Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
-
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2019
Joan and I finally made it to the Balloon Fiesta. We pulled our Casita and stayed in the RV Park that was provided by the Fiesta. Even so, we had to get up before 6am to make it to the field for the morning events. The weather was frigid (29F first morning!) but the balloons were wonderful.
These photos are also in my Flickr account. The album there ("Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2019") includes a couple videos. -
There were LOTS of balloons at the Fiesta but I don't know how many exactly, partly because some of them caught currents that brought them back over the field, so we saw many balloons more than once per ascension. -
Canon was a sponsor of the event. All my photos were taken with the Sony RX10 Mk4. Its excellent Leica lens and extraordinary zoom range make it a very practical camera for this event. The alternative would have been to carry two bodies. -
Temps for the early morning events were below freezing, and the jets that heat the air in the balloons generate a lot of heat. Fellow here is holding out his hands to warm them. -
-
-
I knew there was something odd about Yoda and now I know what it is: He's French! -
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Minor theological note: The Good is much larger than the Bad or the Ugly, but it is farther away and SEEMS not to be looking in our direction. -
-
-
As this beautiful balloon passed overhead, I was able to get a shot right up into the interior of the "envelope" showing the vent at the top. The vent is used to control the rate of descent. -
-
Joan's favorite balloon, almost fully inflated. -
-
Not sure but assume this balloon is from Ireland. There were balloons from all over the USA and also the world. The biggest makers of balloons are in the UK (Cameron/Lindstrand) and Spain (Ultramagic). -
-
The balloon on the center left was my #1 favorite. I think. -
-
This man is holding the balloon down while it is inflated. Of course, as more hot air is blown into the other end, the envelope becomes more buoyant and this man's job gets harder and harder. When the balloon is almost fully inflated, he will slowly let the envelope stand up straight. -
-
-
A balloon in a bag (obviously, without the basket. It's quite heavy: Right after I took this photo, it was moved. Took three people to drag it. -
-
-
The burners are loud, powerful and HOT. -
Unlike an airplane, a balloon can take off from the middle of a crowd. -
This is just after Toto jumped out of the gondola and Dorothy had to climb out to get him. -
-
Oh, no!
-
One of the most beautiful balloons at the Fiesta. -
-
-
-
-
-
The armadillo was one of my favorites and, I think, the crowd's. -
-
The basket, also called the gondola, typically held two to four people. My understanding is that there were always at least two, a pilot and (I guess) a co-pilot. -
The Balloon Fiesta is a very colorful event, but this guy begged for B&W treatment. -
One evening a formation of planes flew over the fiesta grounds. -
El-Fonz
Joan walking away from El-Fonz, one of the special shapes balloons that are very popular. I spoke to its owner who helpfully answered a number of my questions. -
-
-
This impressive Christ was surely the TALLEST of the envelopes (balloons) at the Fiesta. -
-
-
-
-
In the evening, the balloons do not ascend. Instead, they are inflated and the operators run the burners to make the balloons glow like this. It's a stunningly beautiful effect. -
There are two burners but only one is used. The other is a backup system, with an entirely separate gas tank and hosing. -
