Contents WELCOME LETTERS 4
Jay Czar, President, AIBF
6
Yuichi Ishizuka, President and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
8
Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico
10
Richard J. Berry, Mayor of Albuquerque
OF INTEREST 12
Your Guide to Balloon Fiesta Events
16
Survival Guide Map
19
Music Fiesta
22
2017 AIBF Officers, Board of Directors & Staff
24
2017 Officials
26
Balloon Fiesta Sponsors
28
Photography Tips
30
Spectator Safety Tips
106 America’s Challenge Officials & Winners 108 2017 Balloon Fiesta Navigators 110
2017 Heritage Award
DIRECTORIES 33
2017 AIBF Balloon Directory
60
Other Participating Pilots
85
Special Shape Directory
94
International Pilots
104 America’s Challenge Entrants
FEATURES 62
The Show Behind the Show
68
In Remembrance: Kelly Helvie
70
Living On Site
74
Guests Say the Darndest Things
80
Ballooning With the Sun
96
The Path to Victory
102
2
In Remembrance: David Levin
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
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Welcome from the President, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta , Inc. ®
O
n behalf of the Board of Directors, the Balloon Fiesta staff, and all those who make the event possible, welcome to the 2017 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® Presented by Canon! We especially hope you will help us welcome and thank the more than 500 pilots who come to Albuquerque - the “town square of world ballooning” from around the globe, and the hundreds of volunteers (called Navigators), many of whom travel long distances to be a part of this event. We would also like to thank the City of Albuquerque for its partnership and especially for continuing to improve Balloon Fiesta Park for the comfort and safety of our participants and guests. We are grateful to the first responders, law enforcement officials, and members of the military who come from around the region and the country to support our security team and help make our event as safe as it is beautiful. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or a Balloon
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Fiesta veteran, prepare yourself for a kaleidoscope of color, sound and excitement! We have a wonderful week planned for you, filled with traditional favorites like Mass Ascensions, Balloon Glows, Dawn Patrol and the Special Shapes Rodeo/ Glowdeo. The Music Fiesta, held this year on October 14, has also quickly become a favorite of locals and travelers alike. If you drive your car or ride your motorcycle to the Balloon Fiesta I suggest you come early in order to secure the best parking. If you choose to ride a bicycle, you can leave your bike at our Bike Valet. Or better yet, take the Park and Ride from a location close to your home or accommodations. The mornings are normally cool and crisp until dawn, but it usually warms up fairly quickly. Be sure to dress in layers. While you’re waiting for the balloons to take flight, there’s plenty to do. Stroll Balloon Fiesta’s Main Street, grab a nice warm New Mexico breakfast burrito, and browse for pins, patches and other souvenirs. You can also enjoy a sit-down breakfast at the Gondola Club or Chaser’s Club, where all our
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
guests are VIPs. Afterward, you’ll want to wander onto the launch field for an up-close and personal view of the pilots and crews preparing for launch. After the balloons take flight, you’ll have many choices around Albuquerque to fill your day. Be sure to sample delicious New Mexican cuisine, ride the Sandia Peak Tramway, visit our many museums, or head north to Santa Fe, America’s oldest capital. And you won’t want to miss shopping and eating in Albuquerque’s Old Town. Established in 1706, it’s Albuquerque’s oldest neighborhood. There are also lots of great hiking and bike trails in and around Albuquerque as well as other outdoor adventures to enjoy. Thank you for coming, and have a wonderful Balloon Fiesta!
Jay Czar, President, AIBF
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY BY STARTING WITH YOUR TASTE BUDS.
VisitABQ.org
After taking in the breathtaking heights and vibrant sights of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®, savor the unique flavors and aromas of cuisine steeped in centuries of tradition. Visit the Downtown Growers’ Market on Saturday mornings or The Railyard Market on Sundays for fresh local fare, arts and crafts vendors, and live music, and meet a side of Albuquerque you never knew existed. Visit ABQ is a Proud Sponsor of
I
Welcome from the President and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
t is my pleasure to welcome you to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® presented by Canon. Three years have passed since we opened our Canon Customer Support Center here, and we have enjoyed being a part of this vibrant city. The City of Albuquerque has warmly accepted us into your community and Canon is very appreciative to be here. We look forward to deepening our commitments within the area. We consider it a great privilege to again serve as the Presenting Sponsor and Official Imaging Company of the Balloon Fiesta, one of the most photographed events in the world. This is our third year serving in this role, and I am happy to share that we recently
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extended our relationship for three more years! The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a place to let your imagination run wild. It is truly aweinspiring as the colorful balloons fill the sky – the ideal setting for photographers and videographers to capture spectacular images. Our Canon experts are on-site to assist, so please stop by the Canon tent and ask them about the newest Canon imaging equipment that is on display. You may even borrow select cameras and lenses to test drive our equipment. There are so many fun activities and photo opportunities that make the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta an
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
unforgettable experience. The Opening Day Mass Ascension and the amazing Night Magic Glow, where our “Canon See Impossible’’ balloon is the first to rise, are not to be missed. On behalf of Canon, we wish you a wonderful experience at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Keep your eyes on the skies and a soaring spirit in your hearts. Enjoy yourselves! Yuichi Ishizuka President & COO Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Welcome from the Governor, State of New Mexico
W
elcome to the Land of Enchantment for the 46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® presented by Canon. Bienvenidos a Nuevo Mexico! For decades, New Mexico has been a proud host to balloonists from around the country and across the world - along with their creative and colorful craft. The Balloon Fiesta is part of what it means to be “New Mexico True.”
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While you’re here, I hope you have a chance to explore our state and discover the many adventures steeped in culture. I encourage you to make the most of what New Mexico has to offer: climb the Sandias, ride the tram, find yourself a raft and head over to the Rio Grande, or just spend some relaxing time with family or friends at one of our many state parks. But whatever you do, be sure not to leave without tasting our famous red or green chile!
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
The people, places and culture of New Mexico are sure to leave a lasting impact with memories that will last a lifetime. I wish you a safe and enjoyable experience at the 2017 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Sincerely,
Susana Martinez Governor
Albuquerque, NM Rio Rancho, NM
Rio Rancho, NM
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Welcome from the Mayor, City of Albuquerque
A
s the Mayor of Albuquerque, it is with great pleasure to welcome you to the City of Albuquerque for the 46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®. I am honored to join in on the excitement of the Balloon Fiesta and enjoy the natural beauty, culture, unique heritage and friendly people you will encounter in New Mexico’s largest city. The Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 as a radio station promotion with 13 balloons - a huge number at the time. Today it features hundreds of balloons, thrilling competitions, imaginative
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special shapes, spectacular evening Balloon Glows, the America’s Challenge gas balloon race, and a “Main Street” full of whimsical souvenirs and tasty snacks. The Balloon Fiesta is truly one of the world’s great aviation events and it has taken its place among our country’s largest and most spectacular festivals. While you are visiting us, I hope you get a chance to explore our great city and take in some of the sights and sounds that you may only encounter in a city as vibrant as ours. For a taste of our culture and history, the Indian and Hispanic Cultural Centers are great places to spend time. Old Town Albuquerque
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
is a must see, where you can experience our New Mexican southwest heritage. Please don’t forget to enjoy the outdoors by visiting our beautiful Sandia Mountains and our Rio Grande River. I hope you have a wonderful experience in our great city while you are here. Best Regards,
Richard J. Berry Mayor
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Your Guide to
BALLOON FIESTA EVENTS Here is a brief overview of what you’ll see during the world’s most colorful and spectacular festival of flying! (All events, of course, are weather permitting.)
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
®
MORNING EVENTS: Dawn Patrol/Dawn Patrol Show presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel and RV Resort
Schedule of Events
Daily: This “balloon glow in the sky” features as many as a dozen balloons. On Mass Ascension days, pilots perform the Dawn Patrol Show, a choreographed inflation and launch set to music that has been part of the Balloon Fiesta since 1997.
Mass Ascensions and Krispy Kreme Morning Glow Weekends and Wednesday: The spectacular Mass Ascensions of hundreds of hot-air balloons are the Balloon Fiesta’s signature events and are preceded by the Krispy Kreme Morning Glow, a “mini” balloon glow. Special Mass Ascensions on Thursday and Friday October 12 and 13 feature “special shape” balloons.
Albuquerque Aloft
™
Friday, October 6 approximately 7:00 AM: On the Friday before Balloon Fiesta begins, balloons fly from select elementary schools throughout Albuquerque and from all of Rio Rancho’s elementary schools. Some school PTAs sell food and hot beverages, making the Balloon Fiesta’s visit to their school a true community event.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 7:00am
Special Shape Rodeo™ presented by Wells Fargo Bank Thursday and Friday, October 12 and 13: These special mass ascensions especially showcase the incredible craftsmanship, creativity, and artistry that makes monsters, critters, and just about anything else you can imagine take flight.
AND DON’T MISS! Music Fiesta Featuring Billy Currington, Presented by NASH KRST 92.3 and Coca-Cola 1:00 PM Saturday, October 14: This exciting afternoon event spotlights country music superstars Billy Currington and Phil Vassar along with local favorites The Bus Tapes. Your admission also gets you into the Night Magic Glow and AfterGlow Fireworks Show! For more on this event, visit page 19.
Flight of the Nations Wednesday, October 11: The Flight of the Nations at Wednesday’s Mass Ascension especially honors pilots from all the nations participating in Balloon Fiesta, many of whom launch flying their national flag.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 6:00am 6:00am 6:30am 6:45am 7:00am 2:00pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 7:45pm 8:00pm
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Show, presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel & RV Resort Krispy Kreme Morning Glow Opening Ceremonies Mass Ascension presented by Canon America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race Inflation Twilight Twinkle Glow America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race Launch Laser Light Show AfterGlow™ Fireworks Show, presented in part by Albuquerque Journal
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 6:00am 6:00am 6:30am 7:00am 9:00am 11:00am 6:00pm 7:45pm 8:00pm
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Show, presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel & RV Resort Krispy Kreme Morning Glow Mass Ascension Fiesta of Wheels Car Show (located on North launch field) Balloon Fiesta Pin Trading (Group Tour Tent, north end of Main Street) Balloon Glow Laser Light Show AfterGlow™ Fireworks Show, presented in part by Albuquerque Journal
MONDAY, OCTOBER 9 PROPANE DAY presented by Airgas, an Air Liquide company 6:00am Laser Light Show 6:00am Dawn Patrol 7:00am Balloons Launch 8:00am Competition Flying Begins
Competition flying events Weekdays except Wednesday: In a ballooning competition, pilots use winds at different altitudes to steer the balloon to a target and drop a marker so it lands as close to the center of the target as possible. The competitions also feature the Pole Grab and Ring Toss, where pilots try to fly to a pole and win fabulous prizes! The overall competition winners are determined by individual pilots’ cumulative scores during Balloon Fiesta week.
Albuquerque Aloft (at local elementary schools)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 - COCA-COLA DAY 6:00am 6:00am 7:00am 8:00am
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Balloons Launch Competition Flying Begins
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 6:00am 6:00am
EVENING EVENTS Balloon Glows
6:30am 7:00am 8:00am
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Show, presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel & RV Resort Krispy Kreme Morning Glow Flight of the Nations Mass Ascension Competition Flying Begins
Saturday October 7, Sunday October 8 and Saturday October 14, presented by Canon: The static displays of illuminated balloons known as “Balloon Glows” are among the Balloon Fiesta’s most popular events. The “All Burn,” when all the
Inflate Your Imagination
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 KIDS’ DAY presented by KOB-TV 6:00am Laser Light Show 6:00am Dawn Patrol 7:00am Special Shape Rodeo™ presented by Wells Fargo Bank 8:00am Competition Flying Begins 6:00pm Special Shape Glowdeo™ 7:45pm Laser Light Show 8:00pm AfterGlow™ Fireworks Show, presented in part by Albuquerque Journal
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 6:00am 6:00am 7:00am 8:00am 6:00pm 7:45pm 8:00pm
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Special Shape Rodeo™ Competition Flying Begins Special Shape Glowdeo™ Laser Light Show AfterGlow™ Fireworks Show, presented in part by Albuquerque Journal
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 6:00am 6:00am
balloons fire their burners and light up at the same time, is perhaps the most spectacular single moment in all of Balloon Fiesta. Special shape balloons have their own balloon glows on Thursday and Friday of Balloon Fiesta week (see below).
America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race Saturday, October 7 (weather permitting); inflation scheduled approximately 2:00 PM, launch at approximately 6:00 PM: The objective of the America’s Challenge distance race is simple – fly further than your competitors from the launch site in Albuquerque. For balloon pilots, it is one of the toughest tests of skill and endurance in the world. America’s Challenge teams typically stay aloft for two to three days and travel as far as 2,000 miles.
AfterGlowTM Fireworks Show presented in part by the Albuquerque Journal Saturday October 7, Sunday October 8, Thursday October 12, Friday October 13, and Saturday October 14, immediately after the Glows; note that AfterGlow times may change due to field and weather conditions: The fireworks shows at the Balloon Fiesta are some of the best performed anywhere! Plan to stay after the balloon glows to enjoy the spectacle!
Special Shape GlowdeoTM Thursday October 12 and Friday October 13: The fantastic special shape balloons are even more fantastic in the glow of early evening! The Special Shape Glowdeo features everyone’s favorite shapes, from bees to birds to bears. Come early, because the Glowdeos are some of the Balloon Fiesta’s most popular events!
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Show, presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel & RV Resort 6:30am Krispy Kreme Morning Glow 7:00am Mass Ascension 11:00am Balloon Fiesta Pin Trading (Group Tour Tent, north end of Main Street) 1:00 – 5:00pm Music Fiesta™ 6:00pm Night Magic™ Glow, presented by Canon 7:45pm Laser Light Show 8:00pm AfterGlow™ Fireworks Show, presented in part by Albuquerque Journal
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 6:00am 6:00am 6:30am 7:00am
Laser Light Show Dawn Patrol Show, presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel & RV Resort Krispy Kreme Morning Glow Farewell Mass Ascension
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If you’re a country music fan, Balloon Fiesta is the place to be on the second Saturday of October! Every year, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta’s annual Music Fiesta hosts hot young country artists for an afternoon of music and fun. Plan to stay for the Night Magic™ Glow and AfterGlow™ Fireworks! Billy Currington Billy Currington’s latest album bears the breezy title Summer Forever, but the talented Georgia native has spent more than a decade in the spotlight proving he’s truly a man for all seasons. Possessing one of the smoothest and most distinct voices in any genre of music, Currington is equally skilled at delivering upbeat summertime anthems as well as exploring the complexities of life and love with a poignant ballad. Currington knew from a very young age he wanted to be a performer. He grew up listening to vinyl records by
Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kenny Rogers, and got a career boost from his pastor, who recognized his talent and took him to Nashville to introduce him to the town and his contacts there. He started playing clubs, writing songs, and meeting other aspiring artists. Soon, he was one of the town’s most in-demand demo singers. “I was doing 10 demos a day,” he says. “Before you know it, I started getting deal offers from record labels.” Currington signed with Mercury Records in 2003, and immediately garnered attention with his debut single, “Walk a Little Straighter,” an autobiographical song about life with his alcoholic stepfather. The song peaked at No. 8, an auspicious debut for a newcomer. He proved his quick success was no fluke when he followed with “I Got A Feelin,” which became his first top-five single. From there, the hits just kept on coming with his first No. 1 “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right,” “Good Directions,” “People Are Crazy,” “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer,” “Let Me Down Easy,”
“We Are Tonight,” and “Hey Girl.” “Music is a snapshot of people’s lives and most of all, I want to leave people in a happy place,” Currington says with a smile. “Whether they’re sitting on a beach listening to this album or they’re walking around their house or cleaning their house or whatever. Wherever they’re at listening to this album, I want to leave them with a happy and peaceful feeling.”
Phil Vassar Phil Vassar is as driven today as he was when he first left his Lynchburg, Virginia home to pursue – and realize – his dream of making his mark in entertainment. His illustrious career includes the release of eight albums,
Inflate Your Imagination
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fans and working on other avenues to entertain people. For me that’s what it’s all about.”
The Bus Tapes
two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year trophies, Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year, countless hits as a singer and songwriter and a mantle full of awards. The launch of his own Rodeowave Entertainment label continues to expand and evolve. As a singer/songwriter, Phil has hit the Top 5 seven times with songs like “Carlene,” “Last Day of My Life” and “American Child,” and topped the charts with “In A Real Love,” and the perennial favorite “Just Another Day in Paradise.” His songs other artists have taken to #1 include “My Next Thirty Years” by Tim McGraw, “She’s Right On The Money” by Alan Jackson, and Jo Dee Messina’s “Bye, Bye” and “I’m Alright.” Artist David Nail had a hit with Phil’s “The Sound of a Million Dreams,” which Billboard named the #1 song in their Top 10 Country Songs of 2012. Phil Vassar is an artist who has endured his share of ups and downs in life and the “biz,” and one who is not only riding a diverse wave of success but sharing it with others. For Vassar, his philosophy about songs has never changed during his time spent writing hits for himself and other artists; it’s important for a song to carry a message and make the listener feel something. “I’m not going out there to try and change the world, but for me, this is my thing, this is my little world that I can control now, and I’m really excited about this journey, getting new music out to the
SPONSORED BY
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Local favorites and two-time NM Music Award-winning act, The Bus Tapes will open this year’s Music Fiesta™. Husband and wife duo Case and Heather Tanner bring together a range of talented musicians for a lively show, taking audiences by the hand and leading them through a “what’s cool” tour of music. Their eclectic mix of everything from funk and blues to R&B ballads has been rocking crowds since 2008. A rhythmic, acoustic feel on top of relatable song writing is the leading tone behind their collaborative music. They’ve played throughout New Mexico and the Southwest and shared the stage with national acts such as Better Than Ezra, The Dunwells, and Solomon Burke – and now, at Balloon Fiesta Park, Billy Currington and Phil Vassar.
TICKET INFORMATION The gates for Music Fiesta open at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, October 14, and the concert begins at 1 PM. Advance ticket sale prices for reserved seating are $50 with the price increasing to $60 the day of the event. Admission to the premium lawn area is $20 if tickets are purchased in advance, and $25 on the day of the show. General admission is $10. The Balloon Fiesta also offers a very special “Ultimate Music Fiesta Package” at $499 which includes front-row seating, a photo opportunity with both Billy Currington and Phil Vassar, dinner in the Gondola Club following the concert, preferred parking, and lots of other goodies. New this year is our stage-front “Dance Box.” Immediately in front of the stage is a lawn area for those who plan to kick off their shoes and dance all afternoon! Tickets are $69 in advance and $79 on the day of the show. Full details and tickets are available at Balloon Fiesta gates or through the Balloon Fiesta website, www. balloonfiesta.com.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Entertainment Schedule SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 7:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 8:15 p.m.
National Anthem – NM Peace Choir NM Peace Choir USAF Academy Band Wild Blue Country Entourage Jazz
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – Albuquerque Academy’s “Unaccompanied Minors” 9:00 a.m. USAF Academy Band Wild Blue Country 5:00 p.m. USAF Academy Band Wild Blue Country 8:15 p.m. Two Way Crossing
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – Brittany Graham
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – UNM’s Concert Choir
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – The Cole Sisters
THURSDAY OCTOBER 12 7:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 8:15 p.m.
National Anthem – Key of A Key of A Charanga del Valle Ivon Ulibarri & Café Mocha
FRIDAY OCTOBER 13 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – Albuquerque Boy Choir 5:00 p.m. Ryan Montano and Friends with Gonzalo 8:15 p.m. Ryan Montano and Friends with Sorelo
SATURDAY OCTOBER 14 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – Ymelda Erin Coriz
SUNDAY OCTOBER 15 7:00 a.m. National Anthem – Reanna Molinaro
Here’s to being the one.
THE ONE
who marks time by rounds played, not by days on a calendar. who heeds the call of the course … no matter the conditions. who travels the world in relentless search of the next great round. who knows that the true measure of a golfer goes far beyond the scorecard. who is in constant pursuit of impossible perfection. Here’s to being a different breed of golfer. Here’s to being a Golfweek reader.
The one you need to be the one.
J&R AD.op
8/23/07
1:24 PM
Page 1
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 OFFICERS Jay Czar PRESIDENT
Ty Young
VICE PRESIDENT
Richard W. “Dick” Rice TREASURER
Matt Guthrie SECRETARY
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS J.R. Allison
Raymond Bair
Gary Bennett
Chuck Clark
John C. Davis IV
Barbara Fricke
Jim Garcia
Steven A. Komadina, M.D.
Cheryl Lete
Rodney A. May
Tom McConnell, M.D.
Frank A. Mezzancello
Judith K. Nakamura
John D. ‘Mike’ Rice
Harry Season
Doug Schwebach
John Sena
Mark Sullivan
Al Tetreault
Bill Walker
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 STAFF
Lynda Crispino, Receptionist Susan Dunn, Bookkeeper Jennifer Garcia, Pilot Coordinator & RV Manager Tom Garrity, Media President Shamaine Giannini, Group Tours Coordinator, Chasers’ Club Manager Erica Hahn, Concessions & Artisans Manager Alice Hanson, Controller Janie Jordan, Field Manager Mike McKnight, IS Manager Amanda Molina, Media Representative Lisa Mulder, Merchandise Manager Elaine Nelson, Transportation Manager Paul Petrehn, Event Director Stephanie Prendergast, Corporate Sales Assistant Laurie Riedle, Corporate Sales Manager Vince Saiz, Assistant Field Manager Paul Smith, Executive Director Liz Spielman, Event Assistant Sandy Wylie, Event Coordinator Jayne Thurman, Merchandise Assistant Nancy James, Merchandising Evalyn Back, Merchandising Renee Martinez, Merchandising Sharon St. John, Merchandising
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 PHOTOGRAPHERS Bennie Bos Marlon Long Angelina Peace Victor Banta
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 ANNOUNCERS Glen Moyer Art Lloyd Jr. Larry Ahrens
I n f l a t e Yo u r I m a g i n a t i o n
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 Officials Balloonmeister Sam Parks Assistant Balloonmeister Melissa Bond Safety Officials Henry Rosenbaum, Chief Safety Official Tom Bueno Neida Courtney Bueno Roger Clark Doug Gallagher JD Huss Alex Jonard Mike Liberti John Pata Chuck Raskob Dan Rose Tom Schroeder Maury Sullivan Paul Suttle Sheri Holman, Safety Administrative Assistant Weather Officials Brad Temeyer, Chief Weather Official John Elrick William Kelly Randy LeFevre Dan Pagliaro Landowner Relations Nancy Wertz, Chief Landowner Relations Official Lawrence Merry Janette Stone Orbin Stone Marjorie Woodall Robert Woodall Balloon Refueling Area Glen Januszewski, Balloon Refueling Chief
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Scoring Officials Tammy Luna, Chief Scoring Official Rita Brennan, Assistant Chief Scoring Official James Byrd, Chief of Operations Jay Luna, Chief of Targets John Abel, Team Lead Carl Kinnard, Team Lead Elizabeth Reese, Team Lead Rol Blauwkamp Lester Elmer Mike Gilligan Penny Griego Harold Jackson Phyllis Jackson Blake Jordan Susan Kinnard Jon Kirkwood Lyn Kirkwood Diane Krostag Bob Lucero Patricia Norris Jürgen Rimac Patricia Ann Rudy-Baese Virginia Sanchez Lynthia Sullivan Launch Directors Bill Brennan, Chief Launch Director Michelle Healy, Assistant Chief Launch Director Michael LaPlante, South Section Lead Lynn Tillery, North Section Lead Chris Padilla, South Section Assistant Lead Cliff Holman, North Section Assistant Lead Joe Ballengee Ken Beebe Peggy Billson Robin Boyer Elisa Bustamante Angie Calderon Nick Chavez Tom Christopher David Crossland Christina Dewart Sheri Essen Karen Fleetwood Kevin French Andrea Gensinger Larry Gensinger Debbie Gonzales Anna Haynie Kim Kelbe Tiffany Kenworthy Diane Leblanc Shawn Leonard Timothy Martin Danny McCoy Lora McKown Pam Micker Everetta Mora Jeanie Moughan Cathy Myrick Caitlin Odom
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Noelle Packard Jay Pape Ken Paulk Sarah Pearson Kat Perea Emily Pine Sherry Piperno Jeff Renegar Charlie Richardson Debbie Sanchez Krista Savage Karl Schaefer Steve Segura Jerry Shreve Nicole Tagart Debbie Taylor Mike Taylor Tina Thompson-Lemley Laura Virgin Dylan Wambold Lawrence Wambold Caryn Welz Kimberly Whiteman Rachel Wills Janice Wrhel Glenn Young Mike Zink
the sky AWAITS
Proud Beer Sponsor
©2017 DOS EQUIS® XX Special Lager. DOS EQUIS® XX Ambar Beer. Imported by Cervezas Mexicanas, White Plains, NY.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 Sponsors PRESENTING SPONSOR CANON OFFICIAL SPONSORS 770 KKOB-AM Radio Voice of Balloon Fiesta 7-Eleven/ALON Balloon Discovery Center Airgas USA, LLC, and Air Liquide Company Propane Supplier Albuquerque Journal Afterglow™ Fireworks Show Bank of the West Bank BIMBO Bakeries, USA Bakery Chevrolet Vehicle Coca-Cola Soft Drink Creamland Dairies, Inc. Dairy Dos Equis Import Beer Isleta Casino Resort & Casino Launch Field Pylons Jack Daniel’s Whiskey La Mesa RV Center, Inc. Recreational Vehicle Dealer Lovelace Health System Healthcare Provider New Mexico Pinon Coffee Company Coffee Phillips 66 Gasoline Sandia Resort & Casino Main Street Stage Sysco USA I, Inc., New Mexico Division Gondola Club Verizon Wireless Carrier Visit Albuquerque Visitors Wells Fargo Bank Thursday Special Shape Rodeo™
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A Virtual Receptionist AARP ABBA Technologies, Inc. Adams Balloons Advanced Network Management Albuquerque District Dental Society Albuquerque Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North Albuquerque Urology Associates P.A. Amazing Jumps LLC AMERIND Risk Management Corporation Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum B & D Industries, Inc. Baca’s Trees Bank of Albuquerque Barefoot Wines Bath Fitter New Mexico Bernitsky Vision Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. Bobby J’s Yamaha Boulder Designs & Border Magic Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC Cameron Balloons Cash Store Cavender’s Civil Air Patrol Comcast Cable Copper State Bolt & Nut Coronado Center Cosmosphere, Inc. Cottonwood Mall Cox Utility Services - call811.com Crowne Plaza Albuquerque Cummins Sales & Service Daniel’s Family Funeral Services Don Chalmers Ford Donate Life-NM Donor Services D.R. Horton Homes Executives’ Association of Greater Albuquerque Experimental Aircraft Association Farmers Insurance, Rod Baca Agency Fidelity Investments Fietz, William Fortis Construction Frost Mortgage Banking Group Galisteo Studio Tour General Mills, Inc. GIANTS Snacks, Inc. Griffin & Associates Holly Frontier Refining & Marketing, Inc. Honda Generators Intel International Thermal Spray Association Jason’s Deli Kewa Pueblo Health Corporation Kiwanis Club of Albuquerque KOB TV Krispy Kreme Doughnuts KRQE/Fox New Mexico Kubicek Balloons La Vida Llena Legendary Man LLC Lighthouse Business Information Solutions, LLC Lindstrand Balloons USA
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
M Marketing, LLC Maez Group McCarthy Holthus LLP Melloy Dodge Mexico Tourism Board Money Processing Systems, Inc. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC My ABQ Guide NASA National Distributing Company, Inc. National Park Service New Mexico Department of Transportion Aviation Division New Mexico Chinese Lantern Festival New Mexico Gas Company NM Mutual New Mexico Tourism Department Old Republic National Title Insurance Company Optiv City of Page Pandora at Coronado Center Paychex, Inc. PEAK Resources, Inc. PlainsCapital Bank & PrimeLending Portfolio Wealth Advisors Prestige Development Group Preventive Pest Control, LLC R & S Powersports Group Rail Runner Rainbow Ryders, Inc. Re/Max Southwest Route 66 Casino Hotel & RV Resort Safelite Auto Glass Sharmarie Saiz, MD PC Sony PlayStation Sullair, LLC Suunto Taiwan External Trade Development Council Team Texas The Garrity Group Public Relations LLC The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho Tito’s Handmade Vodka Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives Turning Point Recovery Center United Rentals University of Kansas Jayhawks University of Phoenix University of New Mexico Athletic Department University of New Mexico Health Science Center United States Air Force US Bank United States Customs & Border Protection VietJet Air VLCM Tech Weck’s Wendy’s Westwind Computer Products, Inc. Williams Scotsman, Inc. Wonderbread Young President’s Organization Zia Diagnostics Imaging
Photo Tips My name is Ken Sklute and I am one of Canon’s Explorers of Light, and a hot air balloon pilot. I’d like to share some thoughts on photographing this beautiful sport. WORKING WITH EARLY MORNING LIGHT CAMERA TIP: Dawn Patrol takes place in the dark and you will need to use a high ISO (6400-12,800) to capture a sharp image or enable “Auto ISO.” Once Dawn Patrol is over, remember to lower your ISO. LIGHTING TIP: Shooting toward the east can make for beautiful images, with the sunrise in the background as the balloons grow tall and prepare to take flight. Once the sun is up, look to the north or south in order to get some highlight and shadow on the balloons for dimension.
BALLOON GLOW
CAMERA TIP: Using Live View and its magnification feature can help you focus more accurately.
CAMERA TIP: Use a tungsten white balance to keep the colors as close to reality as possible. ACCESSORY TIP: Use tripod or a monopod for the sharpest possible imagery. CAMERA TIP: Depending upon the winds that day, try shutter speeds of 1 second and faster to minimize balloon movement. COMPOSING YOUR IMAGES • Avoid placing your subject in the center of your frame. • Use the Rule of Thirds. • Decide if the image looks better Horizontal or Vertical. • Find a foreground element to provide depth and dimension. • Look for unique patterns in the balloons as they fly or inflate. • Frame the flying balloons with other balloons still on the ground.
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
LIGHTING TIP: Wait for all of the balloons to “burn” at the same time so they will all be lit up in your photo. With these tips, you should be able to capture beautiful and memorable images of the Balloon Fiesta to enjoy for years to come. Want to learn more? Check out the Canon Digital Learning Center for an exclusive series about photographing hot air balloons: usa.canon.com/balloons
Safety Tips Lovelace Health System is proud to be the official health care provider for the 2017 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Below is a list of helpful safety tips to help you enjoy your visit in good health: 1.
Limit alcohol consumption. Remember, you’re at a mile-high altitude, which could increase alcohol’s impact.
2.
Dress in layers. It’s sometimes very cool in the morning, but after sunrise it will warm up noticeably.
3.
Bring water. Stay hydrated throughout the day.
4.
Bring sunscreen. At a higher altitude you’re at an increased risk for sunburn.
5.
Bring appropriate eye protection. Sun and wind could be your enemies on a sunny or windy day.
6.
Don’t smoke anywhere near the balloons. A lit cigarette could possibly ignite a balloon’s propane fuel tank or melt the envelope.
7.
Choose a place to meet in case someone gets separated or lost. Make sure young children have some form of identification on them.
8.
Don’t “drive and watch” at the same time. The balloons are a magnificent but distracting sight. Move completely off to the side of the road to watch.
9.
Watch where you’re going. Beware of vehicles moving around the field, especially emergency vehicles trying to get through the crowd.
10. Bring a flashlight for evening events. Also, take note of where you parked— it’s more difficult to find in the dark.
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Lovelace Health System’s emergency medical professionals provide onsite emergency medical care for problems ranging from minor scrapes to heart attacks. Lovelace’s medical volunteers will be located at the Lovelace First Aid Center
© 2017 Lovelace Health System All rights reserved. These materials may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without crediting Lovelace for use.
®
This is where love lives. It’s where you’ll find the finest physicians, nurses and medical professionals in every specialty. Where high-tech and high-touch combine to deliver compassionate care everyday. It’s where a network of specialized hospitals offer world-class medicine with neighborhood convenience. It’s a health care system called Lovelace. And it’s committed to being here for you and your family today and tomorrow. To make an appointment with a doctor or provider, call 505.727.2727.
Love
lovelace.com
Fuel up & float off. Phillips 66 is proud to sponsor the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.®
Phillips 66® and its respective logos are registered trademarks owned by Phillips 66 Company. All other marks may be trademarks of their respective owners. ©2017 Phillips 66 Company. All rights reserved.
2017 ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
I n f l a t e Yo u r I m a g i n a t i o n
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Adams, Steven MISS SHENANIGANS Albuquerque, NM United States
Adelsberger, Kurt TRANSITION Chino Hills, CA United States
Adie, Martin HOPSCOTCH Edgewood, NM United States
Adler, Billy BILL’S TURN Longview, TX United States
Adler, David UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE Yuma, AZ United States
Ahern, Jim MISSING LINK Albuquerque, NM United States
Akin, JB JARL Edmond, OK United States
Aley, Dave AFTERNOON DELIGHT Albuquerque, NM United States
Allsup, Scott PHOENIXSON Phoenix, AZ United States
Ambeau, Robert DR PEPPER Gonzales, LA United States
Anderson, Denny PIXIE DUST Minden, NV United States
Anderson, Denny JAB Ellsworth, IA United States
Anson, Jeanne DRAGON MOON Brandon, SD United States
Appelman, Scott DOS EQUIS Albuquerque, NM United States
Arends, Shane HOT TOPIX Grand Island, NE United States
Armstrong, Bill BAND OF GOLD Goodyear, AZ United States
Armstrong, Marion PIXEL ME THIS Dalworthington Gardens, TX United States
Ashworth, Jeffrey SLÁINTE! Corrales, NM United States
Askren, Sean INTEL Middletown, OH United States
Aubol-Hanks, Nancy GIGGLES AND GRINS Bosque Farms, NM United States
Baca, Rod CRUISE CONTROL Los Lunas, NM United States
Bacon, Frank SUN FLYER Los Ranchos, NM United States
Bair, David BAIRLY AWAKE Colorado Springs, CO United States
Bair, Ray KALEIDOSCOPE Albuquerque, NM United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Baird, Andy LESS WEIGHT, MORE FILLING Dexter, MI United States
Ball, Lauren GYPSY SPIRIT Cherry Valley, CA United States
Ballengee, Kelli AIRRAGEOUS Placitas, NM United States
Bauwens, Mike LIGHTWEIGHT Park City, UT United States
Becker, Brian CRAZY DREAMS Davenport, IA United States
Bell, Graham BLANK CZECH Malvern, Worcestershire United Kingdom
Bennett, Jeff BABY BEAR Tulsa, OK United States
Bertetto, Mike COCO BIRD Albuquerque, NM United States
Biernacki, Buzz ZIA LATER Albuquerque, NM United States
Blair, Charles FINNIGAN Newark, DE United States
Blanchard, Charity BLEW BY YOU Albuquerque, NM United States
Bloom, Branden ROYAL RACER Indianola, IA United States
Bobel, David THAT A WAY Rochester, IN United States
Bojanovic, Jernej SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Bonney, Linda HIGH HOPES Albuquerque, NM United States
Boulger, John DAKOTA DIAMOND Fargo, ND United States
Bowie, Manning RISING STARS Martinez, GA United States
Bowman, James DOT Oklahoma City, OK United States
Boyd, Gary THE GRATEFUL RED Albuquerque, NM United States
Boylan, Mike IRISH ROVER Washington, IL United States
Braddock, Mike FINALEY Brandon, FL United States
Braden, R. Morgan HIGH BISCUS Lake Havasu City, AZ United States
Bradley, Savannah 7TH HEAVEN Albuquerque, NM United States
Bradley, Troy RAINBOW RYDERS Albuquerque, NM United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Brandt, Phil TAIYO San Marcos, CA United States
Breffeilh, Margaret DIAMONDS Driggs, ID United States
Broker, Broker EXCELLENCE Frisco, TX United States
Brown, Toby CRYSTAL BLUE Denver, CO United States
Browning, Derek THIS END UP Louisville, KY United States
Buckner, Jason “THE USUAL” Albuquerque, NM United States
Bueno Orzaiz, Javier FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DEL GLOBO MEXICO Leon, Guananjuato • Mexico
Burman, Leo DRAGONFLY Montreal, Quebec Canada
Buron-Pilatre, Philippe MONDIAL AIR BALLONS Hageville, Lorraine France
Bussey, Bill BLUE DIAMOND Longview, TX United States
Bussey, Bruce LAKERAT Longview, TX United States
Butler, Bill MONKEY BUSINESS Alamogordo, NM United States
Buzzard, Earl BUZZARDS ROOST 2 Albuquerque, NM United States
Byer, Randy DOUBLE TROUBLE Corrales, NM United States
Caldwell, Trenten TRENT’ZK’IDD Albuquerque, NM United States
Candelaria, Joe MO-JOE BLUE Albuquerque, NM United States
Carlson, Brian DREAMS FULLFILLED Topeka, KS United States
Carlton, Dean CAZOO-EE Danville, IL United States
Carlton, Ryan SEYMOUR Danville, IL United States
Carlton-Vish, Donna SUNNY SIDE UP Danville, IL United States
Carpenter, Michael SWEET CAROLINE Albuquerque, NM United States
Carter, Buddy FLYING RAINBOW Pleasant Garden, NC United States
Cathey, Phil SKITTLES Roswell, NM United States
Caton, Tom TIME TRAVELER Byrnes Mill, MO United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Chando, Morghan MOJO’S REVERSE GRAVITY MACHINE Albuquerque, NM United States
Chando, Patrick PATTURNS HIGHPERACTIVE Albuquerque, NM United States
Chase, Ray PINWHEEL Moscow, PA United States
Chavez, Laurie JESSE’S GIRL Albuquerque, NM United States
Christian, Bret RESURREXION Indianola, IA United States
Cline, Don DAYBREAK II Greensboro, NC United States
Cliver, Christopher HAPPY HOUR Houston, TX United States
Cliver, Harold BUBBALLOON Lewisville, TX United States
Cloutier, Patrick LA MAGIE DE L’AIR DELTA Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec • Canada
Cloyd, Tim GLORIOUS DRIFTER Runnells, IA United States
Coan, Larry SUPERFLUOUS Livonia, MI United States
Cochran, Tony COLORADO Broomfield, CO United States
Coffing, Steve TWIST OF FATE Albuquerque, NM United States
Cook, Kelli HIGH MAINTENANCE Denver, CO United States
Cooper, Hal UPTUIT Port Hope Ontario, Ontario Canada
Copas, Jerry EZ BALLOON Sellersburg, IN United States
Courtney, N. Greg SMILE HIGH Dallas, TX United States
Cowen, Dave I’M NO ANGEL Corrales, NM United States
Cox, Jordan PATCHES Fishers, IN United States
Cox, Justin TARZAN Indianapolis, IN United States
Crawford, Grant JR. Los Lunas, NM United States
Crim, Colin RAINBOW’S END III Albuquerque, NM United States
Crouch, Clayton FINISH LINE Denver, CO United States
Cuneo, Peter SANDIA SUNRISE II Albuquerque, NM United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Curling, Rebecca AMERICAN PIE Rio Rancho, NM United States
Curry, Ron 770 KKOB Corrales, NM United States
Cutter, Will LIBERTY Phoenix, AZ United States
Danley, Chuck PRIMARY REFLECTIONS Peyton, CO United States
Davidson, John KISS FM/101 COUNTRY Belmont, Ontario Canada
Davie, Ryan TWILIGHT ZONE Rio Rancho, NM United States
de Koevend, Gery INDEPENDENCE Fort Garland, CO United States
Derado, John OUT OF THE BLUE Lebanon, IN United States
Derebey, Steve GOT THE HOTZ Roscoe, IL United States
Despres, Denise BOOBOULINA Cedar Crest, NM United States
DeVaney, Mark POP-A-TOP, AGAIN Los Ranchos, NM United States
Dickey, Frank 2ND WIND Albuquerque, NM United States
Dieringer, Nathan DON’T TELL MY WIFE Menasha, WI United States
Dimmitt, Bill SUNRISE ANGEL Los Lunas, NM United States
Dinkler, Fred CARRIED AWAY New Braunfels, TX United States
Doll, Penny RACING WITH THE WIND Roeland Park, KS United States
Donley, Dean RAINBOW RYDERS Albuquerque, NM United States
Donner, Nick A.B.O. Louisville, KY United States
Dougherty, Don DARK SUNRISE Colorado Springs, CO United States
Draughn, Ken XTREMELY CONTAGIOUS Burlington, NC United States
Drennan, Ben SEASONS Cordele, GA United States
Drganc, Luka SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Duff, Jeff SINCERELY Albuquerque, NM United States
Dumkhum, Tawin VIETJET Bangkok, Bangkok Thailand
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Edmiston Jr, Fred STARS Maxwell, TX United States
Eichhorn, David MARAUDER’S MARK Corrales, NM United States
Eklund, Timmerly KALISTA Washburn, IL United States
Eldridge, Stacy REDNECK COWBOY Rio Rancho, NM United States
Ellis-Ostgulen, Debi PLUM FIRED-UP Albuquerque, NM United States
Emry, Gordon FRESH AIRE III Norfolk, NE United States
Esposito, Scott BIG BLUE Albuquerque, NM United States
Evans, Tim CREW BALLOO N Cedar Crest, NM United States
Ewer, Dan FOOLISH PLEASURE Tucson, AZ United States
Fall, Darrin BAZINGA! Jackson, MI United States
Fear, Darrell PHOBIA IN FLIGHT Artesia, NM United States
Fear, Robert PHOBIC Rio Rancho, NM United States
Fenster, Matthew THIRD PRIORITY Bellevue, NE United States
Ferguson, Ken ITSA TOUCHIE SUBJECT Albuquerque, NM United States
Fisher, Tom BREEZY RIDER Albuquerque, NM United States
Fitzgerald, William S.S. AMERICA Corpus Christi, TX United States
Fleury, Mike FLEUR DE TUCSON Tucson, AZ United States
Fogue, Patrick IMTS Columbia, MO United States
Folque, Abraham KISS FM/JACK FM Belmont, Ontario Canada
Forenz, Tom RAINBOW RYDERS Evergreen, CO United States
Forshee, Jim PRAIRIE SUNSET Wichita, KS United States
Fox, Dave KURB Albuquerque, NM United States
Fox, Jeremy LUNA RAY North Fairfield, OH United States
Francoeur, Danielle LES MONARQUES Montreal, Québec Canada
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Freedman, Neil RAINBOW RYDERS Albuquerque, NM United States
Freve, Andrew APTIVENT Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec • Canada
Fujita, Yudai BRADLEY Nogi, Tochigi Japan
Gabriel, Jason SPIRIT OF ‘76 Aurora, CO United States
Garcia, Charles RAINBOW RYDERS Albuquerque, NM United States
Garcia, Greg YOU AGAIN? Albuquerque, NM United States
Garcia, Jerry TENTAI (THE SEQUEL) Albuquerque, NM United States
Garcia, Mike WELLS FARGO Rio Rancho, NM United States
Gardner, Tom AJUUA DEJA VUUA Albuquerque, NM United States
Gebhart, Aaron ITR Indianola, IA United States
George, Peter GRAND BRITANNIA Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom
Gerred, Mike CAROUSEL Bel Air, MD United States
Gianetti, Michael FIESTA SUNRISE Boulder, CO United States
Gilles, Jeff LAWN DART Temecula, CA United States
Gindlesparger, Mark PHENOM Murphysboro, IL United States
Girouard, Martin LA MAGIE DE L’AIR Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec • Canada
Gleed, David PEGASUS Coldstream, British Columbia Canada
Glen, Bill FLAMBOYANT Maricopa, AZ United States
Glen, Chris HEAVEN’S QUILT Aurora, CO United States
Godlevsky, Curt SUNWALKER Littleton, CO United States
Goettsche, Tom HIGH DEF Nampa, ID United States
Goldbloom, Jenn WONDERFUL WHIRLED Norristown, PA United States
Gonzales, Michael THE JOURNEY Rio Rancho, NM United States
Gonzales Jr., Bob HARD EARNED Waco, TX United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Goodman, Bill BUTTERFLY Lakeview, OR United States
Goosey, Rick TJ’S TOY Pleasant Hill, MO United States
Gordon, Edward JUAN MIRÓ Austin, TX United States
Goss, Dick LAST MANGO Leander, TX United States
Gough, Tom GYPSE ROVER Twin Falls, ID United States
Graf, Sandy AMERICAN RACER Flower Mound, TX United States
Graff, Gerry LOFTY FIESTAR Albuquerque, NM United States
Graham, Sandy INSTAGRAHAM Alta Loma, CA United States
Grauberger, Sheldon RAINBOW RYDERS Gardnerville, NV United States
Gray, Ferrel HENDRICK’S Temecula, CA United States
Green, John INTREPID Albuquerque, NM United States
Greenwood, Eric ENCHANTED Albuquerque, NM United States
Griego, Jeff AMERICAN BEAUTY Albuquerque, NM United States
Grikienyte, Silvia PINK Ðlesund, Sunnmøre Norway
Grote, Matthew JESTER UNWINDZ Rio Rancho, NM United States
Gustafson, Gus FREEDOM FLIGHT III Arden Hills, MN United States
Guthrie, Matt NEW BEGINNINGS Corrales, NM United States
Haase, Matt CAMERON BALLOONS US Whitmore Lake, MI United States
Hackett, Myia RIK RAK Walla Walla, WA United States
Hahn, Allan HEAVEN BOUND, TOO Albuquerque, NM United States
Haliczer, Jeff SYNCHRONICITY Reno, NV United States
Hance, Mike MIKE’S 2 IRRESISTIBLE McKinney, TX United States
Handl, Sabrina SANDIA SUNLITE Heroldsbach, Bavaria Germany
Harris, Joel FREEDOM FLYER Albuquerque, NM United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Hartshorn, Sharon SEEKING NIRVANA Corrales, NM United States
Harwell, Pat MAVERICK Keithville, LA United States
Hawkins, Walter MIDNIGHT ANGEL TOO Fairacres, NM United States
Haynes, Anthony ALMOST THERE Houston, TX United States
Hays, Craig BEAUTIFUL NOISE Coppell, TX United States
Head, Tarp HIGH OVER HEAD Helen, GA United States
Healy, Bob AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ Albuquerque, NM United States
Heartsill, Joe TEXAS STAR San Angelo, TX United States
Heartsill, Lucas TEXAS RACER II San Angelo, TX United States
Heartsill, Rhett TEXAS STAR San Angelo, TX United States
Hebrlee II, Bud DIAMOND GIRL The Villages, FL United States
Heffron, Mike BRIGHT IDEA Albuquerque, NM United States
Heideman, Mark DESERT FLYING VIKING Albuquerque, NM United States
Heiken, Paul SPHERICAL TURTLE Albany, OR United States
Heinrich, Sally PATIENCE Phoenix, AZ United States
Hernandez, Mike VELMA Fort Edward, NY United States
Hess, Lucas RAINBOW RYDERS Denver, PA United States
Hibberd, Jackie 69 Krimpen aan den Ijssel, Nederlands
Hickey, Mike MAKIN MEMORIES Royal, AR United States
High, Mark PEPPERMINT DREAM TOO Albuquerque, NM United States
Hill, Bryan BASKETCASE Page, AZ United States
Hodges, Eric KKISSES OF FIRE Rio Rancho, NM United States
Hoefler, Greg CAPRICE DU CIEL Chaillon, Lorraine France
Hofer, John JYN’S TONIC Tijeras, NM United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Hofheins, Mark THE VIKING DRAGON Rio Rancho, NM United States
Hoge, Peyton PHEISTY Louisville, KY United States
Hoidahl, Jim SQUIRREL La Luz, NM United States
Holmes, David JOSEPHS COAT Rocheport, MO United States
Holt, Judy DESERT DRIFTER Phoenix, AZ United States
Hooft, Frans HATSEFLATS Schijndel, Noord Brabant Netherlands
Hooper, Lee DEMO Oswestry, Shropshire United Kingdom
Hoppe, Roger VOLCANIC MOTION Albuquerque, NM United States
Hora, Tomas G DADDY Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg Germany
Howell, Dustin HIGH CIRRUS Minden, LA United States
Howes, Angie HOWES ANGELS Tijeras, NM United States
Hueschen, TOOTS Cedar Crest, NM United States
Humiston, Hank STRANGELY WARMED Albuquerque, NM United States
Humphreys, Ben BIZZY BEE Columbia, MO United States
Hungerford, Brenda HOT FLASH Dayton, NV United States
Hunter, Frank AIMLESS DRIFTER Carlsbad, NM United States
Hurst, Matt CAPTAIN A Albuquerque, NM United States
Ibbotson, Amanda STARDUST Arlington, TX United States
Ibbotson , Mark MARIAH Grand Prairie, TX United States
Isley, Todd TWYSTED MARTINI Carlisle, IA United States
Jackson, Neil FLYING CIRCUS Albuquerque, NM United States
James, Gay CRYSTAL BLUE HORIZON Orland, CA United States
James, Richard AIRBENDER Judson, TX United States
Johnson, Colleen MARY ALICE IN WONDERLAND Kiowa, CO United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
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Johnson, Jeff KEMO SABE Flagstaff, AZ United States
Johnson, Mike SKYTREK Kiowa, CO United States
Johnson, Randy AIR SHE GOES Bosque Farms, NM United States
Jones, Chris SERENITY Amarillo, TX United States
Jones, Jason RAINBOW RYDERS Overland Park, KS United States
Jones, Joel WINDSPIRIT Seale, AL United States
Jones, Rick MISSING BEAR Concord, NH United States
Jones, Steve TEXAS MAGIC Belton, TX United States
Kaufman, Blair STARS AND STRIPES Albuquerque, NM United States
Kaye, Andrew TIME TO FLY Irchester, Northants United Kingdom
Kehoe, Glo COCA-COLA Albuquerque, NM United States
Keller, Cliff LILY Santa Cruz, NM United States
Keller, Kelli FUNNER La Quinta, CA United States
Keller, Tom SKYDIVER La Quinta, CA United States
Kelly, Mike PRIMARY DREAM Albuquerque, NM United States
Kennedy, Craig RAINBOW RYDERS Phoenix, AZ United States
Keyser, Ralph EOS Albuquerque, NM United States
Kious, Tom DREAM ON Albuquerque, NM United States
Klein, Mikael AERO DIABLO Scottsdale, AZ United States
Klingberg, Mikael WHITAKER’S GIFT Oslo, Norway
Knuth, Paul SOMETHING CAME UP Crestwood, KY United States
Koenig, David BLULOON Menasha, WI United States
Korfe, Michael BUZZIN ROUND Albuquerque, NM United States
Kross, Bob MORNING MANNA Rapid City, SD United States
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Kugler, John STILL FLAMING! McCook, NE United States
Lamb, Patrick AERO CORDERO Las Cruces, NM United States
LaRotonda, Carol AEROTONDA Albuquerque, NM United States
Latypov, Valery AERONATC-2550 Moscow, Russia
Lavoie, Michael SCHMEDLEY Tucson, AZ United States
Lavorgna, Bruce AERODACTYL Austin, TX United States
Lawson, James HENDRICK’S Los Olivos, CA United States
Lee, Bill TRUE-LEE NEW MEXICO Gallup, NM United States
Lescarbeau, Al RAINBOW RYDERS Phoenix, AZ United States
Lete, Fred TWISTED Rio Rancho, NM United States
Libel, Steve AIRHAWK Marco Island, FL United States
Liberti, Chris AIRTIGHT Highlands Ranch, CO United States
Liberti, Daniel RAINBOW RYDERS Gilbert, AZ United States
Lilley, Carolyn IT’S A ZOO Albuquerque, NM United States
Lin, Martin MEET TAIWAN Taitung County, Taiwan
Lindsey, Greg JUST DUCKY Safford, AZ United States
Little, Lee PHENIX Mustang, OK United States
Llado, Josep MAGIC 8 Odena, Catalonia Spain
Lombardi, Steve RE / MAX Missouri City, TX United States
Lutz, Keith HIGH MAINTENANCE II Corrales, NM United States
Lynch, William SIZZLER Neosho, MO United States
Lynch, Jr., Jim WHIRLAWAY Destin, FL United States
MacKechnie, Roger SILVER SPIRIT Tucson, AZ United States
Maes, Ted T.M. FLUF-N-STUF Albuquerque, NM United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Maguire, Doug THE MAEZ GROUP/ FROST MORTGAGE Allenspark, CO • United States
Makin, Jessica INTEGRITY Rio Rancho, NM United States
Manus, William SHADOW DANCER Bosque Farms, NM United States
Marshall, Jimmy MORNING GLORY Sonoma, CA United States
Martin, Ron SKYWALKER Tampa, FL United States
Martindell, Don DAWN SONG II Albuquerque, NM United States
Marx, Michael FIRED UP TOO Prosper, TX United States
Mason, Jaybird FLAME ON Albuquerque, NM United States
Mass, Bob PITA’S KISS Albuquerque, NM United States
McClinton, Scott US BANK Prospect, KY United States
McConnell II, Thomas ZIA Albuquerque, NM United States
McCrory, Frank CHASE’S DREAM Floyds Knobs, IN United States
McGrath, Patrick TOP O’ THE MORNIN’ Yucaipa, CA United States
McKinley, Barbara MORNING STAR Siler City, NC United States
Meleski, Nick IZIA BALLOON Albuquerque, NM United States
Melton, Dave PURPLEHAZE Espanola, NM United States
Mezzancello, Steve IMMORTAL FANTASIA Albuquerque, NM United States
Michalek, Gary OSLI VE VZDUCHO Lafayette, CA United States
Miklousic, Igor ZAGREB Sesvetski Kraljevec, Zagreb Croatia
Miller, Dick THUNDERSTRUCK Homestead, FL United States
Mills, Mike AIRYTHMIA Ponca, AZ United States
Mitchell, Max TRAVELIN-LITE Champaign, IL United States
Moran, John SILVER WINGS Cortland, OH United States
Morgan, Gary GARY’S BALLOON Bedford, NH United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Moughan, Gavin REBEL ANGEL Albuquerque, NM United States
Msuya, Moses SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Myers, Jason A.M.SUNRISE McKinney, TX United States
Myers, Ken THE DOLPHIN Akron, OH United States
Nakamura, Judy BOUNCE Albuquerque, NM United States
Nash, Johnny DOUBLOON CON NEGRO Parker, CO United States
Nelson, Tim DRIFTING STAR Rancho Murieta, CA United States
Neubauer, Rick BREAKING WIND Miami, FL United States
Noe, Bill UP TWO NOE GOOD Gallup, NM United States
Nutting Jr., Robert WICKED Carlisle, IA United States
Oates, Randy GLORY Louisville, KY United States
Oberheide, Tom STRIPE Cary, IL United States
Obrien, Bob NAVAJO BOB Waupaca, WI United States
O’Bryne, Clarke FUEGO ENCANTADO Albuquerque, NM United State
Oldenburg, Susan J.A.M. Albuquerque, NM United States
Olguin, Paul SILVER LINING Chandler, AZ United States
Olivier, Orvin EARTH CHILD Sioux Falls, SD United States
O’Neill, Mark CHYM FM Belmont, Ontario Canada
Osborne, Dwayne SKYSCRAPER Phoenix, AZ United States
Ouellette Freve, Johann FREEDOM Longueuil, Quebec Canada
Owen, Brooke ADKBALLOON.COM Saratoga Springs, NY United States
Parr, Richard RACING VENTURE Pittsboro, NC United States
Pattyn, Dale HYGGELIG Kennesaw, GA United States
Paulin, Jerry TREE TOP FLYER Yuma, AZ United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
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Paulin, Matt UNWIND Yuma, AZ United States
Peart, Angus UP Lorne, Victoria Australia
Peek, Fred O’LOUGH Albuquerque, NM United States
Peete, Lichele SILVER LINING Albuquerque, NM United States
Pendleton, Craig SPIRIT IN THE SKY Albuquerque, NM United States
Person, Bud SCREWED UP GATOR Gainesville, FL United States
Peterson, Debbie BLUE AWAY Mabank, TX United States
Peterson, Jon EARTH WIND & FIRE II Racine, WI United States
Peterson, Rick PETE’S PRISM Mabank, TX United States
Petrehn, Becky TWISTED SISTER Louisburg, KS United States
Petrehn, John CANON SEE IMPOSSIBLE Houston, TX United States
Petrehn, Maury FARTHER ON Olathe, KS United States
Philpott, Martin AUSPICIOUS Bixby, OK United States
Pilgrim, Kevin SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Points, Annie HEAVEN SENT Frederick, CO United States
Polonowski, Chuck DOUBLE YELLOW Rockford, MI United States
Ponticelli, Jack CAROLINA KALEIDOSCOPE East Bend, NC United States
Providence, Dave SECOND WIND Erie, CO United States
Pulaski, Bob SKI LIFT Pineville, LA United States
Raper, Robert REDEMPTION North Bend, OR United States
Raskob, Chris AWAITING INFLATION Columbus, IN United States
Raya, Shawn SULLAIR Oxford, MI United States
Ret, Richard GOLDEN HIGH Dallas, TX United States
Reynolds, Joseph ASENDIN Austin, TX United States
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Rice, Brad HEARTS A’FIRE Rio Rancho, NM United States
Rice, Deborah FOXTROT Houston, TX United States
Richardson, Andy ADAMS BALLOON Albuquerque, NM United States
Robinson, Cody GRAND BANANA 2.0 Camden Point, MO United States
Rodden, John SONRISE Owasso, OK United States
Roholt, Jesse RAINBOW RYDERS Glendale, AZ United States
Roller, Billy SKYPONY Lubbock, TX United States
Romaneschi, Bob ARIZONA SUPERSTAR Peoria, AZ United States
Rose, Donald DANCES WITH WINDS Albuquerque, NM United States
Ross, John LONGWINDED Appleton, WI United States
Rucker, John NOT YET NAMED Genoa City, WI United States
Ruth, Dale DAWN’S DELIGHT Albuquerque, NM United States
Sabia, Chris WONDER BREAD Overland Park, KS United States
Sabin, Richard NIGHT BREEZE Henderson, TX United States
Sachenbacher, Rudi LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS Lowell, MA • United States
Salazar, Alfred RAINBOW RYDERS Bernalillo, NM United States
Salazar, Katelyn SKY MAGIC Los Lunas, NM United States
Sanchez, Ron WELLS FARGO Albuquerque, NM United States
Sandlin, Taylon NEBULA Albuquerque, NM United States
Sandlin, Tony STOP LIGHT Fishers, IN United States
Saul, Greg GOOD AND PLENTY Galesburg, IL United States
Scheer, Steve LAUGHY TAFFY Castle Rock, CO United States
Schick, Chuck BRILLIANT SHADOW Bosque Farms, NM United States
Schmitz, Jon FLYER Littleton, CO United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Schuler, Nolan BELLA COLORADO Manitou Springs, CO United States
Schultz, Marvin SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Schulz, Daniel MYSTIQUE ANGEL Belen, NM United States
Schwemmer, Kasey MOON PIGEON Wichita, KS United States
Scott, Michael SPIRIT IN DE SKIES Oklahoma City, OK United States
See, Glenn RACY MADAME Elephant Butte, NM United States
Seghers, Jos SKY STAR Breendonk, Antwerpen Belgium
Serra, Christine ARTEMIS Clinton, NJ United States
Sevrin, Sidney PERFECT TIMING Court-Saint-Etienne, Brabant-Wallon • Belgium
Shelhav, Shai BULLSEYE Albuquerque, NM United States
Sherman, Carol FINAL FRONTIER Kansas City, MO United States
Short, Dennis CHAMPAGNE COWBOY Broken Arrow, OK United States
Skach, Bruce ZROZRO7 Wichita, KS United States
Sutter, Denis LUCKY CHARM Hallsville, MO United States
Sklute, Ken FRACTALS Tempe, AZ United States
Slezak, Michael LUNA San Diego, CA United States
Smatana, Bernard EMINENCE El Paso, TX United States
Smith, Kathy LEVITY Albuquerque, NM United States
Smith, Neal FIRST LIGHT Albuquerque, NM United States
Soffera, Janet VACATION Rio Rancho, NM United States
Spear, Jeff RAINBOW RYDERS Sonoma, CA United States
Spreadbury, William CASSIDY’S “BAG OF BLUES” Lenexa, KS United States
Squires, Rick HIGHER DESIRE Rio Rancho, NM United States
Standefer, Wayne WAYNES AIR TOY Italy, TX United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2016 Official Program
/ sunday, october 8 thursday, october 12 / friday, october
saturday, october 7
13
/ saturday, october 14
all shows start at 8pm.
t h e b a l l o o n f i e s ta ÂŽ a n d a l b u q u e r q u e j o u r n a l p r e s e n t
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photo by greg sorber / albuquerque journal
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Steinbock, Tom SUNSET DREAMS Crestwood, KY United States
Stephenson, Kevin NO JOE RISIN’ Glendale, AZ United States
Stevens, Patrick RAINBOW RYDERS Phoenix, AZ United States
Stockley, Don MOONSHINE Murray, UT United States
Stodolski, Thomas NEVER TOO OLD Nashua, NH United States
Stokoe, Steven KNIGHT RIDER Lutz, FL United States
Story, Wayne SANTA FE SUNRISE Austin, TX United States
Strickland, Dave SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE Columbus, OH United States
Stukas, Dan CAROLINA BREEZE Central, SC United States
Stukas, DJ COX UTILITIES/811.COM Austin, TX United States
Sullivan, Dave CHECKRIDE Fayetteville, GA United States
Sullivan, Mark CODE RED Albuquerque, NM United States
Sutter, Denis LUCKY CHARM Hallsville, MO United States
Tadolini, Ken OUTLAW Denver, CO United States
Takach, Keith TAKACH ANOTHER BREEZE Albuquerque, NM United States
Tantillo, Christopher BREAKING WIND Topeka, KS United States
Taylor, Brian MAJOR AWARD Columbia, MO United States
Taylor, Tim DEE III Salt Lake City, UT United States
Tennis, David CAVU Tijeras, NM United States
Thacher, Elaine I’M BANANAS2 Albuquerque, NM United States
Thomas, George TIGER PAW EXPRESS Hallsville, MO United States
Thompson, Jeffrey SUNRACER Albuquerque, NM United States
Thompson, Jon 210 TO YUMA Kissimmee, FL United States
Thompson, Phil HOT STUFF Galena, IL United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Thongdee, Nithis SINGHA Bangsue District, Bangkok Thailand
Thornton, Floyd THUNDERCLOUD St Louis, MO United States
Trapp, Brian TINY Lebanon, OH United States
Trieber, Steve RAINBOW RYDERS Eastport, ME United States
Trillanes, Elisa SKINNY STUFF Albuquerque, NM United States
Trillanes, Mark PHAT STUFF Albuquerque, NM United States
Van Sant, Kurt ENCHANTED DIAMONDS Albuquerque, NM United States
Van Sant, Lori BLACK MAGIC WOMAN Albuquerque, NM United States
VandeHoef, Ed FADE AWAY Broomfield, CO United States
Vencel, Travis PHILLIPS 66 Bloomington, IN United States
Vesely, Scott TOO GRATEFUL McKinney, TX United States
Voorhees, Mike CRYPTONAUT Albuquerque, NM United States
Wade, Clare SOMETHING BORROWED Houston, TX United States
Walker, Bill HONEY DO Albuquerque, NM United States
Walker, Elizabeth LOOKING GLASS Rio Rancho, NM United States
Wallace, Marilyn RAINBOW THRU HEAVEN Santa Monica, CA United States
Walsh, Dan DISTRACTIONX Redlands, CA United States
Walter, Ken KAY’S WINDDANCER II Waukesha, WI United States
Waltman, C. Debbi NO WORRIES!! Windsor, CO United States
Waner, Andy HUBBABUBBA El Paso, TX United States
Watson, Barney COOL BEANS!! Albuquerque, NM United States
Watson-Meinke, Peggy STARLITE Santa Paula, CA United States
Wells, Bill SIERRA SUNRISE Carson City, NV United States
Wereschuk, Stan BLACK MAGIC Vernon, British Columbia Canada
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
The World’s Premier Balloon Event
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
West, Kay RED, WHITE & POOH Sioux Falls, SD United States
West, Mark SCREAM CATCHER Sioux Falls, SD United States
White, Cheri TOUCHSTONE ENERGY Austin, TX United States
White, Malcolm NIZHONI GALLUP Trim, Meath Ireland
Whiting, Mark “BIG TOP” Denver, CO United States
Whitling, Ian FRUITFLY Albuquerque, NM United States
Wiley, Sam WILEY COYOTE San Marcos, TX United States
Wilkinson, Justin FIREBALL Bermuda Dunes, CA United States
Williams, Adam PEACOCK Canton, MA United States
Williams, Crispin HANNIBAL Bristol, Somerset United Kingdom
Williams, Jim PIX Katy, TX United States
Williams, Lewin SPLITTAIL Las Vegas, NV United States
Wills, Buzz OLD SCHOOL Amarillo, TX United States
Wix, Shawn PINON Phoenix, AZ United States
Wolfe, Dennis ZULU Tampa, FL United States
Wolfe, Jonathan GLORIA CAELI Albuquerque, NM United States
Woller, Glenn BURNNG DESIRE Stevens Point, WI United States
Wolters, Layne BLUE THUNDER Hallsville, MO United States
Wong, Dale URSA MINOR Rancho Cucamonga, CA United States
Wood, Bruce SOCKO Carbondale, CO United States
Woodhead, Bill HIS SKY Harrison, ID United States
Woodruff, Woodruff AIRE-N GO BRAGH Albuquerque, NM United States
Word, Glen FLAMETHROWER Anthony, NM United States
Wright, Jonathan UNCHAINED Albuquerque, NM United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
BALLOON DIRECTORY
Wright, Thomee CHAIN GANG Albuquerque, NM United States
Young, Debby ROADTRIP Albuquerque, NM United States
Zamora, Loretta SAKI BOMBER Albuquerque, NM United States
Zielinski, Alan FEATHERLIGHT II Niles, IL United States
Zimmer, Rachel HUCKLEBERRY Rio Rancho, NM United States
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
Other Participating Pilots Albers, Timothy AIRYTHMIA Ponca, AR United States Bacon, Robert SUN FLYER Albuquerque, NM United States Bair, Erin BAIRLY AWAKE Grand Junction, CO United States
Christensen, Anne SCREAM CATCHER Chisago City, MN United States Courtney, Neida HOT STUFF Albuquerque, NM United States Critelli, Brian BLULOON Webster, TX United States
Gingerich, Joseph RED, WHITE & POOH Plain City, OH United States Glas, Richard HIGH OVER HEAD Phoenix, AZ United States Goade, Michael LOOKING GLASS Albuquerque, NM United States
Kaiser, Jaroslav PEPE THE HEDGEHOG Jirkov-Brezenec, Czech Republic Kenworthy, Christopher HUCKLEBERRY Rio Rancho, NM United States Klitz, Thomas LUCKY CHARM Payson, IL United States
Martin, Karen SILVER SPIRIT Tucson, AZ United States May, Rodney SPIRIT OF FIESTA II Albuquerque, NM United States McAllaster, Phred SILVER LINING Santa Fe, NM United States
Polonowski, Steve DOUBLE YELLOW La Grange, IL United States Regan, James FRACTALS Kensington, CT United States Reineke, Kathy SUNSATIONAL Mahomet, IL United States
Toledo, Paulo NITROFISH Guaruja, Brazil Tuley, Kenneth SANDIA SUNRISE II Albuquerque, NM United States Vesely, Kimberley TOO GRATEFUL Rio Rancho ,NM United States
Ball, David GYPSY SPIRIT Cherry Valley, CA United States
DeVaney, Carla POP-A-TOP, AGAIN Los Ranchos, NM United States
Gorenflo, Michael T.M. FLUF-N-STUF Albuquerque, NM United States
Knuth, Denise SOMETHING CAME UP Crestwood, KY United States
McCammon, Zachariah MAKIN MEMORIES Roswell, GA United States
Rice, Richard SPIRIT OF FIESTA II Albuquerque, NM United States
Walker, Mike LOOKING GLASS Rio Rancho, NM United States
Berka, David MYSTICAL BREEZE Binghamton, NY United States Blackaby, Gayle MARAUDER’S MARK Rio Rancho, NM United States Blair, John FINNIGAN Bridgeton, NJ United States Blair Sr, Delbert FINNIGAN Bridgeton, NJ United States Bogdanowicz, Erik NO WORRIES!! Hayden, ID United States BOYER, Don AIRRAGEOUS Belen, NM United States
Dickey, Bill 2ND WIND Corrales, NM United States Dickey, Carol 2ND WIND Corrales, NM United States Dickey, Niki 2ND WIND Albuquerque, NM United States Evans, Gary POP-A-TOP, AGAIN Tucson, AZ United States Fitzpatrick, Wiliam INTEGRITY Albuquerque, NM United States Fricke, Barbara SANDIA SUNRISE II Albuquerque, NM United States
Gunter, Ryan FIESTA Albuquerque, NM United States Guzzo, Marla NO WORRIES!! Niwot, CO United States Handl, Stefan SANDIA SUNLITE Heroldsback, Bavaria Germany Harbold, Clarke MORNING STAR Charlotte, NC United States Hargrave, Ashley SOMETHING BORROWED Mesa, AZ United States Hayt, Gauthier TOLFY Soree, Belgium
Kuller, Timothy COOL FLYINGS Mesa, AZ United States LaRotonda, David AEROTONDA Albuquerque, NM United States Liberti, Michael AIRTIGHT Gilbert, AZ United States Lips, Arn 7TH HEAVEN Ledegem, West Vlaanderen Belgium Loeffler, Steven DAWN’S DELIGHT Albuquerque, NM United States Lupton, Sally LADY JESTER Albuquerque, NM United States
Mezzancello, Frank SPIRIT OF FIESTA II Albuquerque, NM United States Mezzancello, Patricia IMMORTAL FANTASIA Albuquerque, NM United States Mick, Bryan SANDIA SUNRISE II Albuquerque, NM United States Morgan, James OLD SCHOOL Amarillo, TX United States ONeill, Michael TWIST OF FATE Lake lotawana, MO United States Pata, John AIRE-N GO BRAGH Rio Rancho, NM United States
Runge, David SPIRIT IN THE SKY Grand Prairie, TX United States Saiz, Josh CRYSTAL BLUE HORIZON Albuquerque, NM United States Schofield, Terri HIGH DEF Springfield, OR United States Secrist, McKenna ENDLESS JOY Bothell, WA United States Shrum, Michael TE AMO Bellevue, NE United States Shumate, Kenneth RISING STARS Orlando, FL United States
Ware, Brian WHOOZ’UP Salt Lake City, UT United States Watkins, Jon HALE-LUCINATIONS Albuquerque, NM United States Welz, Zerek AJUUA DEJA VUUA Albuquerque, NM United States Wilson, John EOS Albuquerque, NM United States Wilson II, Dale FIREWALKER Augusta, MI United States
Bradshaw, Samuel BREEZY RIDER Albuquerque, NM United States Chavez, David VACATION Artesia, NM United States
Gallegos, Frank SKY MAGIC Los Lunas, NM United States Gebhart, James ITR Indianola, IA United States
Heinrich, Philip PATIENCE Phoenix, AZ United States Hooper Jr., Jerry SS AMERICA Corpus Christi, TX United States
Magee, Kimberly GORDO Swisher, IA United States Mares, JP ENCHANTED DIAMONDS Albuquerque, NM United States
Pendleton, Mae Bell SPIRIT IN THE SKY Albuquerque, NM United States Perry, Jr, James HIGH BISCUS Corrales, NM United States
Smith, Allen LESS WEIGHT, MORE FILLING Grass Lake, MI United States Stanko, Nicholas DON’T TELL MY WIFE Austin, TX United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
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THE SHOW BEHIND THE SHOW BY KIM VESELY FOR THE AIBF HERITAGE COMMITTEE
I
n the dark and chill of the very early morning, it is quiet at Balloon Fiesta Park. A forest of green and blue lights twinkle atop the pylons that mark the balloon launch sites on the 77-acre grass field, while the occasional rabbit takes advantage of the peace and quiet to munch on the grass. The dew glistens off the top of the concession tents as some of the 100-plus members of the security force quietly prowl the park. In the America’s Challenge Command Center, the controllers who track and assist the gas balloonists in their journey across America don’t have much to do besides watch the balloons’ progress. Aloft, the pilots huddle in layers of heavy clothes against the freezing temperatures, watching the weather and plotting strategy in the hope of traveling further across the country than any of their competitors. But daylight is just hours away, and the smell of coffee starts wafting across the park. In a tent behind the hospitality suites, workers from
New Mexico Piñon Coffee Company start brewing hundreds of gallons of wake-up juice, soon to be gulped by thousands of grateful pilots, volunteers (known as Navigators), media, officials, and Balloon Fiesta guests. Over nine days, they’ll drink more than 100,000 cups of the stuff. Elsewhere up and down Main Street and in the hospitality areas sausage sizzles on the grill, eggs fry, and dozens of tortillas are filled with the makings of breakfast burritos. At the Sid Cutter Pilots’ Pavilion, it’s waffle day; Carol Bair and her team heat up their waffle irons. Many of them, including Carol, have been feeding pilots and chase crew members for twenty years or more. In the officials’ compound, the weather team sets up its tracking gear and releases a small helium balloon to give the Balloonmeister and his team, meeting nearby to plan the day’s flights, their first idea of the morning’s weather. On the roads leading into the park, security and police officers and a small army of traffic control and
parking volunteers get ready to welcome guests to Balloon Fiesta Park. For many years, civic groups including the Civitans and the Kiwanis have loyally performed this service, a major fundraiser for their organizations. Out in the Park and Ride lots in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, a hundred school bus drivers get ready to transport guests to the park. It’s the Balloon Fiesta nobody sees, and it’s a massive effort. Every October for nine days, 365 mostly uninhabited acres in north Albuquerque become the state’s third biggest city. On peak days, more than 100,000 people pile into Balloon Fiesta Park. While they’re there, they need all of the amenities of any first class community: restaurants, shops, ATM’s, medical facilities, police and fire protection, garbage collection -and of course restrooms. Throughout most of the year, Balloon Fiesta Park functions as, well, a park. It’s maintained by crews from the City of Albuquerque and used as a golf facility, events center,
Albuquerque Fire Department paramedics hope they can spend their day watching balloons and visiting with guests, but they’re ready for any emergency in case someone needs assistance
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I n f l a t e Yo u r I m a g i n a t i o n
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The interagency command post, where dispatchers from various law enforcement agencies coordinate their officers’ activities.
and for all kinds of sporting events, concerts, community festivities, and even (gasp!) a balloon launch site. Maintaining enough grass to cover 56 football fields is a big job, but well worth it to the thousands of people who enjoy activities at the park throughout the year and especially during the Balloon Fiesta itself. In the early years the launch fields were dirt and not very inviting for either fans or balloonists who lamented the dust that caked the balloon after nine days of flying. The addition of grass changed Balloon Fiesta into a true family event, where parents and children can make a day of it picnicking, playing, and relaxing on the nice green grass. The park contains utilities, paving, fencing, some permanent parking, and of course the actual launch field. But there are only three permanent buildings: the Public Safety Center, Events Center, and the Sid Cutter Pilots’ Pavilion which serves as an on-field headquarters and pilot hospitality center. Everything else has to be erected, connected, and otherwise installed in the few weeks
Waffle Day at Pilot Hospitality
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before every Balloon Fiesta. About a month before Balloon Fiesta begins, staff, navigators, and vendors begin the transformation of the sprawling field into a small city: erecting tents, hauling in trailers, and placing 375 (count ‘em) porta-potties. The detail is endless: making sure the electrical and plumbing works, installing sound systems and a temporary stage, creating a gas station
and garage for the more than 200 golf carts used by officials, putting up signage, banners, and the flags of all the nations represented at the Balloon Fiesta. A phalanx of law enforcement officials arrive and set up shop. Just about every acronym in law enforcement is represented: ATF, FEMA, Homeland Security, the military, State Police, and all of the local police and fire agencies provide security (seen and unseen) similar to that of a Super Bowl, Rose Parade, or Indianapolis 500. The Balloon Fiesta provides these agencies with a real-world opportunity to practice coordinating their services. Around 4:30 AM, things really begin hopping at the park. Visitors begin streaming into the parking lots. Vendors on Main Street open their tent flaps and serving windows to welcome the growing crowds. At the Gondola Club, Chasers Club, the Sponsor and Media Hospitality centers, the staff, food service providers, and Navigators welcome the first sleepy guests. In the officials compound, the Balloonmeister and his team finish their morning briefing. The 65+ launch directors (better known as “Zebras”), and 30-odd scoring officers who officiate the competitions file in to get the day’s marching orders. Key officials from the law enforcement agencies parse the morning intelligence and coordinate their efforts for the day. Nearby, city and county paramedics and the fully-staffed medical center, which for many years has been operated by Lovelace Healthcare System, stands ready to treat everything from the inevitable scrapes and bruises to a heart attack. Any on-field official or Zebra can summon medical assistance in case of an emergency. As the clock moves past 5 AM,
thousands of guests stream into the Park and the Park and Ride buses begin dropping their passengers at the gates. Shuttle drivers zip back and forth from the parking lots and RV parks to the balloon field. In the three temporary RV parks near the launch site, some Balloon Fiesta guests are catching some extra shut-eye. They can sleep in a little, since their home away from home is within a short walk from Balloon Fiesta Park. (See the article on page 70.)
As the clock moves past 5 a.m., thousands of guests stream into the park and the Park and Ride buses begin dropping their passengers at the gates. For some time now, the balloon launch site has been filling up with the trucks and trailers carrying the balloonists’ equipment. Now, as 6 AM approaches and dawn breaks behind the mountains, the clatter of fans signals the inflation of the first balloons flown by members of the Dawn Patrol. These dozen or so pilots carry special lighting equipment which enables them to fly in the darkness before daylight. In unison, they stand their balloons upright and perform a short
synchronized balloon glow before majestically rising into the still dark sky to the cheers of the earlymorning crowd. No one is watching the Dawn Patrol more closely than the hundreds of other pilots now gathered at the briefing tower for the 6:15 AM officials briefing. The Dawn Patrol gives them their first real-time look at what the winds aloft are doing. Pilots rely on changes in wind direction at different altitudes to “steer.” The winds often change after the sun comes up, but the pilots can still get an idea if the famous “Albuquerque box” is in effect: winds that at low altitude carry the balloons to the south away from Balloon Fiesta Park but at higher altitudes bring them back to the north toward the launch field. The briefing ends and the pilots and crews head toward their vehicles to ready their craft for flight as the launch directors and safety officials deploy across the field to coordinate the launch. For the next hour and a half or more, Balloon Fiesta Park will be a magical place, as the hundreds of balloons head aloft or (on competition days) fly to targets set up in the middle of the launch field. The last balloons are gone, but the day is hardly over. Not even close. The Main Street concessions fill with guests bagging their favorite snacks and souvenirs before heading to the parking lots and Park and Ride buses. The pilots and crews, having packed up their craft and returned to Balloon Fiesta Park, pull out their coolers and set up tailgate parties, some of which would rival those at any pro football stadium. Nearby, it’s rush hour at one of the biggest unseen operations at Balloon Fiesta: a “gas station” for balloons where the pilots refuel their craft. Over ten days, this facility will pump nearly
I n f l a t e Yo u r I m a g i n a t i o n
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As the final balloons deflate, guests are treated to a spectacular fireworks display before heading home. 100,000 gallons of propane into balloon fuel tanks. Now that’d cook a lot of barbeque! It’s noon, and on Main Street weary concessionaires close up their tents to grab a few hours’ rest before guests begin pouring into the park again for the evening Balloon Glow. Out on the field, the big and important job of garbage collection has begun: tens of thousands of spectators invariably leave a lot of trash behind! Nearby, pumping trucks pull up next to the porta-potties to take care of an equally important job. In the Navigator hospitality tent, where volunteers can catch a quick snack and take a break, the Field Manager, Janie Jordan, gets off her feet for a few minutes. It doesn’t last long. Soon her cell phone rings and she’s off to take care of the latest in a seemingly endless parade of details. As mid-afternoon approaches, the cycle begins anew. Vendors open up, vehicles pour in, and an even
Maintaining all that nice green grass is a yearround effort for City of Albuquerque grounds crews. Far-left photo: Coffee, anyone?
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bigger crowd than the morning ascension heads in to see one of the five evening Balloon Glows. The big difference here is that the balloons don’t actually fly away, but stay on the field illuminated for the joy of spectators. As the final balloons deflate, guests are treated to a spectacular fireworks display (there’s a whole operation behind staging this too) before heading home. The balloon field slowly falls quiet. The blue and green lights twinkle across the silent park. In just a few hours, the cycle will begin all over again.
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IN MEMORIAM:
KELLY HELVIE
One of the biggest and most thankless tasks at the Balloon Fiesta – and one of the most appreciated by participants and guests – is trash removal. For more than 20 years, this tough job was coordinated by Kelly Helvie, a longtime community volunteer and advocate for special needs children. Kelly passed away this May, and will be missed by the Balloon Fiesta family.
We make the balloons fly. Airgas is the Official Propane Sponsor of Balloon Fiesta. INDUSTRIAL GASES • MEDICAL GASES S P E C I A LT Y G A S E S • W E L D I N G S U P P L I E S SAFETY SUPPLIES Call 1-866-935-3370 or, visit us on the web at: www.airgas.com
2016. Airgas, Inc. All rights reserved.
LIVING ON SITE Balloon Fiesta® Full Immersion BY CHARLOTTE KINNEY
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n the early 1980’s when the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® was still young, I was fortunate to have transitioned from being a spectator to a crew member, pilot and ultimately, the first woman to serve as Balloonmeisterin, the official in charge of flying events. My duties on the field required predawn meetings with weather officials and pilots. This schedule allowed me to join other officials staying onsite at the field in an RV during the event. It didn’t take long to realize this is the very best way to experience the magic of Balloon Fiesta. Some people are happy finding a hotel or backyard where they can get a good view of the balloons flying overhead, or at least in the distance, at the whim of cooperative winds aloft. But as beautiful as it is to see a bright New Mexico sky filled with colorful balloons, nothing beats the experience of being in the middle of the balloons as they inflate and lift off or fly over the field as part of a competition. It’s impossible to realize the enormity of a hot air balloon until you are standing beside it! Each launch is a unique experience and no two are ever the same. Most people find they can attend multiple days of Balloon Fiesta and never get bored. After the morning flight, there are lots of things to do in Albuquerque and the surrounding area and many evenings there is some variation of an inflation and “balloon glow.” Do you have an RV and are always looking for a new experience? Are
you exhausted from getting up early and fighting traffic to get to the field before the first launch? (Not to mention the traffic when you leave the field or wait to get on a shuttle to go back to your car!) Since traffic congestion is the #1 frustration of everyone who gets to the field after 4:30 a.m. and/or leaves the field after the flying events, Balloon Fiesta is more enjoyable if you can stay close to the launch site. Although there are several Park and Ride locations in Albuquerque to make your commute less stressful, getting as many as 70,000 guests into and out of the event takes some time! If you are considering bringing your RV to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, you should start with the basic questions: how many days do you want to stay and where will you park your rig? Both decisions require some planning. First, remember that there is a threenight minimum stay requirement for all campsites operated by the Balloon Fiesta. Also, keep in mind that weather cancellations are sometimes necessary for the safety of pilots and guests. It would be a huge disappointment to miss out on events like the Balloon Glow or the Special Shape Rodeo™ because you cut your stay in Albuquerque too short and events had to be cancelled. October mornings are cool in Albuquerque but the temperatures climb quickly, so plan to dress in layers. It’s easy to think that a couple of days would be adequate for your Balloon Fiesta visit. I mean, how many balloons do you need The view of the launch field from the President’s Compound (prime RV real estate!) Photo by Angie Pence
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to watch? However, even though October is the most predictable month for weather in Albuquerque, not every day in October is good weather for flying balloons. Nearly every year one or more flying events are cancelled because of weather conditions that make it unsafe to fly. Unlike an airplane, a hot air balloon cannot safely fly in rain or snow (not unheard of in October), but the most likely weather condition to affect flights is wind. The Balloon Fiesta’s operating limitations require flights to be cancelled if ground winds exceed 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour) for the safety of pilots, passengers, and guests. But many pilots choose not to fly in winds
it’s best to plan ahead for a choice location. Online reservations for the following year open at 9 a.m. MDT, October 24, nine days after the Balloon Fiesta, on the Balloon Fiesta website, www. balloonfiesta.com. In 2017 the premium sites were sold out in nine minutes and the wait list was closed at 750 requests. But there are other options and you may find a standard “dry” site will suit your needs. You will still have an easy (and free) shuttle to the launch field to be in middle of all the action, or if you’re not in the mood for dealing with crowds, be able to sit outside your RV and watch hundreds of balloons fly overhead. It’s not uncommon for balloons
Balloons float over the “standard” RV sites, giving guests a great view! Photo by Kim Vesely. higher than about seven miles an hour, and balloons sitting on the ground for the Special Shape and balloon glows are especially hard to handle as the wind increases. There are many options for those who want to be close to the action, but like any large event,
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to land in or next to the RV sites, giving campers a chance to see the balloons and visit with pilots and crews up close and personal. RV sites are rated and priced by location and amenities, with those closest to the launch field being the most expensive and often
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the first ones reserved. Staying in the President’s Compound (the onsite home of the AIBF Board of Directors, including their President) is a bucket list item for many people. The site is located on a small bluff just east of and overlooking the field, one of two areas providing 30-50-amp power and water hook ups. A shuttle bus operates regularly to get you off the hill and into the Main Street concession and launch area. Included in the $175 per night cost are 4 admission tickets to events on the field during your stay. Also on the bluff east of the launch field (no morning sun will interfere with photos!) is the VIP East RV parking area. It provides dry camping with a fabulous view and convenient shuttle service to the field. The VIP West site is also dry camping located closest to the launch field, just west of the Balloon Museum. Both VIP lots cost $90 per night in 2017 and include two entry passes to the launch field during your stay. A number of RV tour groups (including Winnebago Outdoor Adventures, Fantasy Tours, Adventure Caravans, Boomers, Monacoers to name a few) book sites at Balloon Fiesta every year. Some of these tours provide meals, social activities and additional tours in the area. The remaining RV sites are located across Alameda Boulevard, approximately 1/2 mile from the launch field, with shuttle service to give you a lift if you need it. They include standard dry camping at $35 per night, “Box View” dry sites for $45 per night, and Premium sites with 20-30amp power and water for $75 per night. All sites are close to porta-potties and garbage disposal. No dumps are available on site but a “honey wagon” and water service come to your RV for a nominal fee. Parking is “Rally Style” so you are parked as you arrive. The facilities are
all temporary, available from the Monday prior to Balloon Fiesta until the Monday after Balloon Fiesta ends. Since this is the desert southwest, the parking areas are dirt, with a few goat heads (stickers, burrs) thrown in for good measure. Standard dry sites are the last to be reserved so there is a good chance you can find one, even at the last minute. Do you have your bike on the back of the rig? Great – it’s the perfect way to get to the field! Free valet bike parking is available just north of the Balloon Museum and you can get there without worrying about vehicular traffic. A bike path takes you north along a drainage channel underneath the lines of traffic on Alameda. Since more than 1,000 volunteers (known as Navigators) are needed each year to make the Balloon Fiesta happen, you may want to consider helping while you are camped at Balloon Fiesta. A team of RV volunteers “workamp” each year starting after Labor Day, many staying through a few days after the event. These are not paid positions, but when a certain level of volunteer hours is reached they receive free RV parking, hook-ups, and many other benefits. Another way to get involved is to serve on the ground and chase crew for one of the pilots. Hot air balloons are large and heavy, plus you never really know where they will land. A crew of at least 3-4 people is essential for each balloon on each flight. Out-of-town pilots often cannot bring a full crew for the entire Balloon Fiesta and help is often needed. You can sign up online at “Crew Registration” or at the Chase Crew booth on the field. If you are ready to be fully immersed in Balloon Fiesta, if only for a few days, be sure to check out the great information at http:// www.balloonfiesta.com to help you plan your trip. Looking down on RVers looking up! Photo by Angie Pence.
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Balloon Fiesta Fans Say the Darndest Things ®
BY DICK BROWN FOR THE AIBF HERITAGE COMMITTEE
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t has often been said that photos of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, dazzling though they may be, fall far short of the experience of being there. They can’t begin to convey not only the size and scale of the balloons, but also the sounds. The roar of the burners, the clatter of inflation fans, and the whistles of launch directors clearing balloons for takeoff make the Balloon Fiesta a feast for the ear as well as the eye. But even with the inflation fans, the long burner blasts and the cheers of the crowd, there are thousands of simultaneous conversations going on among Balloon Fiesta visitors. For example, at an on-field wedding ceremony, a woman nudges another and asks “If you can’t hear the marriage vows over the burner
noise, do they still count?” Like the participating balloonists, Balloon Fiesta guests come in all sizes, shapes, nationalities and ages. Kids tug at their parents. An excited four-year old boy shouts, “Let’s go see this one, no, wait, that one, no, that one.” An elderly couple
A group of five teenage girls, with selfie sticks held high, are in the launch path of the Piranha balloon, “Maybe we should get out of the way!” one of the girls suggests. Another takes a firm stand, “No, stay here, he can go around us.” Seconds later, nearly tripping over themselves, “We’re outta here!” An overwhelmed first-timer standing next to Baby Dino exclaims, “I can’t believe you can actually stand out here in the midst of all this — with baskets being unloaded, balloons being inflated, chase vehicles being driven. Wow!” With the crowd standing shoulder-to-shoulder around the inflation of the popular dairy cow balloon known as Airabelle, a young woman shouts over the burner blasts, “There’s like a million people out here and I have found only
Fire! Dad, that balloon’s on fire!
PHOTOS BY BENNIE BOS
unfolds their folding chairs and the husband says to his wife, “We’re not going any farther; the balloons can just come to us.” An emotional woman on her cell phone answers a question from a friend back East, “No, it’s nothing like that. I tell you, I’m watching a row of Rainbow Ryder balloons right now. First they blow ‘em up and then they set ‘em on fire!”
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one person I actually know.” One teenager suggests to another, “Let’s see if we can wrangle a ride in the Fire Engine balloon.” “Yeah,” the other says with a cryptic smile, “if there’s a fire, we’ll be first on the scene.” “Fire! Dad, that balloon’s on fire!” To his young son, “No they are just
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heating it up for takeoff.” Little girl, “Look, the Donkey balloon’s blown up!” Dad responds, “No, you mean it’s inflated. And that’s not a donkey, it’s a zebra; you remember Mister Z from last year, don’t you?” Then there’s the spectator looking at two launch officials, affectionately
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known as zebras, “You kinda match!” Another avid ballooning fan looking at the partially blocked Stork balloon asks, “What’s that sticking out?” Fellow fan, “Uh, looks like chicken legs.” One puzzled spectator to another, “What is that pink thing? It looks like a pink Santa Claus. Check the
program.” “Let’s see . . . it’s a ganome!” “What’s a ga-nome?” After a long pause, “Oh, gee, you mean Gnome, you don’t pronounce the g.” Two young men in cowboy hats and boots have a brainstorm. One says, “I think the Stagecoach needs a companion balloon; call it Six-in-Hand — that’s an Old West expression for
a team of six horses!” His sidekick responds, “I know what it means! I’m a cowboy too, ya know.” “Well, sometimes I wonder about you.” The sidekick interrupts, “I know what you’re thinking — the Stagecoach and the team of horses could be hitched up like they do with that family of bumble bee balloons.” As the Pirate Ship balloon floats away in search of treasure, a fellow asks, “How high do they go?” Answer from a man standing nearby, pointing skyward. “That one’s up about 30,000 feet.” (Not.) The Force is strong at the Balloon Fiesta. Posing for a picture with a stormtrooper in front of the Darth Vader balloon, a young Star Wars fan asks the stormtrooper, “Can I borrow your blaster to shoot Master Yoda?” Two elderly women watch the giant beagle balloon rise into the sky. One asks, “Does it look to you like the Beagle balloon is moving closer to the Fire Hydrant balloon?” The other woman, with her finger on a page in the program, agrees, “Yes, and it says here the Fire Hydrant has a name — Squirt!” “That could be the name for the Beagle too.” Another elderly lady asks a nearby stranger, “Are ballooners allowed to circle back to the field?” He answers, “Oh yeah, they do it all
I can’t believe you can actually stand out here in the midst of all this — with baskets being unloaded, balloons being inflated, chase vehicles being driven. Wow! the time.” She has another question, “How fast can a balloon go?” He answers, “I’m thinking 45 to 50 miles an hour.” (In fact, balloons move at the same speed as the wind, whatever that is.) Launch official to the crowd, “Heads up, the Mariachi balloon is lifting off.” One observer to another, “That reminds me, it’s almost time to mosey on over to Main Street for breakfast burritos.” A ten-year old boy is fascinated by a balloon called Touchdown. “Wait by that football balloon! I’ll be right back.” Ten-year old, “But Mom, the football is taking off!” Out-of-town visitor, “Wow, I’m just blown away. I’ll be back next year if they have another Balloon Fiesta.” Then there’s a conversation among three spectators and an official over morning coffee after the last evening’s gas balloon launch. “Any news about the gas balloons?” Looking at the balloon tracker on his iPhone, the official reports, “There are three tracks to the east and one to the west.” He pauses for a moment, “In fact, the French team has crossed into Arizona!” He then assumes a French accent and imitates the pilot-in-
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command: “François, let’s go see the Grand Canyon!” As it happens, that’s exactly what the French team of Benôit Pelard and Laurent Lajoye had in mind. They didn’t quite make it to the Grand Canyon, but did get a great view of the Painted Desert. A middle-aged first-timer watching a dark-colored balloon asks, “I heard you cannot steer a balloon so how is it that the Dos Equis balloon is now going backwards.” “Oh, that’s easy,” replies the Navigator, “you surely have heard of the famous Albuquerque Box, right?” “The
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...there must be a steering wheel in the basket that we cannot see. pilot has a box?” “No, the box is a local atmospheric phenomenon involving winds at different altitudes in different directions.” “Oh . . . but how does the balloon reverse direction?” The Navigator
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saunters away, shaking his head and muttering to himself. A young woman, having overheard the conversation, walks over to the first-timer. “I think I know the answer to your question. It’s really quite simple; there must be a steering wheel in the basket that we cannot see.” Yes, there is no doubt about it; fans at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta really do say the darndest things!
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Offer valid for activations in select Verizon Wireless Retail or Authorized Agent locations. Limited-time offer. Receipt of final bill from current carrier req’d. Reimbursement for early termination fees or installment buyout costs associated with switch will be paid with a Visa® prepaid card. Cards will be mailed within 8 weeks after receipt of claim and expire in 6 months. This card is issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Cards will not have cash access and can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Maximum of 10 port-in activations/valid submissions per account. Activation fee/line: $30. Subject to VZW Agmts, Calling Plan and credit approval. Offers and coverage, varying by svc, not available everywhere; see VerizonWireless.com. While supplies last. ©2017 Verizon Wireless ETFPROMOPOD0217EN
Ballooning With the Sun BY TOM MCCONNELL, FOR THE AIBF HERITAGE COMMITTEE
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estled in the foothill mesas and arroyos of the Sierra Nacimiento Mountains of Central New Mexico lies the Zia Pueblo. The indigenous Native American people of the Zia Tribe believe that the Sun is the center of their spiritual lives. For centuries, the symbol of their belief has been the Zia Sun symbol, with sun-rays emanating from four sides of the sun-circle. The circle represents Healing Energy, the giver of life, the provider of warmth, and a life-line with no beginning and no end. The sixteen rays represent, by four groups of four: dawn, day, dusk and dark; spring, summer, fall and winter; infancy, youth, adulthood and old age; and north, east, south and west. Four being a sacred number for the Zia people, these thoughts coalesce their religious obligations: strong body, clear mind, pure spirit and devotion to the people’s welfare. In 1923, the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored a contest for design of a New Mexico state flag. Dr. Harry P. Mera, a Santa Fe physician and anthropologist, submitted the winning design, which
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became the official flag for the United States’ 47th state, admitted to the Union in 1912. It was approved by the state legislature and thenGovernor Hannett in 1925. Dr. Mera got his inspiration from a Zia pot, a 19th century water jar made by an unknown Zia woman potter, in the collections of the Laboratory of Anthropology. That Zia pot’s two sun symbols --one on each side -- depict a face inside two circles. Its twelve stubby “rays” number three in each group, the middle one being much thicker than the two that flank it. The face is surrounded by a halo of hair. [This research appeared in “The Zia Sun Symbol: Variations on a Theme” in El Palacio, the journal of the Museum of New Mexico, in the summer of 1968, and was written by Richard Polese of Santa Fe.] In February 1973, during the First World Hot-Air Balloon Championships and second Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, four friends took part as volunteer crew for two different balloons. On the last day of the Balloon Fiesta, Don Barz and Tom McConnell got their first balloon
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rides. The next day, Don and Tom went to Cutter Aviation to sign up for pilot training. During the next three months of pilot training, Don and Pat Barz and Tom and Mary McConnell discussed and finally ordered a balloon from Sid Cutter. It was Mary’s idea to have the balloon look like the New Mexico State flag.
Tom added a request for the FAA registration number to be 1912, the year New Mexico was admitted to the union. The yellow and red Zia Balloon arrived June 29, 1973, and was inflated for the first time the next day. It was a Raven S-50A 56,000 cubic foot envelope with a two-can burner, later replaced by the first standard type-certificated four-can burners in New Mexico. Don and Tom first flew the balloon together from Sandia Girl’s School on July 4, 1973. This was the first of four almost-identical Zia balloons. These have all been the unofficial New Mexico state flag balloons. The second Zia was a Raven S-55A 78,000 cubic foot balloon first flown on July 31, 1976. This was following the transfer of the first Zia to Tom and Mary McConnell after the Barz’s bought another balloon. The third Zia was a Raven Rally, 78,000 cubic foot first flown on October 1, 1987. The fourth Zia was an Aerostar H-57 Horizon model 90,000 cubic foot first flown July 19, 2003. This balloon now belongs to Tom and Mary’s son Tom II, (transferred
in 2007), and who now flies with essentially the same Zia family and long-time crew added over the years. In the beginning, there were five family members who flew and perhaps ten friends who crewed, and now there are 34 family members plus many additional crew. All four Zia balloons looked
the same – yellow with a red Zia Sun symbol on two opposite sides, a red top, red pennants and a red skirt. The federal registration numbers remained the same, except that in 2016, the number was changed from N1912N to N1912M. The first red balloon with a yellow Zia Sun symbol was purchased by John Davis in the early 1980s. It had the Zia Sun symbol only on one side, and there were several gores of yellow on the mostly red balloon. John called it Albuquerque Pflash. It was a Raven AX-7 model S-55A with 78,000 cubic foot envelope and registration N65755. Bruce Hale purchased Pflash in the late 1980s, renaming it Duke in honor of the ‘Duke of Alburquerque’ (note the extra ‘r’ from the original Spanish) and also for Albuquerque’s then-minor league baseball team ‘The Dukes.’ When this envelope wore out in 1993, he ordered a new red balloon, this with three yellow Zia Sun symbols on three sides, with no yellow gores. It was an Aerostar S-60A with 105,000 cubic foot envelope and registration number N9096A. Later (2003), the year 1706 and a dove, both in
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yellow, were placed strategically to look exactly like the official city flag of Albuquerque. The dove represents ‘peace,’ and 1706 was the year Albuquerque was “incorporated.” This balloon is now owned and flown by Buzz Biernacke of Albuquerque, who changed the name to Zia Later. It has presently 350 hours total time, and the N-number remains the same. The next balloon was homebuilt by Grant Crawford in 1995. It has an experimental 70,000 cubic foot envelope with a small stylized yellow Zia symbol on an all-red envelope which he calls JR . This balloon has a slightly different shape than a normal balloon of this size, and the Zia on the right-hand side (as you look at it) is extended about a third of the way around the envelope. The registration is N7108U, and it presently has 320 hours total time. Frank Bacon and Bill Douglas, the last remaining members of the
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Buff alo Chip Chapter of the Dublin Balloon Club, founded in February 1973, decided to purchase their fifth balloon (having worn out the previous four) in 1996. In a JoinA-School project with the North Valley Optimist Club and Los Ranchos Elementary School, the Douglas and Bacon families worked with a group of students to design and name the new balloon. The Zia Sun symbol against a background of blue, proposed by student Savanna Perdomo, was chosen. The Zia is a yellow stylized Zia, fi rst on a thin background of red, all on a background of dark sky-blue. The name Sun Flyer was proposed by Annette Lujan. This balloon was christened on Friday September 13, 1996. It is an Aerostar S55-A, 77,000 cubic foot envelope, federal registration N71679, delivered on August 15, 1996 and fi rst fl own on August 25, 1996. It has fl own 450 hours to date. Bill Douglas retired from fl ying in 2011. Sun Flyer is
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now piloted by Frank Bacon (a pilot since 1973) and his son Josh (a pilot since 2008). An early balloon with the New Mexico state flag on it was Four Corners, owned and flown by Clair Bennett and Ron Slonaker from Farmington. It was a red, white and blue Thunder, and had four white rectangles on its four sides where the flags of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico could be attached. Another early balloon with a state flag incorporated into the design was El Globo Grande, owned by Joe Gonzales. It was black and yellow and red and had a giant New Mexico flag on one side. For Nick Mileski’s fourth balloon, he purchased a Cameron 0-120 (120,000 cubic foot) in 2013 which he called Izia Balloon. Its registration number is N120NM, and it presently has 130 hours total time. It has a multi-colored (red, yellow, white, blue) envelope with a red Zia symbol within a rectangular yellow
background. Nick flies this balloon in Taos, New Mexico, and fills in occasionally for World Balloon in Albuquerque. Rainbow Ryders, owned by Scott Appelman, the official ride concessionaire for Balloon Fiesta, has several of his diamond-patterned balloons with yellow crowns (the envelope tops) where a large red Zia symbol has been added. There is a new Rainbow Ryder balloon which is mostly yellow with a large red diamond within which is a yellow Zia. Similarly, the official Fiesta balloon now sports a red Zia on its yellow crown. The Zia symbol is now used by countless companies and organizations to promote the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, and especially to honor the ancient roots of the Zia Pueblo and its people. New Mexico is also noted for balloons, and some marketing and promotional examples of the combination are presented here.
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Where there’s spirit, there’s community
When people come together to celebrate shared beliefs, they create an instant community of the spirit. And before you know it, everyone is participating. We proudly salute Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® Proudly serving Albuquerque and surrounding areas with over 30 banking locations.
wellsfargo.com © 2017 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. (4501302_20771)
2017 ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA®
SPECIAL SHAPE DIRECTORY
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
SPECIAL SHAPE DIRECTORY
Almeida, Ricardo BIG HUG São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Baker, Dave PUDDLES THE PENGUIN Thatcham, Berkshire United Kingdom
Burgess, Zach CLAW’D THE CRAZY CRAB Monroe, OH United States
Cesnik, Luke FREEDOM FLIGHT V Saint Cloud, MN United States
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Ary, George BLACK SHEEP Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
Ballinger, Barry IN THE BUFF Lubbock, TX United States
Burrows, Paul BUSBY THE QUEENS GUARD Bristol, Banes United Kingdom
Chiapa, Victor MEXICAN DOLL Villas de la Hacienda, Mexico
Assis, Luiz JACK THE PELICAN São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Bard, Alain ALIEN ROCKET Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Campanale, Frank CAROUSEL Orchard Lake, MI United States
Chieruzzi, Maria THE LOVEBIRDS Simi Valley, CA United States
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Audenaert, Koen BABY LENTE Destelbergen, Oost-Vlaanderen Belgium
Berka, Joel SPYDY Binghamton, NY United States
Cassell, James BEAGLE MAXIMUS Albuquerque, NM United States
Davison, Jr., Neil BALLOONAFUL SUNRISE Phoenix, AZ United States
Baker, Bill BIMBO BEAR Tyler, TX United States
Bonimcontro, Marcos ARMADILLO São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Cavin, John MOUSE Indialantic, FL United States
DeGraff, Trudy Ann CUTIE DINK Corrales, NM United States
Edwards, Don SNOBIRD Palmer, AK United States
Glen, Michael JOELLY Maricopa, AZ United States
Hernandez, Mike ANNIE THE LADY BUG Fort Edward, NY United States
Homero, Homero BILL THE VAMPIRE Barueri, São Paulo Brazil
Folley, Tamie TE AMO Bellevue, NE United States
Gourmet, Charles TOLFY Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium
Hlebechuk, Kris SPLASH Wasilla, AK United States
Johnson, Mark TOM CAT Oak Island, NC United States
Fonseca, Luiz NITROFISH São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Graham, Colin BUDDY BEAVER Belgrade, MT United States
Gantt, Doug HAM-LET DeLand, FL United States
Garcia, Mike 1 DOWN 8-2GO Rio Rancho, NM United States
Griggs, Katie SUSHI Dayton, NV United States
Holly, Andrew TALL STEVE Breadstone, Gloucestershire United Kingdom
Kalousdian, Rubens MR FISH São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Haliczer, Jeff HIGH TOP FLIER Reno, NV United States
Holmes, Jerry COSMOS 1 Fort Worth, TX United States
Holzer, Kate CAPTAIN JACK Perth, Perthshire United Kingdom
Karlsson, Diane WALKIN’ ON AIR Chandler, TX United States
Kehoe, Glo COCA-COLA Albuquerque, NM United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
SPECIAL SHAPE DIRECTORY
Kleinsmit, Herman SUPERBIKE Oudehaske, Friesland Netherlands
Konash, Larry GUS T GUPPY Shakopee, MN United States
Lambert, Michel MASTER YODA BALLOON Court St Etienne, Belgium
Lowenstein, Al PREVENTIVE PEST CONTROL Albuquerque, NM United States
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Kolba, Jon CHIC-I-BOOM Crooks, SD United States
Korfe, Michael BUMPY Albuquerque, NM United States
Lapointe, Wil KEYSTONE WILLY Collinsville, OK United States
Loy, Michael HIGH KITTY BALLOON Cedar Hill, TX United States
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Komadina, Steve THE STORK Corrales NM United States
Kubicek, Petr CON AIR Palms Springs, CA United States
Lawhorn, Rich HUMPTY DUMPTY Louisville, KY United States
Lupton, Robert LADY JESTER Albuquerque, NM United States
Lambert, Benoit DARTH VADER BALLOON Court St. Etienne, Belgium
Libra, Eduardo BABY CAR Barueri, São Paulo Brazil
Lynch, Kim ROBBIE Temecula, CA United States
Macedo, Warley LOTTIE DOTTIE CHICKEN Boituva, São Paulo Brazil
Mitchell, Max EL FONZ Champaign, IL United States
Nilz, Pat SAHUARO GRANDE DUDE Tucson, AZ United States
Reineke, Dave PEGLEG PETE Mahomet, IL United States
Magee, Adam GORDO Swisher, IA United States
Monahan, Todd SIMBA Lake George, NY United States
Nilz, Patrick SARAH THE WITCH Tucson, AZ United States
Richards, Ursula SQUAWKURS Albuquerque, NM United States
McClinton, Scott THE AMERICAN ROCKET Prospect, KY United States
Moore, Ashley WES THE WOLF Wickwar, Gloucestershire United Kingdom
Paulo, Chico FLYING GATOR Boituva, São Paulo Brazil
Ritchie, Dale CREAMLAND COW, AIRABELLE Golden, British Columbia Canada
Merino Escamilla, Mariel MARIACHI Mexico, Estado de Mexico Mexico
Moore, Gary OWLBERT EYENSTEIN Lake Havasu City, AZ United States
Procopio, Peter KOSHARE GALLUP Gallup, NM United States
Rolfe, Pat AMERI-CAN Battle Creek, MI United States
Inflate Your Imagination
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
SPECIAL SHAPE DIRECTORY
Romaneschi, Bob LILLY LITTLE BEE Peoria, AZ United States
Semler, Jack SMILEY SCARECROW Westfield, IN United States
Suchy, Michael PEPE THE HEDGEHOG Brno, Czech Republic
Vaillancourt, Jacob KERMIE Trois-Rivières , Québec Canada 90
Salazar, Katelyn OFF THE WALL Los Lunas,NM United States
Sines, Gary COCO THE CLOWN Ashland, MO United States
Schilling, Mark JOEY LITTLE BEE Jeffersonville, VT United States
Schuler, Jay PENCIL BOY Reno, NV United States
Sines, Janice BUZZY BEE Ashland, MO United States
Sproul, Keith PANDY North Brunswick, NJ United States
Tremblay, Sylvain PIKO Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec Canada
Van Overwalle, Peter PRINCESS NELLY Nazareth, Oost-Vlaanderen Belgium
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Urbanski, Frank UNCLE SAM Dakota Dunes, SD United States
Viner, John HYLA THE FROG North Muskham, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom
Walczak, Rick IWI THE KIWI Las Condas, Santiago Chile
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
SPECIAL SHAPE DIRECTORY
Waltman, C. Debbi PONDEMONIUM Windsor, CO United States
Wooge, Scott LINDY Saint Louis, MO United States
Ware, John WHOOZ’UP Salt Lake City, UT United States
Wright, Thom MISTER Z Albuquerque, NM United States
Wechter, Frank 2.0 Albuquerque, NM United States
Wright-Smith, Beth CENT’R STAGE Albuquerque, NM United States
Wilkinson, Steve BOB BUNCH OF BANANAS Palm Desert, CA United States
Wynn, Alan SMOKEY BEAR Albuquerque, NM United States
REMEMBERING BILL CHAPEL In 1993, a new face appeared in the skies over Albuquerque: brown and kind of fuzzy looking with a cute nose, big dark eyes, and a ranger hat with a 72-foot-diameter brim (that’s one big hat size!). At the Balloon Fiesta that year, Smokey Bear took flight for the first time. It was only fitting, since the bear cub who became the symbol of U.S. Forest Service fire prevention efforts was discovered among burned trees in the Lincoln National Forest near Capitan, in southern New Mexico. Today, in addition to the 97 –foot-tall main Smokey balloon, the program features four smaller cold air inflatables, a fire truck, a merchandise trailer, and a support group of dedicated volunteers who “go to greater heights for fire prevention” at events throughout the country. All this was the result of a vision nurtured for two decades by Bill Chapel, a forest service fire boss and Albuquerque balloonist. Bill began flying at the Balloon
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Fiesta in the 1970’s with his own balloon, Fancy Free. But he harbored dreams of something bigger – a balloon that could, while delighting young and old, serve as a centerpiece for discussions about forest fire prevention. Bill flew Smokey for 19 years before finally retiring in 2012 due to advancing age and medical issues. He is perhaps best remembered for his heroism in saving the lives of two young passengers when the balloon became entangled on the top of the 600-foot tall KOB radio tower west of Balloon Fiesta Park. But it would be a disservice to remember Bill just for this one amazing rescue. He was also a hero on the fi re lines, served his country nobly in the Forest Service, and lived and breathed Smokey Bear his entire life. Bill finally lost a long battle with cancer in February 2017. His family and friends, and the thousands of children and grownups whose lives he touched through the balloon, will remember him as a genial, caring, and tenacious person whose efforts continue to make a difference for our children and our national forests.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
International Pilots Almeida, Ricardo BIG HUG São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Buron-Pilatre, Philippe MONDIAL AIR BALLONS Hageville, Lorraine France
Fonseca, Luiz NITROFISH São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Hoefler, Greg CAPRICE DU CIEL Chaillon, Lorraine France
Lajoye, Laurent PLOFA Scy-Chazelles, Lorraine France
Msuya, Moses SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Thongdee, Nithis SINGHA Bangsue District Bangkok, Thailand
Ary, George BLACK SHEEP Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
Burrows, Paul BUSBY THE QUEENS GUARD Bristol, Banes United Kingdom
Francoeur, Danielle LES MONARQUES Montreal, Quebec Canada
Holly, Andrew TALL STEVE Breadstone, Gloucestershire United Kingdom
Lambert, Benoit DARTH VADER BALLOON Court-Saint-Etienne, Belgium
O’Neill, Mark CHYM FM Belmont, Ontario Canada
Tremblay, Sylvain PIKO Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
Assis, Luiz JACK THE PELICAN São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil
Chiapa, Victor MEXICAN DOLL Villas de la Hacienda, Estado de Mexico Mexico
Freve, Andrew APTIVENT Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
Lambert, Michel MASTER YODA BALLOON Court-Saint-Etienne, Belgium
Ouellette Freve, Johann FREEDOM Longueuil, Quebec Canada
Vaillancourt, Jacob KERMIE Trois-Rivières, Quebec Canada
Latypov, Valery AERONATC-2550 Moscow, Russia
Paulo, Chico FLYING GATOR Boituva, São Paulo Brazil
Van Overwalle, Peter PRINCESS NELLY Nazareth, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Peart, Angus UP Lorne, Victoria Australia
Viner, John HYLA THE FROG North Muskham, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom
Audenaert, Koen BABY LENTE Destelbergen OostVlaanderen, Belgium Baker, Dave PUDDLES THE PENGUIN Thatcham, Berkshire United Kingdom Bard, Alain ALIEN ROCKET Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Cloutier, Patrick LA MAGIE DE L’AIR DELTA Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Quebec, Canada Cooper, Hal UPTUIT Port Hope Ontario, Ontario, Canada
Bell, Graham BLANK CZECH Malvern, Worcestershire United Kingdom Bojanovic, Jernej SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada Bonimcontro, Marcos ARMADILLO São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil Bueno Orzaiz, Javier FESTIVAL NTERNACIONAL DEL GLOBO MEXICO Leon, Guananjuato Mexico Burman, Leo DRAGONFLY Montreal, Quebec Canada
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Cirankewitsch, Bruce SUNKISSED Calgary, Alberta Canada
Davidson, John KISS FM/101 COUNTRY Belmont, Ontario Canada Drganc, Luka SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada Dumkhum, Tawin VIETJET Bangkok, Bangkok Thailand Ferland, Jean-Francois ROYAL Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada Folque, Abraham KISS FM/JACK FM Belmont, Ontario Canada
Fujita, Yudai BRADLEY Nogi, Tochigi Japan George, Peter GRAND BRITANNIA Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom Girouard, Martin LA MAGIE DE L’AIR Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada Gleed, David PEGASUS Coldstream, British Columbia, Canada Gourmet, Charles TOLFY Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium Grikienyte, Silvia PINK Ðlesund, Sunnmøre Norway Handl, Sabrina SANDIA SUNLITE Heroldsbach, Bavaria Germany Hibberd, Jackie 69 Krimpen aan den Ijssel, Netherlands
Holzer, Kate CAPTAIN JACK Perth, Perthshire United Kingdom Homero, Homero BILL THE VAMPIRE Barueri, São Paulo Brazil Hooft, Frans HATSEFLATS Schijndel Noord Brabant, Netherlands Hooper, Lee DEMO Oswestry, Shropshire United Kingdom Hora, Tomas G DADDY Karlsruhe, BadenWürttemberg Germany Kalousdian, Rubens MR FISH São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil Kaye, Andrew TIME TO FLY Irchester, Northants United Kingdom Kleinsmit, Herman SUPERBIKE Oudehaske, Friesland Netherlands Klingberg, Mikael GARE DU ROBE Oslo, Norway
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Libra, Eduardo BABY CAR Barueri, São Paulo Brazil Lin, Martin MEET TAIWAN Taitung County Taiwan Llado, Josep MAGIC 8 Odena, Catalonia Spain Macedo, Warley LOTTIE DOTTIE CHICKEN Boituva, São Paulo Brazil Merino Escamilla, Mariel MARIACHI Mexico, Estado de Mexico Mexico Miklousic, Igor ZAGREB Sesvetski Kraljevec, Zagreb, Croatia Moore, Ashley WES THE WOLF Wickwar, Gloucestershire United Kingdom
Pilgrim, Kevin SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
Walczak, Rick IWI THE KIWI Las Condas, Santiago Chile
Ritchie, Dale CREAMLAND COW AIRABELLE Golden, British Columbia Canada
Wereschuk, Stan BLACK MAGIC Vernon, British Columbia Canada
Schultz, Marvin SUNDANCE BALLOONS Belmont, Ontario Canada
White, Malcolm NIZHONI GALLUP Trim, Meath Ireland
Seghers, Jos SKY STAR Breendonk, Antwerpen Belgium
Williams, Crispin HANNIBAL Bristol, Somerset United Kingdom
Sevrin, Sidney PERFECT TIMING Court-Saint-Etienne, Brabant-Wallon Belgium Suchy, Michael PEPE THE HEDGEHOG Brno, Czech Republic Czech Republic
MORNING GLOW
2017 ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA 4 NEW MEXICO LOCATIONS
®
3709 Ellison Rd NW
3297 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe
2270 Wyoming Blvd NE
2670 Coors Blvd NW
VISIT US U S AT A O OUR UR R BOOTH BO OO OTH TH H ON MAIN STREET STRE ST T RE E T
THE PATH TO VICTORY Weather and the America’s Challenge
BY WALLY BOOK
W
eather affects everyone. It affects their plans (rain at the backyard barbeque), their moods (gloomy sometimes equals grouchy), and in some fields like farming, their livelihoods. But you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more affected by the weather than balloonists and the balloons they fly – balloons that become, in a very real way, part of the air, moving where the winds take them. And nowhere is this more keenly felt than in a gas balloon flying
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long distances over several days. Balloons do not have steering wheels or landing gear. They take off, travel, and land at the speed and in the direction the wind is blowing. Wind speed and direction can change at different altitudes, and balloon pilots can ascend and descend to catch winds that will take them where they want to go, but that’s about it. As you can imagine, accurate weather forecasting and knowing how to use that information in flight planning and execution is beyond vital. It can mean the
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
difference between a safe and successful flight and one that is, well, not so much. While both gas and hot air balloons maneuver by finding winds that will take them where they want to go, there are some major differences in the type of weather information pilots need for a typical flight. Hot air balloon flights typically are short in duration, rarely lasting more than two hours or so and covering only a few miles. In a hot air balloon competition, the goal is to fly to a target or series of targets
Great gas ballooning weather – especially when you’re enroute to victory! This is the view Peter Cuneo and Barbara Fricke enjoyed over Wichita, KS last year. Photo courtesy Peter Cuneo and Barbara Fricke
that are reachable with the amount of fuel on board and the amount of fair weather in the forecast. Most hot air flights are scheduled for the early morning when the air is typically more stable. As the day warms and items on the ground absorb and reflect heat at different rates, thermal activity begins, affecting winds and stability. The focus of interest is local and/ or micro, or small weather. Pilots need to know what the weather is, and is likely to be, in the near future. This weather includes existing or approaching fronts and associated high and low-pressure systems, winds on the ground, winds at various altitudes aloft, and the possibility of thundershowers and how these are forecast to change over the flight window. Pilots receive this information through a variety of sources, including Flight Service briefers providing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-sanctioned forecasts and a variety of internet sources including the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Wyoming. The Balloon Fiesta has their own group of experienced weather volunteers who monitor the weather well before and all through the expected flight period. Most are professional meteorologists in their real lives. This weather data is provided to the pilots at a mandatory briefing each day before the appointed flight. In a gas balloon distance race like the America’s Challenge, on the other hand, pilots are dealing with a much broader weather picture. They plan to be in the air for as much as three days and often travel more than 1,000 miles in their quest to win by flying further than any of the other competitors. The further in time and distance the balloon gets from the launch point, the more
likely it is that the weather could be radically different from what was forecast in the pre-launch briefing. The ability to get accurate weather information and use it to their advantage is literally the path to victory – or not – for the America’s Challenge competitors. The America’s Challenge race
weather briefings begin 24-36 hours before the start of the race. There is a much greater need for interpretation of the national weather picture and forecasts when planning a gas balloon flight, so the briefing is heavy on current and forecast weather conditions across the nation. Both micro
A NOAA Balloon Trajectory (HYSPLIT) forecast. This image is a 72-hour trajectory forecast from the University of Wyoming weather website for a takeoff at approximately noon on April 10th 2017. The different colors forecast where and how fast the balloons might travel at different altitudes: red is a low-altitude trajectory, green the highest altitude at which the balloons can fly under the race rules (18,000 feet) and blue an “in-between” trajectory. This particular scenario would afford pilots a lot of options as they plot their race strategy.
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(small weather) and macro (larger weather) are examined, as are likely trajectories at different altitudes. These trajectory forecasts are called Hysplits, and as the one in the illustration indicates, the variations in direction and speed depending on the altitude the pilot chooses can be considerable. This was true at the America’s Challenge in 2016, where the teams placing in the top four landed in Missouri, Texas, Kansas, and Arizona! At the initial briefing, a decision is made as to whether to proceed on schedule, or to postpone the launch and wait for more favorable weather. The registered teams are encouraged to participate in the process. If the race is postponed, a new time will be set for the next briefing and decision point. Gas balloons are made with a non-porous, coated fabric. Helium and hydrogen, the lighter-thanair gases used in races like the America’s Challenge, provide more lift per cubic foot than hot air. Therefore, the gas balloon can carry more weight in the form of passengers, equipment and ballast, even though they are much smaller by volume than a typical hot air balloon. They are also more stable in flight than hot air balloons, due in part to the additional mass. Altitude control is achieved by valving (releasing gas through a resealable valve) to come down, or getting rid of expendable weight called ballast carried on board (usually sand or water) to go up. One might think of the gas in the balloon and the ballast it carries as “fuel.” Since the pilots have on board only the gas and ballast they take off with and there are no midair “refueling” stations, when there is no more ballast to counteract the effects of valving, the flight must come to an end. In order to take off with the most gas possible, pilots will elect, when it’s an option, to take off after sundown. Because it is cooler, the gas will be denser and more can be packed into the envelope. This becomes important for the longevity
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of the flight, since normal navigation requires altitude changes by valving and ballasting as just described. Since gas expands with heat and contracts as the temperature drops, pilots must also take this factor into account – and use it to their advantage – in the course of the flight. In the morning, the balloon experiences a phenomenon known as superheat. This happens as the sun comes up and warms the balloon that the pilot has taken great care to fill as much as possible. The gas expands and the balloon ascends,
Gas balloon pilots rely heavily on the surface and upper atmospheric weather charts to help formulate their winning strategy. giving the pilots a “free ride” to the altitude of their choice. As the balloon expands, the overflow from the expansion exits through a feature of the balloon called an appendix. This prevents the balloon from overpressure and subsequent rupture by allowing a path for the expanded gas to escape. The other side of this equation is that in the cool of the following evening the gas contracts and the appendix allows outside/ambient air into the balloon which takes the place of the vented gas and thereby dilutes the gas and reduces the lifting capacity. In order to maintain altitude, the pilots must throw off ballast. Over the course of a few days the effect is cumulative and there is less gas – and ballast -than at the start of the flight. The
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
goal, on the part of the teams, is to minimize the loss of both gas and ballast, thus extending the potential duration of the flight and increasing their chances to win. So winning a race like the America’s Challenge is usually the result of the judicious use of ballast, gas, and, you guessed it, weather data. Gas balloon pilots rely heavily on the surface and upper atmospheric weather charts to help formulate their winning strategy. The surface map indicates the high and lowpressure centers and associated weather fronts. Knowing where the pressure centers are located is important for a couple of reasons. In the Northern Hemisphere the wind direction is usually clockwise around a high-pressure center, and it is counterclockwise around a lowpressure center. This gives the pilots an idea of what the winds might be both at ground level and aloft. High pressure centers are typically areas of fair weather. Clouds, rain showers, and the kind of storms gas balloonists want to avoid are often associated with low-pressure centers and the trailing weather fronts associated with the low pressure. When a low-pressure center and a high-pressure center are close to each other the surface wind speed is typically very strong, making landing a gas balloon more of a challenge. Since gas balloons can fly quite high in the atmosphere, their pilots don’t just rely on the surface weather picture. They also look at the current and future forecast wind conditions (speed and direction) above the surface. There are standard upper atmospheric wind charts available to anyone online, with specific altitudes called out. Gas pilots learn to interpolate the wind conditions between the standard levels, kind of like reading between the lines. Generally, the higher you are, the more the jet stream (usually about 30,000 ft.) influences wind speed and direction. At altitude, there is less turbulence caused by mountains and/or ground clutter.
A nighttime America’s Challenge launch with the balloons filled as full of hydrogen as possible. The appendix which releases gas in case the balloon tries to overpressurize is the elephant-trunk-looking item at the base of the envelope One might think that the best plan would be to go high and fast, but that presents challenges of its own. In the U.S., when flying at 12,500 ft., or higher, above sea level for more than 30 mins, pilots must use supplemental oxygen to counteract the effect of lack of oxygen, an effect known as hypoxia. Most gas balloons carry oxygen, but only a limited quantity. The strategy of choice therefore might include low (but probably slower) altitudes, because they don’t have an unlimited
amount of oxygen available. In addition, high altitude might not provide the best direction. Most treacherous weather occurs near low pressure systems and weather fronts. They are often the locations of the fastest wind. Taking the fastest wind trajectory might allow the gas balloon to catch up with the bad weather. A more prudent tactic might be to go a little slower and in a different direction for a while, to allow the potentially dangerous weather to move on. This slower, but
safer, strategy may allow the pilot to fly for an extended period and thus gain more distance than “sprinting from the start”. Many America’s Challenge races have been lost because teams went “high and fast,” ran out of ballast and gas and had to land early, and were overtaken by other teams that saved ballast while lurking behind in slower winds (think the hare and the tortoise). However, going too slow might also be a bad idea, because the balloon might not achieve a winning distance over the
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United States surface weather analysis (not a forecast) for April 10th, 2017, courtesy the Intellicast.com website. The white patches indicate clouds and the green spots indicate rain showers. A cold front extends from Canada through the Great Lakes and Midwest into Texas and southern New Mexico. Most of the clouds and rain are associated with this weather front. An area of high pressure at the surface and relatively fair weather is located behind the front over the Rocky Mountains. This graphic appears to present a window of opportunity for a launch from NM behind the cold front, within the HIGH and before the next storm system and front enters from the West Coast. duration of the flight, and the next weather system might overtake the balloon from behind. There is a lot of strategy in a gas balloon race, and using the weather to advantage is a big one. Because weather is so variable, one plan might be to string together a number of small flight plans into one long distance flight. Put another way, a pilot might take off at night and plan to be 150 miles east-northeast of the launch site by morning. Based on available meteorological data, wind speed, direction, frontal activity and terrain, the pilot would select the altitude(s) that are most likely to safely take him/her to that point. In the morning, the team reassesses their actual location versus their planned location and makes a new plan for the next leg. In the case of the America’s Challenge the object would be to navigate from the launch point in Albuquerque towards the north-northeast until they have to land before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. If the pilot’s original strategy is taking him/her the direction they
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want to go, they would likely stick to their original plan. If not, they would tweak their strategy. In addition to the weather data provided by the Balloon Fiesta’s official meteorologist and by the FAA’s Flight Service contractors, most teams retain their own professional meteorologist to provide updates, forecasts and insights as to what is happening and likely to happen along the optimal flight path. This weather guru provides his best educated analysis of the weather with an influence on the flight, based on actual and forecast conditions. He can and does advise the pilots as to (in his opinion) the best options to attain their goals. A weather advisor might provide information and advice to more than one pilot in the same race. This is possible because of the strict code of honor followed by all of those who participate in this gentlemen’s/women’s sport. The same information is available to all and the trajectories of the participating balloons are available for all to see on the web through
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
transmitting electronic tracking devices on each balloon. Whether a pilot adopts a plan proposed by his weather advisor or chooses his own, that plan will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Ultimately the flight plan chosen will be the based on the sum of all the information that the pilot gathers, and the pilot will have the last word regarding that plan. Sometimes a winning strategy becomes evident early on and that team will pull away from the rest, and sometimes when the competitors have chosen similar strategies, the race will be won in the last few hours thanks to good weather analysis. The old saw: “if you don’t like the weather now, just wait a few minutes,” always applies. Even the best models and forecasts are subject to change without notice. Many thanks to meteorologists Don Day and Randy LeFevre and pilot Mark Sullivan for their valuable contributions to this article.
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1 Dependability based on longevity: 1987–July 2016 full-size pickup registrations. 2 Power and towing: When properly equipped. With available 6.2L V8 engine. Fuel efficiency: EPA-estimated 16 MPG
city/23 highway with available 5.3L V8 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission (2WD) or 18 MPG city/24 highway with 5.3L V8 eAssist (2WD) (limited availability in select markets). Class is half-ton full-size pickups. 3 EPA-estimated MPG city/highway: Colorado 2WD with 2.5L 4-cylinder engine and available automatic transmission 20/26. 4 Requires a compatible mobile device, active OnStar service and data plan. 4G LTE service available in select markets. Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations. Data plans provided by AT&T. ©2017 General Motors.
Remembering America’s Challenge Record Holder
DAVID LEVIN T
he Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the “town square of world ballooning,” and at one time or another virtually all the greats of the sport have flown or visited here. None equaled David Levin, the distance record holder in the America’s Challenge gas balloon race and the only aeronaut in the world to ever have achieved ballooning’s “Triple Crown.” In a ballooning life of ups and downs, his was truly remarkable. In 1976, David Levin was a newlyminted tax lawyer who didn’t want to be a lawyer. But he was an avid outdoorsman and was intrigued when a childhood friend and balloonist approached him about opening, essentially, a ballooning dude ranch in Colorado. At this point, David had taken one balloon ride. But
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the opening of the Balloon Ranch changed his life. He soon realized that the highest-paid employees at the Balloon Ranch were the pilots, so he got his license. In his new role, he was aloft every flyable day from May to October, and he found that he liked it. As he told Sports Illustrated in 1993, “it was magical – I felt like
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
the Wizard of Oz and Phileas Fogg and Babar the Elephant all rolled into one.” He soon began flying in balloon events around the country. Of course, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta was on the list; he first appears in the Balloon Fiesta historical record in 1978. The Balloon Ranch proved short-lived – as David noted to Sports Illustrated, “The only way to make a small fortune in ballooning is to start with a large one” – but its demise gave him more time to pursue his passion. Tenacious and driven, David soon picked up the skills of a successful competition pilot. He became a tireless student of weather, winds, and terrain and would spend hours practicing throwing markers onto targets (a skill that often wins competitions). In 1985, David won
the World Hot Air Balloon Championships, the apex of world hot air competitive ballooning. In 1989 he added the U.S. Hot Air Championship to his resume. As generous a sportsman as a fierce one, he soon developed a class on competition to train potential future opponents called the “Red Dog School of Ballooning,” (his competition balloon was named Red Dog). To this day, David is known as “Red Dog” to friends throughout the world. Turning his sights to gas ballooning, in 1992 David won the World Gas Balloon Championships (an event featuring competitive, fly-to-a-target tasks much like a hot air balloon competition). Later that same year David achieved ballooning’s “Triple Crown” when he and co-pilot James Herschend won the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, the race now recognized as the world championships of distance gas ballooning. As a result of Levin’s 1992 victory, the U.S. won the right to host the 1993 Gordon Bennett in Albuquerque. This ultimately led to the founding – by David’s friend and sometime flying partner Mark Sullivan – of the Balloon Fiesta’s America’s Challenge race for gas balloons. With his brother Alan as co-pilot, David won the America’s Challenge twice, in 1996 and 2000. They still hold the distance record for the America’s Challenge: 1,998 miles (3,215 km) set in the year 2000. This flight is still one of the longest ever made in a competition-size (1,000m) gas balloon. David won many other competitions around the world and racked up some other impressive firsts, including making the first hot
air balloon crossing of Pikes Peak. Along the way, it was inevitable that misadventures would accompany the adventures. In the 1995 Gordon Bennett, a Belarus military pilot shot down the U.S. Virgin Islands entry, killing pilots Alan Fraenckel and John Stuart-Jervis. Two American balloons, including one piloted by David Levin and Mark Sullivan, were forced to land. David and Mark, along with fellow competitors Mike Wallace and Kevin Brielmann, were briefly detained by the Belarussian authorities. David’s 2004 America’s Challenge race ended in neardisaster when he and brother Alan hit powerlines while landing in a storm in Oklahoma. They walked away. In his later years, David retired from flying balloon competitions, though he continued to fly balloons and paragliders for fun and became a sought-after competition director for many of the races in which he used to compete. He was inducted into the World Ballooning Federation (Fédération Aéronautique International, or FAI) Hall of Fame, located at the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, in 2015. He also is a twotime recipient of the FAI Montgolfier Diplome, and in 2009 was awarded the Balloon Federation of America’s
highest distinction, the Shields-Trauger Memorial Award. In his hometown of Boulder, CO, he is fondly remembered for his generosity and devotion to a number of causes, especially Ignite Adaptive Sports, where as a volunteer he taught adults and children of all abilities/disabilities how to ski. This spring, David’s life was cut short by pancreatic cancer at the all-too-young age of 68. He is survived by his wife Roberta, his brother Alan, his sister Susan, his children Matthew and Becca, his extended family, and an army of friends. David Levin will be remembered as a talented bon vivant whose record in ballooning may never be equaled and is exceeded only by the humanity, generosity, and compassion he displayed in his time on earth.
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America’s Challenge Entrants
AIR APPARENT II
FOXTROT CHARLIE
DELTA GOODIE
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
Phil Bryant United States
Peter Cuneo United States
Mark Sullivan United States
Noah Forden United States
Mike Emich United States
Barbara Fricke United States
Cheri White United States
Bert Padelt United States
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
MARIE MARVINGT
MISIA
LEO #1
FRIBOURG-FREIBURG CHALLENGE
Benoit Pelard France
Andy Cayton United States
Sebastian Eimers Germany
Laurent Sciboz Switzerland
Benoit Peterle France
Krzysztof Zapart Poland
Wilhelm Eimers Germany
Nicolas Tieche Switzerland
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
Gas Committee/America’s Challenge Officials Chair, AIBF Gas Balloon Committee..........................Mark Sullivan AIBF Event Director ...........................................................Paul Petrehn America’s Challenge Event Director .........................John Petrehn Assistant Director ................................................................Sam Parks Safety Officers ......................................................................Wally Book, Tom Bueno Launchmaster ........................................................................Tomas Hora Weather ....................................................................................Randy LeFevre Onboard Tracking Equipment ......................................Harris “Goody” Goodwin, Fred Lété, Chuck Raskob Command Center Director .............................................Ruth Lind Command Center/Internet Flight Tracking ...........Tim Baggett
Command Center Staff.................................Ben Anello Jon Ashworth Jeff Davis Guy Feltman Carolyn Lilley Richard Iverson Cliff Tvede John Wilson Jury President ...................................................Andy Baird Jury .........................................................................Tarp Head Richard Sabin Scoring Officer..................................................Jim Byrd Media Liaison .....................................................Kim Vesely Field preparation .............................................Janie Jordan Hydrogen Fueling............................................Jose Cisneros Hospitality ...........................................................Dodie Bernal Anna Nalley
America’s Challenge Winners YEAR
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
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PILOT
CO-PILOT
Richard Abruzzo David Melton David Levin Alan Levin Richard Abruzzo Jacob Traub Troy Bradley Tami Stevenson-Bradley Race not held David Levin Alan Levin Peter Cuneo Barbara Fricke Richard Abruzzo Gary Johnson Richard Abruzzo Carol Rymer Davis Richard Abruzzo Gary Johnson Janet Folkes Bill Arras Andy Cayton Kevin Knapp Andy Cayton Stuart Enloe Mark Sullivan Cheri White Race cancelled due to high winds Barbara Fricke Peter Cuneo David Hempleman-Adams Jonathan Mason Mark Sullivan Cheri White Peter Cuneo Barbara Fricke Anulfo González Angel Aguirre Race cancelled due to weather conditions Peter Cuneo Barbara Fricke
COUNTRY
DISTANCE KM
DISTANCE MILES
DURATION HOURS
USA USA USA USA
2241.9 706.6 1465.3 2234.9
1393 439.1 910.5 1388.8
60.2 38.1 45.7 58.8
USA USA USA USA USA UK / USA USA USA USA
3215.5 2095.6 2797.08 1787.72 984.23 2407.28 2380.99 1698.21 1419.76
1998.1 1302.2 1738.11 1110.89 611.6 1495.81 1479.48 1052.89 880.25
64.1 58.4 43.13 63.23 35.97 46.14 60.45 61.5 68.58
USA UK USA USA Spain
2175.86 1538.66 2623.33 2299.79 1914.3
1349.03 953.97 1626.46 1425.87 1186.87
58.16 71.51 62.3 60.4 53.33
USA
1394.96
864.88
54.65
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
America’s Challenge Records Distance: David Levin and Alan Levin, USA, 3215.5 km /1998.1 miles (2000) Duration: David Hempelman-Adams and Jonathan Mason, UK, 71 hours, 31 minutes (2011) Multiple winners: Richard Abruzzo: five wins: 1995 with David Melton, 1997 with Jacob Traub, 2002 and 2004 with Gary Johnson, 2003 with Carol Rymer Davis Peter Cuneo and Barbara Fricke: four wins (2001, 2010, 2013, 2016) Andy Cayton: two wins: 2006 with Kevin Knapp, and 2007 with Stuart Enloe David Levin and Alan Levin: two wins (1996 and 2000) Mark Sullivan and Cheri White: two wins (2008 and 2012)
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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®
2017 NAVIGATORS John Abel Nancy Abruzzo Sharon Adair Bobbi Adams David Adler Erma Aguilar Beau Akers Shanon Akers Diane Albert Avice Alderfer Donna Aldrich Wilma Allen Julian Allison Tyson Altevers Brinn Anderson Carol Anderson Diana Anderson Linda Andrews Benjamin Anello Melanie Antrom Joleen Aragon Manuel Aragon Richard Aranda Vanessa Arballo Darrell Argaud Christina Arias John Arias Santiago Arias Karen Arndt Keith Arndt Steve Arndt Jon Ashworth Teresa Attridgeshemack Anthony Baca Mike Baca Robert Baca William Baggett James Bagley Carol Bair James Bair Raymond Bair Joe Balestri Lanena Balestri Lucian Balestri Joseph Balistreri Harris Balkin Joseph Ballengee Linda Ballenthin William Ballenthin Caroline Barela Ted Barela Eric Barry Eva Barry Gregory Barry Jacob Barry Laurel Barry Luke Barry William Barry Marj Baxter Samantha Baxter Shannon Baxter Juan Becerra Edward Beck Patrick Beck Kenneth Beebe Gary Bennett
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Sherry Berglund Dodie Bernal Margaret Billson Sydney Blackmer Rol Blauwkamp Dusty Blech Gay Blech Ruth Bleich Debra Bloomquist Devon Bogue Amanda Bolton Melissa Bond Jeffrey Boner John Boner Linda Bonney Charles Book Patricia Boozell Robert Boozell Liz Bowden Richard Bowles Shawn Bowman Robin Boyer Susie Bracamonte Fred Bradley Margaret Bradley Catrina Brandt Teri Brauer Ty Brauer Debbie Brehm Bill Brennan Jane Brennan Rita Brennan Evelyn Brickner Heather Briganti Sean Broderick Daniel Brown Dick Brown Gena Brown Karen Brown Leeann Brown Robert Buchinski Thomas Bueno Mikki Burdine Sarah Burney Susan Burns Loren Burton William Burton Elisa Bustamante Shar Buxton Stan Buxton Carol Byrd James Byrd Clavon Byred Angelique Calderon Horace Calvert Derek Camacho Alan Cannaday Bryana Cannaday Shelly Cannaday Susan Capaldi Savanna Carbajal Charlene Card Tom Card Pierre Cardon Tracy Cardon Charles Carlson Theresa Carlson
Anthony Carrillo George Carrillo Jr Dorreen Caruso Louis Caruso Johnathan Carusone Sharon Casper Brenda Cassada Wayne Cassada Adela Castaneda Kellie Casteel Steven Castillo Edgardo Castro Doyle Caton Jennifer Catron Denise Cavner Joann Chambers Carrie Chandler-Moore Glenna Chapman Jack Chapman Ruth Ann Chapman Aaron Chavez Chris Chavez Julio Chavez Maria Chavez Nicholas Chavez Pauline Chavez Gary Cherniak Tom Christopher Michael Ciccarelli Chuck Clark Jacob Clark Roger Clark Vicki Clark Augusta Clarke Cameron Clements Katherine Clements Peggy Clyde Stephen Coffing Barbara Cole Dewayne Cole Steve Coleman Barbara Colson Mardi Cone Robert (spike) Cone Patty Congdon Barry Conley Kristi Conley Tamara Conley Cassey Connell Joan Connor Linda Connor Megan Cooley Kirby Coon Iris Copper Rex Corbin Morgan Cornette Linda Correira Steve Cothron Neida Courtney Bueno Gregory Cousineau Irma Cousineau Randy Coyle Rosemary Cozart Linda Cramer Paullette Craner Lynn Crawford Mark Crawford
William Crawley Ana Creamer Dan Creel Margie Creel Dianne Cress Bruce Criel Harry Criel Laura Criel Todd Criel Lynda Crispino Matthew Crocker Terri Crocker David Crossland Joyce Cruickshank Neffitti Cruickshank Alan Cuales Hayden Cummings Justin Cummings Kristine Cummings Barbara Curry Shauna Curtiss Jay Czar Guy Dahms Fred Daily Shane Dandois Christine D’arco Jeff David Loretta Davila Mike Davila Jeffrey Davis John Davis Lisa Day Roy Day Frank Dearmin Kayla Deaveiro Patricia Deberjeois Paul Deberjeois Billy Deen Jr Baron Degenhardt Craig Degenhardt Diana Delbecchi Diana Delbecchi James Deline Loretta Deline Mark Derubeis Terry Derubeis Deb Detorie Christina Dewart Michael Dewart Betsy Dickenson David Dickinson Cindy Dilavore Peter Dilavore Joan Dingmann William Ditz Yolanda Dixon Susan D’lamater Wendy Donahoo Laurie Donovan Philip Doonan Bethany Dostie Frank Dostie Georgianna Dostie Shelley Dostie Roy Douglas A. Elizabeth Dow James Dow
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
Celina Dowling Jim Dowling Jansen Downs Gerrold Dunn Damian Duran-Arias Tom Eakin Ambrose Edwards Julie Ann Edwards Stacy Eldridge Lester Elmer John Elrick Debbie Encinias Donald Engdahl Erica Erickson Ivonn Escajeda Liz Espinoza Johnny Esquivel Sheri Essen Tony Fazio Robert Fehlman Sharon Fehlman Gina Feichtenbiner Warren Feichtenbiner Henry Feltman Jr Kathy Fennell David Fenske Dan Ferguson Claudio Fernandes Kimberly A FincherLucky Gaylene Finney Patrick Finney Donald Fischer Valerie Fitzsimmons Karen Fleetwood William Focke Patricia Forsythe Ray Forsythe Rebecca Forsythe Pamela Foss Cathy Fournier Robert Fournier Eugene Foxworthy Shelly Foxworthy Laura Fredrickson Kenneth French Kevin French Barbara Fricke Natalie Fuentes Linda Funderburgh Mike Funderburgh John Furey Maria Furey Karen Gabaldon Ray Gabaldon Doug Gallagher Jake Gallegos Janice Galvan Alejandro Garcia Amanda Garcia Barbara Garcia Charles Garcia Cindy Garcia Gary T Garcia Isabella Garcia Jim Garcia Kathy Garcia
Marty Garcia Kathleen Gautier Michael Gautier William Geck Andrea Gensinger Cheyanne Gensinger Darla Gensinger Larry Gensinger Fred Gessner Vicki Gibbons Becky Gibson Steven Gibson Rose Gilberg Russ Gilberg Laura Gillespie Stan Gillespie Mike Gilligan Diana Gilson Hattie Gladish Jerry Gladish Kathleen Glaspey Janell Glenn Mackenzie Glenn Richard Glenn Barbara Goble Glenn Goble James Godfrey Rebecca Godfrey Amador Gonzales Debbie Gonzales Harris Goodwin Kimberly Goodwin Thomas Gough Antonio Gradillas Rose Mary Gradillas Kay Grant Charlie Gray Denise Gray Paula Gray Robert Gray Betty Green David Green Gordon Greene Nichala Greene Colleen Gregory Penny Griego Rodney Griego Benjamin Griggs Jack Grisham Linda Grisham Edward Groenke Jeffrey Guide Shari Gunther Joseph Gurule Norene Gurule Matt Guthrie Alicia Gutierrez Kathryn Gutierrez Gina Guzman Lisa Hada Rick Hada Bonnie Hahn David Haines Myong Haines Anita Hallstrom Greg Hallstrom Lori Hallstrom
Regina Hampton John Hancock Marion Hanna Keith Hannon Cheryle Hannum Dave Hannum Dennis Harders Scott Hardy Selena Hardy Arlene Harmon Paul Hassell Maria Hay Anna Haynie Andrea Heacock-Reyes Michelle Healy Rita Helak Kurtis Helvie Stuart Helvie Kelly Helvie Gasper Henandez Gloria Henderson Alice Hendley Lee Hendricks Alex Henkel Carmen Henkel Richard Henkel Amy Herring Amanda Hessler Brad Hessler Deb Hillard Catherine Hines Gina Hirt Jay Hirt Jacqueline Hockey Madeline Hoeppner Kim Hoggatt Cliff Holman Lonna Holman Sheri Holman David Holsinger Traci Homan Daniel Hoover Diane Hoover Josephine Hotle Nancy House Katherine Hower Eric Hron Jeanne Hron Austin Huber Cindy Hunt J.D. Huss Raymond Hyde Matt Hylbom Marion Ingalls Charles Ingram Brian Irwin Harold Jackson McKenzie Jackson Phyllis Jackson Jacqueline Jacobs Brandon Jacques John James Janie Janczakowski Kathleen Januszewski Dalia Jaramillo Delores Jaramillo Maryann Jay
William Jay Noel Jenks Richard Jenks Ed Jestila Monte Job Felicia Johnson Kate Johnson Nancy Johnson Richard Johnson Veronica Johnson Wyatt Johnson Karla Johnston Marshall Johnston Tom Johnston Alex Jonard Ii Blake Jordan Debra Jordan Grant Joy Nancy Joy Kimberly Judge Chani Kaibetoney Larry Kaibetoney Judith Kaley Christina Kaskabas Vicky Kauffman Tiffany Kazar Robert Keaveny Karen Keifenheim Kim Kelbe William Kelly Jennifer Kemp Tiffany Kenworthy Anthony Kerns Natalie Kessler Barbara King Tyson King Carl Kinnard Susan Kinnard Charlotte Kinney Cynthia Kinney David Kinney Jonelle Kinsy Jon Kirkwood Lyn Kirkwood Susan Kirst-Millspaugh Jacquelin Kohlasch Steven Komadina Steve Kreutzer Diane Krostag Jeremy Lambert Carol Landau Erika Lanford Donald Lange Patricia Lange Michael LaPlante Billie Lattanza Chris Lavigne Susan Lawrence Camille Lawson Andrew Layman Patricia Le Barbara Leachman Diane Leblanc Amy Lee Jon Lee Donna Leech Norman Leech
Norma Leeper Randy Lefevre Donna Leithoff Patricia Leithoff David Lemley Melissa Leonard Shawn Leonard Cheryl Lete Fred Lete Asa Lewis Mike Liberti Carolyn Lilley Marla Lillie Ron Lillie Ruth Lind Al Lipper Linda Lipper Deborah Lister Donald Lister Keverne Lister Bruce Little Janet Llewellyn Patrick Loewke Marlon Long Sigrid Christine Long Mike Lowery Shirley Lowery Tyler Lubin Kathy Lucas Bob Lucero Barbara Ludwig Cathy Luenenborg Judy Lujan Rachael Lujan Victoria Luke Jonathan Lukens Kristen Lukens Jay Luna Tammy Luna Lorraine Lynch Michael Lynch Lenora Maas Billie Mace Alicia Macias Mark Macskimming Brenda Magness Patrick Magness Nels Magnuson Jessica Makin Janet Mangan Michael Mangan John Mannebach Lois Manning Michael Manning Dawn Marciszewski Gary Marciszewski Scott Marciszewski Marian MarquezEstrada Jazmin Marrufo Erin Marsee Joseph Marsee Christopher Marsh Janis K Marsh Albert Marshall Sandra Marshall Julia Martin
Timothy Martin Anna Martinez Felisha Martinez Lucy Martinez Raven Martinez Victoria Martinez Ed Marynik Fran Marynik Lisa Massey Richard Massey Dave Mathews Rhonda Maxfield Nancy Maxwell Rod May Lois Mayland Tom McConnell Danny McCoy Donald McCurdy Matthew McCurdy Diane McDermott Denise McGrath Karen McKeever Richard McKeever Lourdes McKenna Lora McKown Kent McLoud James Meester Marian Meester Maria Melgar Scott Melvin Lawrence Merry Brian Meyer Cathy Meyer Frank Mezzancello Patricia Mezzancello Sarah Mezzancello Steven Mezzancello Holly Mickelson Pam Micker Robert Miera Tomas Miera Carl Milhollin Arlette Miller Freida Miller Andie Mirabal Mairiene Miranda Michelle Miranda Mike Miranda Marta Moerch Lia Moldovan Dan Monaghan Jan Montana Jonathan Montana Ruben Montana Selso Montano Cyndi Montoya Magdalena Montoya Chris Mooney Brenna Moore Everetta Mora Frank Morales Tony Morales Dwight Morgan Karen Morgan Marleen Morgan Howard Morgenstern Judy Morgenstern
Blair Morrison Karen Morton Jeanie Moughan Glendora Mulder James Mulder Angie Mulkey Adonis Mullins Rudy Myers Ii Marti Myers-Garver Cathy Myrick Anthony Nabor Michelle Nabor Judith Nakamura Johnny Naranjo Marilee Nason Kenneth Nelson Krista Nelson Phillip Nelson Donna Neubeck Lesa Newberry Marva Newberry Evelyn Nguyen Ivy Nguyen Karla Noble Terry Noble Ronda Norlock Patricia Norris Bridget Nunez Anna Odom Caitlin Odom Robert Olguin Melissa Oranday Miku Otomo Dorothy Otto Ann Overstreet Deborah Owen Noelle Packard Chris Padilla Daniel Pagliaro Jeanne Pagorek Benjamin H Palmer Beverly Pantages Jay Pape Sam Parks Lydia Parmenter Mary Parsons John Pata Katrina Pattyn Kenneth Paulk Sarah Pearson Aaron Peay Kat Perea Roberto Perez Patrick Perkins David Petersen Jane Petersen Rose Peterson John Petrehn Michelle Petty Nigel Philcox Emily Pine Shane Pinney Sherry Piperno Clarence Pittman Jackie Pittman Carole Pleasants Gordon Pleasants
Rachael Porlas Alan Postelnek Linda Prendergast Kelly Price Dale Prichard Susan Prichard Nubia Prieto Susan Pules Christina Quesada Smith Lily Quezada Aaron Quick Greg Quick Stephanie Quick Brent Quinones Sabrina Quintana-Matz Karen Raistrick Beatrice Ramirez Chris Ramirez Frank Ramirez Julieanna Ramirez Rick Ramirez Sheila Ramirez Victor Ramponi Ron Randolf Kelsie Rank/pinney Kathy Ransom Chuck Raskob Beverly Rasmussen David Rasmussen John Ratcliff Karen Ratcliff Richard Rathbun Sandra Rausch L.C. Read Cathy Reber Elizabeth Reese Richard Reid Steven Reil Jeff Renegar Andre Reyes Debbie Reynolds Kevin Reynolds Paul Rhetts John Rice Richard Rice Ursula Richards Char-Lynn Richardson Denny Richardson Mary Richardson Summer Riggs JĂźrgen Rimac Alexis Rippy Angela Rivas Lauren Rivera Sherry Roberts Tara Roberts Dorothy Rocha Vanessa Rodarte Elaine Roderick William Roderick Nicole Rodgers Gil Rodriguez Louise Rodriguez Juanita Rohde Ophelia Romancito Larry Romero
Sharon Romero Stephanie Romero John Romisher Daniel Rose Henry Rosenbaum Barbara Rosensimon Gwendolyn Rouse Christopher Rowan Keowieh Roy Natalie Roy Rani Rubio Patricia Ann RudyBaese Adan Ruiz Bonnie Rusher William Rusher Evelyn Sadt Deborah Sahd Santino Saiz Kathleen Salamon Yvonne Salas Linda Samuels Debbie Sanchez Janet Sanchez Virginia Sanchez Michelle Sanford Jay Sanidad Barbara Santek Jeff Saul Krista Savage Karl Schaefer Cornelia Schloss Leonard Schloss Jeanne Schroeder Thomas Schroeder Geneva Schult Doug Schwebach Phillip Seaman Harry Season Angelique Sedillo Matthew Sedillo Larry Seeley Katherine Segura Saul Segura Steve Segura John Sellers Lisa Sellers Shelly Sellin John Sena Art Shaffer John Shemack Patty Sheridan Robert Shipley Carolyn Shirley Audrey Shreiner Jerry Shreve Albert Silva Anna Silva Edward Simon Suzanne Simon Michele Skarlupka Chiara Slover Phillip Smart Theresa Smart Deborah Smith Elaine Smith Joan Smith
Karen Ann Smith Randy Smith David Solinske Johanna Solinske Alex Sotelo Emily Sotelo Rebecca Sotelo Mark Sowers Linda Spero Ronald Spero Deana Staffan Mike Staffan Tabitha Stallworth Candice Stanford Jack Stapleton Nina Stapleton Kelly Stephens Loretta Stephenson Richard Stephenson Hal Stevens Richard Stidham Tammi Stidham David Stone Gene Stone Janette Stone Orbin Stone William Street John Stucker Susan Stucker Bonnie Studler Danielle Sudlow David Sullens Lynthia Sullivan Mark Sullivan Maury Sullivan Sarah Jean Sutherland Seth Sutherland Denise Suttle James Suttle Kathy Swope Holly Sylvester Pat Syme Jose Tabisola Valerie Tabisola Rick Tabone Paul Tackett Sara Taffae Vincent Tafoya Nicole Tagart Daniel Talbert Elizabeth Talbert Laurye Tanner Gail Tate Deborah Taylor Kathy Taylor Mike Taylor Edward Teigeler Louis Tejeda Dorothy Temer Brad Temeyer David Tennis Debbie Tennis Albert Tetreault Shirley Thieda Makahla Thomason Susan Thompson William Thompson
Tina ThompsonLemley Michelle Thurik Lynn A Tillery Fanny Timmer William Timmer Kayleigh Tolley Savannah Tolley Melinda Tomchee Linda Tornes Norb Tornes David Torres Richard Torres Rosemary Torres Mike Trainor Ryan Traska Carol Trombley David Trombley Therese Trujillo Ken Tuley Roberta Tuley Barbara Turnbaugh Cliff Tvede Ruth Valeri Daniel Valeri Jr. Donna M Vance Lee J Vance Jeff Venable Linda Venable Jennifer Verlinde Kimberley Vesely Yuriy Veytskin Linda Vickers Nancy Vigil-Cottrell Mary Villarreal Laura Virgin John Vonderheide Berta Wagstaff Don Wagstaff Anna Walker Bill Walker Jennifer Wallace Karen Wallace Xavier Wallace John Walsh Philip Walsh Nellie Walters William Walters Dylan Wambold Lawrence Wambold Clyde Wanatee Caleb Ward Patrick Ward Annette Wassell Joe Wassell Joy Watnik-Saul Glenda Watson Joan Weaver William Weaver Janet Weber Janet Welch Caryn Welz Phil Werner Nancy Wertz Deb West Charles West, Jr Rachel Wester
Austin Wetsch Richard Wetzel Skye Wheeler Ellis Whitaker Clayton White William White Kimberly Whiteman Mary Wier Roger Wilcox Mark Wilkins Barbara Williams Margaret Williams Martin Williams Rachel Wills John Wilson Pam Wilson Halecia Wimpy Stephen Wimpy Denise Winn Dylan Winn Rachel Winn Fred Winslow Jazzmin Winston Brad Winters Patricia Witmer Caroline Wood Elizabeth Wood James Wood Alice Wood Garman Marjorie Woodall Robert Woodall Audrie Wormington Buck Wormington Janice Wrhel Brian Wright Don Wrobel La Mar Wyatt Glenn Young Tyler Young Valerie Zaba Brendan Zajac Emily Zak Loretta Zamora Petra Zavakos Michael Zink Nancy Zink Alex Zucosky L. Jane Zucosky ...And thousands of Chase Crew
Inflate Your Imagination
109
2017 Heritage Award Honoring Matt Guthrie
T
he Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta’s Heritage Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Balloon Fiesta through the creation of new traditions or events, through improving the safety and comfort of the Balloon Fiesta, or through presentation of the event’s history. This year’s recipient has turned a lifelong love of ballooning into years of service to the sport and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Matt Guthrie and the Balloon Fiesta literally grew up together. As a youngster growing up in Albuquerque, Matt took his first balloon flight in 1974, just the third year of the Balloon Fiesta’s existence. He was hooked and began spending as much of his time around balloons as he could. In 1980, still a
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teenager, Matt became a launch director for Balloon Fiesta (this is before they were nicknamed “Zebras.”) The next year he earned his private balloon license and a year later qualified for a commercial and instructor’s balloon rating. By 1983, Matt had worked his way up through the ranks to Chief Launch Officer, and in subsequent years was very involved in promoting ballooning safety, setting up and teaching balloon ground schools and promoting
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2017 Official Program
the sport of ballooning. In addition to flying in the Balloon Fiesta as a pilot, Matt worked tirelessly behind the scenes helping to set up the launch site for each year’s event. In 1984 Matt became an FAA certifi ed repairman, initially working for one of Albuquerque’s balloon inspection and repair facilities. He eventually earned an engineering degree and founded his own balloonrelated company, SuperiAire Technologies, which now focuses on specialty contract work for government agencies including law enforcement agencies and defense contractors. Matt joined the Balloon Fiesta Board of Directors in 1996 and this year takes on additional responsibilities as the Board’s Secretary. He continues to be an inspiration to every starry-eyed youngster who dreams of becoming a balloonist.
The 2017 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® Official Program is published by Golfweek Custom Media, a division of USA Today Sports Media Group. For information on national advertising opportunities, special event magazine production or any of our other custom publishing capabilities, please call 407.563.7012 or visit www. GolfweekCustomMedia.com
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To the cloud less traveled.
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