Albuquerque Balloon Festival
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta As Crew
By Stephanie Bernhagen
Have you ever watched hot air balloons fly and dreamed of flying in one yourself someday? In October of 2000 Paul and I led a caravan of friends to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta. We had been once before to watch, but this time we were crewing for friends, Bill and Darlene, on their balloon. The day after we arrived we were off to the airport to pick up my Mom. She had been envious the previous winter when we went hot air ballooning with Bill and Darlene in Florida, so this time we invited her along to help crew.
Before I share our experience with you let me assure you that you do not need to have friends with a hot air balloon to crew at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. I will tell you how you can signup to crew at the end of this article.
At the Balloon Fiesta they have morning launches and evening glows. This means in the morning the balloons actually fly while most evenings the balloons are tethered and only raise a little way off the ground. Bill and Darlene were flying in the morning, which met we had to get up early and be on the field by 6 am.
The beginning of the 2000 Balloon Fiesta was the wettest in Fiesta history. Five of the first eight events were rained or fogged out. But we still had to get up and report to the field, unless it was pouring, just in case the weather cleared. So we set our alarm to allow for the three of us to get up, layer our clothes (it was chilly) and grab a bite to eat before racing to the field. Since the weather was so bad the first thing we would do is turn on the TV to see if the mornings event had been cancelled. While we waited for the report, we pulled the shade and looked to see if the Dawn Patrol was flying. These are the first few balloons to take off, testing the skies.
Camping
We camped in a Balloon Fiesta field ¾ mile from the launch site. While shuttles were to run to the field, we found them unreliable and ended up just walking. The camping spot was $20 a night for no hook-ups or $15 a night if you paid in advance for the entire Fiesta. For information, check RV Information at their Web site or call 800-422-7277. While the price
seems steep, it was worth it just to avoid the Fiesta traffic jams. Another benefit, if you are not an early riser or are not crewing in the morning, is this camping area surrounds a field where many mornings the balloons either participate in games or land.
Walking to the launch field we were passed by chase vehicles racing to the field so their pilot could attend the morning briefings. Each balloon was assigned a site on the field and each day they rotated to a different “wave.” There wasn’t enough field space for all the balloons to set up and launch at the same time, so two or three waves were set up. When the first wave launched the second wave set up and prepared to launch.
The first morning we flew the ceiling was low as the clouds pushed to reach the ground. One of the safety rules is the balloons must never fly in the clouds. It must have been around 8 am before a pilots discretion launch was approved. Bill knew his crew was anxious to fly, so he asked us what we wanted to do. Since none of us felt we had the knowledge to make the decision, we told Bill it was up to him. He said, “let’s wait.” So we stood and watched other balloons glide up to the clouds. Slowly the clouds seemed to be lifting and finally Bill said, “let’s go!”
At this point we already had the balloon unloaded from the Freightliner 
chase truck (Bill and Darlene are full-timers and the truck serves double duty pulling their fifth-wheel). We tipped the basket over, pulled the balloon out and while some of us spread the balloon on the ground others set the basket up, built the frame to hold the burners and proceeded to mount the burners. The basket was tipped over again and the balloon was attached to the basket. Then a fan was turned on to fill the balloon with air. Once the balloon was almost full of air the burners were started, the balloon began to rise and the basket was righted. As the balloon righted several of us were hanging on to it, keeping it upright in one place.
Finally, it was time to pick the passengers. This time Bill called out, “Mom, let’s go!” and called for a friend who had been chasing for him for many years to join them. It didn’t dawn on my Mom initially that Bill was saying she was going to fly. I ushered her over and helped her into the basket. Bill would later say the smile on her face was what taking others up in a hot air balloon was all about.
The chase
We waved good-bye as the balloon took off, then quickly gathered all of our equipment and piled into and onto the Freightliner. The crew that day was small enough we only took one chase vehicle, other days we took two. Once everyone was on, we charged into the traffic jam outside the field. The balloons were flying east and the traffic was being routed west, but when the police officers saw the chase crew sign on the Freightliner, we were flagged through. The goal was to figure out where our balloon would land and be there to help them land.
Success came when we arrived at a small park where many other balloons had landed. We tumbled out of the Freightliner and ran to reach out for our balloon. Once down, the passengers climbed out and two more climbed in. Then they were off again. As we ran for the Freightliner we saw another balloon coming down with no crew on site, so we helped them land.
Back in the Freightliner we tackled the traffic again. This time we chased the
balloon as it went down the freeway and finally crossed to the other side. We arrived in time to help the balloon land to the side of a parking lot, change passengers, take on a new tank of propane and take off again. This time Paul hopped in.
The wind currents were starting to die down and it wasn’t long before the balloon was floating above a transmission line and refused to move. This is one of those times when you want to be sure you have a great pilot, who keeps his head on his shoulders. Bill floated up and down looking for a wind current that would take them away from the transmission lines. The propane was getting low, but Bill remained calm. It took a while, but eventually they moved south and started to look for a spot to land. The balloon pilots pick the site and radio the chase crew to tell them where to be.
The wind and timing has to be right to bring the balloon down in the right spot and if it isn’t another spot must be picked. So, the process can be trial and error and somewhat challenging. It really helps to have someone familiar with the area in the chase vehicle.
This time Bill said they would land in a field next to a hospital. The crew radioed back that we couldn’t get the truck in there because of a fence and canal, but there was another field just on the other side of the canal where we could get. He needed to land as near the truck as possible this time as it was the last flight and the closer to the truck the easier it would be to pack up the balloon. He did manage to land in the field, but it was wet and we wanted to keep the balloon dry, so we walked the balloon across the field, across a boulevard and into a cal-de-sac.
Packing back up
Packing up the balloon is the reverse of setting it up. Instead of filling the 
balloon with air we gathered up the balloon and squeezed the air out, then we carried it to the bag and stuff it in, followed by a few of us plopping down on the bag all at once to pack the balloon in the bag.
With the balloon securely packed into the truck we gathered around to celebrate first flights, with a story and prayer, followed by a tailgate party.
Flying in a hot air balloon is a very special experience. Even those with a fear of heights of or falling (like myself) find no fear. In fact, our pilot friend Bill has a fear of “edges,” yet 
he loves to fly. It is so peaceful floating through the air, leaving the noise of humanity below you for a short while. It feels like I imagine riding a magic carpet would if there was such a thing!
How to crew
If you would like to sign up to crew for a balloon at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta it is easy. While a balloon flight is not guaranteed, most pilots try to get their crewmembers up if possible. By crewing, you also get a gate pass to get on the grounds for the entire Fiesta.
You can signup in advance or during the Fiesta. Registration opens in the spring before the event. To sign up in advance contact:
Chase Crew Committee
8309 Washington PL NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
(505) 821-1000 ext. 231
Chase Crew Registration
During the Fiesta the Chase Crew Headquarters are open daily from 6 am to 8:30 am and from 3 pm to 5 pm. On Thursday and Friday proceeding the Fiesta Chase Crew Orientation runs all day.
Crewing. What better way to experience the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta? Maybe you will find yourself flying high above Albuquerque surrounded by others, also experiencing the magic of hot air ballooning.
Learn more about the Balloon Fiesta.