their important roles in motorboats! Then there’s the White Sands Hot Air Balloon Invitational at Alamogordo. In its 24th year, the event is best known for its stunning backdrop of pristine, gypsum white sand dunes from White Sands National Monument.
For those who want to do more than watch hot-air balloons from the comfort of the ground, there are numerous companies around the state that offer rides with licensed hot-air balloon pilots. Flights tend to last approximately one hour in duration and typically occur at sunrise or sunset when weather conditions are most favorable. Beforehand, participants can watch the crews inflate the balloons and even lend a hand in the process. Then it’s into the basket, or “gondola” as it’s called in the ballooning world, and before you know it, you’re rising up into the wild blue yonder. From your magnificent perch, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the enchanting southwestern landscape rolling beneath you. It’s a grand and thrilling adventure that you’ll find worthy of the proverbial champagne toast upon reaching terra firma.