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ABQ 2001

by Jeff Goin

Oct 13, 2001

While there was no official fly-in organized for this years Balloon Fiesta, there was still quite a bit of activity that formed an informal fly-in with pilots coming from several states. The 19th Street site, used for last year's PPG fly-in is where most of the activity centers on. 

Jerry and Michelle Daniele of American Flyers were busy training, helping and just having fun. Their training trailer, where they keep school gear is now a very nice hangout as well, sporting running water, cooking and most importantly...a bathroom.

There are many locations within driving range of Albuquerque that offer amazing scenery, great launches and landable terrain. The above pics are of Jarrod, a local pilot, flying some of the varied sites around the area. These are all within about a 3-hour drive of Albuquerque.

This brief report only covers Thursday which turned a nearly calm afternoon into a brisk evening but not enough to ground us. More may be added.

The magic carpet of my trip, a small four-place airplane, provided much great scenery itself. Even the flatter portions of the country radiated a sometimes spectacular array of leaves. Then in the mountains the terrain features took over. Of course there were large swaths of nothingness too.

This was my first chance to motor my recently purchased wing...thankfully it went very well. The winds were light the 2nd day and I got to try it out under calm conditions. 

Jerry Danielle inspects the drainage routes (above).  This is one of the more enjoyable aspects of this location...there is landable space nearly everywhere and some interesting exploring is to be had in the varied terrain. The first two pictures he is under an Adventure Elle and the third one is his silex (which he and his wife Michelle sometimes fight over). The motor is the SD 48.

At times the LZ got to be a busy place (above) but with plentiful area there was easy room for more. The trailer in the right picture is the new addition where American Flyers bases their operation when at the field.

David from Canada trained with Eric Dufour then eventually set out on his own and is a very accomplished pilot. Here he is launching then climbing his French wing and Backbone motor.

Michelle has become quite the master of trike flying is seen here flying by the field. This is one good use the heavy but fairly powerful Paramotor.

This day was fairly bumpy and she had no problem making this machine do what she wanted.

A gorgeous and steady reminder of our smallness...the Sandia Mountains spurt forth about 20 miles to the East of the flying area. Be careful with those winds...reserve tosses occur occasionally when free-flying this 10000' mountain.

Saturday morning dawned clear with about a 10kt breeze. That didn't deter the swarm of balloonist that staked their claim to various spots of the 19th Ave. LZ. By the time I arrived space was a premium although the West side had already been secured by Jerry and Michelle who camped out so they could be flying early.

Jerry and the News helicopter on left, a well-executed landing on the right

Only Jerry and I flew...the winds picked up enough that we did less than an hour. By the time I landed, not long after Jerry, the turbulence was at 4-5 level.

Next year there may be an official event at this site or another. Details will be posted when they become available.

Albuquerque is at 5300 feet above sea level. This thin air poses extra challenges for our foot launched craft that must be mastered to avoid disappointment or worse.

Even after tuning the engine to run perfect there won't be as much power available. So the climb rate will unavoidably be reduced. A marginally powered pilot may not make it airborne at all. Plus, if coming from near sea level, the pilot will be underpowered. It's very easy to get heavily winded after a no-wind launch.

The thinner air requires a longer takeoff run and higher running speed. So heavy pilots on fast wings will have their work cut out for them.

The best combination is to use a large wing (within it's prescribed range) and  powerful motor. This will decrease the running speed, distance and should improve the climb rate too. The more efficient the wing, the better.

The good thing is that once airborne the extra work is worth it as this area produces some of the finest scenery in the country.

Hot Air

On the last day of the Balloon Fiesta I got rise on hot air instead of wing lift. One of my coworkers, Delores Chance (below left), had arranged for a flight aboard the "Looney Toone", expertly piloted by Rudy and his friend Sammy (below right) who were also great personalities.

Looking back at the balloon park, the mass ascension can be seen in full swing. Grass is now present over about 1/3 of the field...we were lucky enough to be able to use it.

The balloon is carried in what looks like a large stuff sack. Setup and breakdown went faster than expected owing to an experienced crew (I stayed out of the way mostly) and ingenious methods.

The weather was perfect with a North 1-3 mph breeze down low but many directions aloft. That makes it easier for navigation given the non-existent propulsion. We started early, before it was light. But there were those who were even earlier!

There is more skill than meets the eye. A revealing comment was made by the pilot when explaining his task: "you don't 'control' a balloon...you exert influence".

The flight took us past the spot of the first PPG fly-in at the fiesta and several miles SW of launch.

It's an awesome experience that gave a new view of flight. To be nearly motionless at 100' is so foreign to me.

The balloonists sure know how to have a good time; laughter flowed freely before and after flying. Champaign flowed equally freely afterward

Our craft was  a Cameron O-90, built in Michigan. Rudi, the pilot, has been flying since 1997, providing first balloon flights for hundreds of individuals.

As a commercial pilot he is authorized to give instruction and allowed me to log about 12 minutes of tethered flight after we had landed. It was an enjoyable and fascinating excursion. Rudi was very willing to share both his knowledge and enthusiasm...both in abundance.