Have you ever watched hot air balloons fly and
dreamed of flying in one yourself someday? In October of 2000 Paul and I
lead a caravan of friends to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta. 
We had
been once before to watch, but this time we were crewing for friends, Bill
and Darlene, on their balloon. The day after we arrived we were off to the
airport to pick up my Mom. She had been envious the previous winter when
we went hot air ballooning with Bill and Darlene in Florida, so this time
we invited her along to help crew.
Before I share our experience with you let me assure
you that you do not need to have friends with a hot air balloon to crew at
the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. I will tell you how you can signup to crew
at the end of this article.
At the Balloon Fiesta they have morning launches and
evening glows. This means in the morning the balloons actually fly while
most evenings the balloons are tethered and only raise a little way off
the ground. Bill and Darlene were flying in the morning, which met we had
to get up early and be on the field by 6 am.
The beginning of the 2000 Balloon Fiesta was the
wettest in Fiesta history. Five of the first eight events were rained or
fogged out. But we still had to get up and report to the field, unless it
was pouring, just in case the weather cleared. So we set our alarm to
allow for the three of us to get up, layer our clothes (it was chilly) and
grab a bite to eat before racing to the field. Since the weather was so
bad the first thing we would do is turn on the TV to see if the mornings
event had been cancelled. While we waited for the report, we pulled the
shade and looked to see if the Dawn Patrol was flying. These are the first
few balloons to take off, testing the skies.
We camped in a Balloon Fiesta field ¾ mile from the
launch site. While shuttles were to run to the field, we found them
unreliable and ended up just walking. The camping spot was $20 a night for
no hook-ups or $15 a night if you paid in advance for the entire Fiesta.
For information, call Bill Anthony at (505) 821-1000, ext. 208. While the
price seems steep, it was worth it just to avoid the Fiesta traffic jams.
Another benefit, if you are not an early riser or are not crewing in the
morning, is this camping area surrounds a field where many mornings the
balloons either participate in games or land.
Walking to the launch field we were passed by chase
vehicles racing to the field so their pilot could attend the morning
briefings. Each balloon was assigned a site on the field and each day they
rotated to a different “wave.” There wasn’t enough field space for
all the balloons to set up and launch at the same time, so two or three
waves were set up. When the first wave launched the second wave set up and
prepared to launch.
The first morning we flew the ceiling was low as the
clouds pushed to reach the ground. One of the safety rules is the balloons
must never fly in the clouds. It must have been around 8 am before a
pilots discretion launch was approved. Bill knew his crew was anxious to
fly, so he asked us what we wanted to do. Since none of us felt we had the
knowledge to make the decision, we told Bill it was up to him. He said,
“let’s wait.” So we stood and watched other balloons glide up to the
clouds. Slowly the clouds seemed to be lifting and finally Bill said,
“let’s go!”
At this point we already had the balloon unloaded
from the Freightliner chase truck (Bill and Darlene are full-timers and
the truck serves double duty pulling their fifth-wheel). We tipped the
basket over, pulled the balloon out and while some of us spread the
balloon on the ground others set the basket up, built the frame to hold
the burners and proceeded to mount the burners. The basket was tipped over
again and the balloon was attached to the basket. Then a fan was turned on
to fill the balloon with air. Once the balloon was almost full of air the
burners were started, the balloon began to rise and the basket was
righted. As the balloon righted several of us were hanging on to it,
keeping it upright in one place.
Finally, it was time to pick the passengers. This
time Bill called out, “Mom, let’s go!” and called for a friend who
had been chasing for him for many years to join them. It didn’t dawn on
my Mom initially that Bill was saying she was going to fly. I ushered her
over and helped her into the basket. Bill would later say the smile on her
face was what taking others up in a hot air balloon was all about.
We waved good-bye as the balloon took off, then
quickly gathered all of our equipment and piled into and onto the
Freightliner. The crew that day was small enough we only took one chase
vehicle, other days we took two. Once everyone was on, we charged into the
traffic jam outside the field. The balloons were flying east and the
traffic was being routed west, but when the police officers saw the chase
crew sign on the Freightliner, we were flagged through. The goal was to
figure out where our balloon would land and be there to help them land.
Success came when we arrived at a small park where
many other balloons had landed. We tumbled out of the Freightliner and ran
to reach out for our balloon. Once down, the passengers climbed out and
two more climbed in. Then they were off again. As we ran for the
Freightliner we saw another balloon coming down with no crew on site, so
we helped them land.
Back in the Freightliner we tackled the traffic
again. This time we chased the balloon as it went down the freeway and
finally crossed to the other side. We arrived in time to help the balloon
land to the side of a parking lot, change passengers, take on a new tank
of propane and take off again. This time Paul hopped in.
The wind currents were starting to die down and it
wasn’t long before the balloon was floating above a transmission line
and refused to move. This is one of those times when you want to be sure
you have a great pilot, who keeps his head on his shoulders. Bill floated
up and down looking for a wind current that would take them away from the
transmission lines. The propane was getting low, but Bill remained calm.
It took a while, but eventually they moved south and started to look for a
spot to land. The balloon pilots pick the site and radio the chase crew to
tell them where to be.
The wind and timing has to be right to bring the
balloon down in the right spot and if it isn’t another spot must be
picked. So, the process can be trial and error and somewhat challenging.
It really helps to have someone familiar with the area in the chase
vehicle.
This time Bill said they would land in a field next
to a hospital. The crew radioed back that we couldn’t get the truck in
there because of a fence and cannel, but there was another field just on
the other side of the cannel where we could get. He needed to land as near
the truck as possible this time as it was the last flight and the closer
to the truck the easier it would be to pack up the balloon. He did manage
to land in the field, but it was wet and we wanted to keep the balloon
dry, so we walked the balloon across the field, across a boulevard and
into a cal-de-sac.
Packing up the balloon is the reverse of setting it
up. Instead of filling the balloon with air we gathered up the balloon and
squeezed the air out, then we carried it to the bag and stuff it in,
followed by a few of us plopping down on the bag all at once to pack the
balloon in the bag.
With the balloon securely packed into the truck we
gathered around to celebrate first flights, with a story and prayer,
followed by a tailgate party.
Flying in a hot air balloon is a very special
experience. Even those with a fear of heights of or falling (like myself)
find no fear. In fact, our pilot friend Bill has a fear of “edges,”
yet he loves to fly. It is so peaceful floating through the air, leaving
the noise of humanity below you for a short while. It feels like I imagine
riding a magic carpet would if there was such a thing!
If you would like to sign up to crew for a balloon at
the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta it is easy. While a balloon flight is not
guaranteed, most pilots try to get their crewmembers up if possible. By
crewing, you also get a gate pass to get on the grounds for the entire
Fiesta.
You can signup in advance or during the Fiesta. To
sign up in advance contact:
Chase Crew Committee
8309 Washington PL NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
(505) 821-1000 ext. 231
balloons@balloonfiesta.com
www.aibf.org/pilots/crews.htm
During the Fiesta the Chase Crew Headquarters are
open daily from 6 am to 8:30 am and from 3 pm to 5 pm. On Thursday and
Friday proceeding the Fiesta
Chase Crew Orientation runs all day.
Crewing. What better way to experience the
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta? Maybe you will find yourself flying high above
Albuquerque surrounded by others, also experiencing the magic of hot air
ballooning.
Learn more about the Balloon Fiesta at www.aibf.org/.
