Gallery

AIBF 2002

Friday, October 4, 2002

We went over to the 19th Ave launch site to fly in the morning, and it was my second ever time in the air in Albuquerque - first as PIC. Steve Taylor and I landed on a neighborhood street and managed to keep the balloon clean so far. Fun stuff!

In the afternoon Keith Sproul and I had to run some computer errands at Best Buy in Rio Rancho and figured we'd stop by the launch site to see if anybody was flying - 2 balloons had already taken to the air and one was getting ready to inflate. On the way home we stopped at a vantage point I'd staked out earlier in the day and I got a series of pictures of the mountains just before sunset (I later stitched them all together in Photoshop to form a panoramic shot). Check it out!

Balloons Inflating at the Ball Fields (19th Ave)

Balloons inflating at the Ball Fields (19th Ave)

Hot Air Balloon Launching

Hot air balloon Launching

Another balloon lifts off

Another balloon lifts off

Thunder and Colt DuoChariot with Sky 69k envelope

Thunder & Colt DuoChariot with Sky 69k envelope

Over an arroyo, playing with the chariot

Over an arroyo, playing with the chariot

Landscape view with same arroyo

Landscape view with same arroyo

Barely the start of Fiesta and already some spectacular views!

Barely the start of Fiesta and already some spectacular views!

Looking back towards the launch field

Looking back towards the launch field

Looking to the Southwest from the air after liftoff

Looking to the Southwest from the air after liftoff

Over a housing development in Rio Rancho

Over a housing development in Rio Rancho

Looking up into the balloon envelope

Looking up into the balloon envelope

Lone balloon off to the Southwest

Lone balloon off to the Southwest

Somewhere above the West side

Somewhere above the West side

Over the Paradise Hills golf course in Rio Rancho

Over the Paradise Hills golf course in Rio Rancho

Deflating "Xplore"

Deflating "Xplore"

PCC Bulls

PCC Bulls

"Puff Baby"

"Puff Baby"

Inflation Harness Quick Release

Inflation harness quick release

"Puff Proud Papa"

"Puff Proud Papa"

Panoramic view of the Sandia Mountains at sunset

Panoramic view of the Sandia Mountains at sunset