We are ready for the first day of the 47th Annual
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! We have heard that the weather and
winds are going to get rough, as the days go on … so, we have been asking for
one good day! I feel it, today will be the day! The American Flag is fly high a top another camper in the field, that is a good sign!
We all woke up early and met at 5:30 am, to catch the shuttle to the field for the 6:00 am Dawn Patrol. The Dawn Patrol began at Balloon Fiesta in 1978, when two California balloonists developed position lighting systems that allowed them to fly at night. Dawn Patrol pilots take off in the dark and fly until it is light enough to see landing sites.
Just like our fellow Yankee RV Caravan friends, appreciate the Dawn Patrol. These fellow balloonists appreciate the Dawn Patrol because they
can watch the balloons and get an early idea of wind speeds and directions at
different altitudes. Since it is a mass ascension day, there were about a dozen
Dawn Patrol balloons in a row. They “performed” the Dawn Patrol Show, a
choreographed inflation and launch set to music that has been part of the
Balloon Fiesta since 1996.
Around 6:30 am the Morning Glow and the Laser Light Show
began. The balloon glows were invented in Albuquerque in 1979, when local
pilots inflated balloons on Christmas Eve night as a thank you to local
residents. The sight of balloons lit from within before the sun rise is breathtaking.
Glow events are now held all over the world. Balloon Fiesta launched the World’s
Biggest Balloon Glow in 1987.
At 6:45 am they conducted the Opening Ceremonies. We could
not hear much of what was said, as we were out on the balloon field. There are
not speakers that far away from the main stage. Just before the balloons launched, there was a fly over, and I was able to catch the aircraft between these two balloons!
When the balloons begin to
launch, they are led by a balloon flying the American flag to the strains of
The Star Spangled Banner. There were two balloons with the American Flag, the Balloon Fiesta balloon and the major sponsor, Canon balloon.
Pretty close to the 7:00 am mark, the Mass Ascension
started.
A launch of all the participating balloons have been a feature of
Balloon Fiesta since its earliest days and is the most spectacular display of
sound and color in all of aviation.
During mass ascensions, balloons launch in two waves. Launch
directors, also known as zebras because of their black-and-white-striped
outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch so balloons leave the
field in a safe and coordinated manner.
I took a ton of pictures, this is not even 100th of what I took! I had my small Kodak point-n-shoot camera, my bigger Olympus around my neck and my phone!
After standing for close to four hours, we slowly walked
back toward the shuttle stop for a ride back to the RV park. Of course, I could
not stop taking pictures!
It is their mission to support the Air Force, and it’s
Academy, both stateside and abroad. These
full-time active duty airmen, are using the power of music, to serve the cadets
at the Air Force Academy, deploying overseas to support the welfare of our
troops, and telling the Air Force story in communities throughout
the world.
There was an aerial performance by the Team Fastrax Sky
Divers. This team of sky divers performed with the Largest American Flag ever
flown under a parachute. Measuring at over 7,800 square feet, their largest
American Flag can be seen for more than 35 miles when flown.
Their show included sky divers lighting their colored pyrotechnics
immediately after exiting the aircraft. The high colored effects lasted for a
long ways down!
The winds were too stiff for the evening glow, hopefully tomorrow
night … that will be our last chance to see the evening events!
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