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Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2000"The Big One" as it is also known was the biggest this year. One thousand nineteen balloons. Yes that number is 1,019 balloons that came to the 2000 Balloon Fiesta held October 7 through October 14 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. There were 902 regular hot air balloons, 90 special shape balloons and 27 gas balloons. Other impressive number were 286 media organizations represented and 1,261 media representatives with an estimated 800,000 plus visitors attending throughout the 9 days. Weather is always a factor in aviation sports and the Balloon Fiesta faced a most unusual weather phenomenon this year. In the area of high desert where Albuquerque is located, where it is normally very dry, rain caused the cancellation of four events and affected the flying conditions for the others which did manage to get aloft. Gas Balloon Event The 5th America's Challenge, which was also the 2001 Gordon Bennett qualifier for the USA participants, was delayed but took place a few days later. An exciting new aspect to the gas race was the addition of hydrogen balloons as the Balloon Fiesta has only used helium for the gas balloons. Approximately half of the balloons flew helium and the rest were hydrogen. Prior to the gas race the Balloon Fiesta hosted a seminar on hydrogen gas ballooning. Astrid Gerhardt from Germany presented information on hydrogen balloons. Also included in this seminar was a presentation by the Federal Aviation Administration on comparing US aviation charts to German aviation charts and communication with weather services and Air Traffic Control Centers throughout the US. Local Federal Aviation representatives provided the information on Flight Services. In addition to the introduction of hydrogen in this year's gas race "real-time" trackers were placed in each balloon. The trackers provided accurate and real-time reporting as the gas balloons flew from Albuquerque to the northeast. As long distance gas competitions can take several days, the officials, media and public were able to use the Web to follow the balloons. The Balloon Fiesta Website showed the reported distances and times on a chart as well as displayed the location of the balloons on several maps which ranged from a large scale one of the mid and eastern USA to local maps where the Web allowed people to see what street or road they were flying over at the time. The tracking Website proved popular as over 100,000 plus hits during the multiple day event. Additionally, thousands of spectators toured through the Balloon Explorium at the launch site to track the flight on a large screen as well as look at the historic balloon displays or participative games for the kids. As for the actual competition, unfortunately, the distance record was missed by only a few kilometers as the crew of David and Alan Levin won the event. David said that he could have kept flying but ran out of land! The final top three finishers and their distances were:
A total of 5 teams flew over 1750 Km. Hot Air Balloons With the large number of hot air balloons even the bad weather did not discourage all the flying. The Albuquerque skies were filled on several occasions and at times with all those balloons in the sky it was a wonder that any more fit in up there. Although four events cancelled the major competition did take place and the overall winners and prizes were:
Special Shapes Rodeo and Balloon Glow Each year the spectators come away amazed at the special shapes that fly in the Rodeo event on Thursday night. These balloons come from all over the world to be part of the largest gathering of special shapes. The public and media can photograph flying cows, dinosaurs, rabbits and shoes. The evening Balloon Glows are always popular and allow the public to walk among all the balloons while enjoying the color and spectacle of light and sound. The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has grown from a small gathering of 13 balloons 29 years ago to the 1,019 who participated in 2000. It is a successful event enjoyed by the balloonists, media and public who keep coming back each year to see the spectacle in the New Mexico skies. Kodak Photo Feature For nine days in October, the New Mexico skies are painted as hundreds of balloons lift off from Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta Park.Nothing rivals the power of Mass Ascension on crisp early mornings as these graceful giants leave the ground to take their place in the cerulean desert sky. For ballooning fans worldwide the Balloon Fiesta is MECCA. There's something for everyone to enjoy. . . whimsical special shapes filled with equal parts of hot air and wonder, and Balloon Glows that create a magical night landscape for spectators to wander. No matter who you are, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta will leave you awestruck and wanting more.. We present here a photo feature on this unique event.
A Kiss Is Just a Kiss
2000 - A Year of Records of a Different Kind The event created records of another sort. we give herewith some
facts and figures of this unique event which are mind boggling.
Total number of states represented:40
States represented: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington,
Wisconsin. Countries represented: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Poland, Belarus, United Arab Emirates United States of America. Balloon Competition Winners: First prize in the hot air pilots' competition was awarded to Mike G. Bauwens, from Park, City, Utah. The winner in the 5th America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race was David Levin from Boulder, Colorado. It difficult accurately track the number of spectators attending the nine-day event. In order to fulfill media requests on the number of people attending the event, the Balloon Fiesta generates "estimated spectator visits". The estimate is generated by combining the number of advance tickets, car passes, and gate passes issued to spectators, media, balloon teams, chase crew, park and ride, sponsors, service vehicles, corporate buses, entertainers, recreational vehicles, Balloon Fiesta staff, Balloon Fiesta contractors and Balloon Fiesta VIPs. In some instances different multipliers are used to compensate for multiple and return visits to the Balloon Fiesta Park. |
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OTHER ARTICLES OF ASI DECEMBER 2000 ISSUE
From The Secretary General's Desk | Air Waves | | News In Brief | Letters To The Editor | World Records | | 2000 Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta | | Kamshet - The Perfect Paragliding Getaway | | FAI World Grand Prix :Asia 2000 | | 2000 World Aeromodelling Championships for Control Line - F2D | 
More articles on Ballooning |
Traffic
around the Fiesta grounds thickens by 4:30am, when sponsors, pilots,
crews, concessionaires, launch directors, Fiesta officials, and attendees
arrive to prepare and participate in the day’s events. First up…the
dawn patrol.
From
the ground, she looks like a friendly white elephant, but the balloon’s
Belgian pilot, Peter H.E. Van, commented, “She’s 7 years old…she’s
a grey elephant now!”. The unique balloon was purchased in 1993 by
Greenpeace for use in a protest against a nuclear plant in Thorpe,
England. In many cultures a white elephant is believed to be a talisman
against evil.
During
mass ascension Fiesta attendees can look in any direction and see
round balloons ready to ascend as well as more unique and curious
shapes. Adults and kids alike point up and shout out the names of
the funny and unbelievable floaters—“An elephant! A cow! A chili pepper!”
As
twilight descended upon the Fiesta grounds, breezy conditions continued.
Leading the way, two Wells Fargo balloons lit up the night, soon to
be followed by around 30 other special shapes that stayed inflated
long enough to dazzle the crowd. 
On
Friday morning special shape balloons launched from the field, while
other crews hauled their balloons at least a mile offsite to compete
in the Prize Grab. The object is to fly toward the Fiesta grounds
and grab a ring from the top of a pole for the chance to win a new
vehicle
Warm
temperatures and calm weather provided ideal conditions for Friday
night’s Special Shapes GlowdeoTM. One of the biggest crowds of the
week turned out for the evening show.
Cameras
poised or held to their faces, people wander among the special shape
balloons as they slowly expand to embody a character or a product.
Balloons advertised everything from tequila to ice cream; from online
services to forest fire prevention. 
Burning straw fueled the first hot air balloon, built by the French
Montgolfier brothers, who sent a duck, a rooster, and a sheep on a
short flight in 1792. Today’s balloons burn propane for safer, longer
flights; livestock are rarely transported. 
During the second wave of the mass ascension, Little Beauty a checkered
balloon from Wyoming, took flight as crewmembers and fans waved from
below. 
After
pilot Scott Appelman stood awestruck at the sight of three tethered
balloons glowing against the ski slopes of Durango, Colorado, he introduced
the idea to Balloon Fiesta organizers. The first evening glow, in
1987, featured about 225 balloons.
The
Night Magic Glow on the final evening of the 2000 Kodak Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta® included special shapes as well as sport
balloons. 
The yellow flames that flare up during evening glows come from the
same fuel—propane—that pilots use during ascensions. The difference
is in the burner, which for the glows burns the propane in a liquid
form that results in brighter, more yellow flames. 
Because
of high surface winds, some balloons did not launch in the final ascension.
At the pilot’s briefing that morning, one official asked balloonists
to be careful and remember their limitations on this final day, when
everyone was tired from the long week. 
Spirit
climbed to an altitude of 3,500 feet above the ground (8,500 above
sea level), where the temperature rose and the winds calmed and reversed
to push the balloon back north and west to the Rio Grande. 
As the surface winds calmed, pilot Rich Lawhorn descended to a couple
of hundred feet, where dogs began to bark and people waved from their
yards. To descend, Rich pulled a rope that opened a vent to let out
hot air and approached the river.
The splash and dash is one of the most delicate of hot air balloon
manuevers, guaranteed to thrill balloon passengers and sometimes to
get their feet wet. On a day when most pilots were content with remaining
aloft, Rich Lawhorn decided to test his skills.