The Fiesta has many events, including mass ascensions, special shapes, and even special events and competitions.
What makes ballooning in Albuquerque so good? It's what's known as the Albuquerque box--predictable wind patterns that are great for ballooning. Below is a diagram of how the winds in the Albuquerque box work from Balloon Fiesta Park. The balloons rise and are taken south by southerly winds, then rise and are swept north in the higher altitude by northerly winds. When they drop in altitude, they are caught by the southerly winds again which bring them back to the park.
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| Pic from Wikipedia |
Of course, things don't always go so neatly, so each balloon has pilots and crew. This includes people to keep track of and chase the balloons down and help load them back up after landing.
If you visit, going up in a balloon can be quite expensive (during the Fiesta they're more expensive and run about $300 per person, give or take) but it might be worth it if it's on your bucket list!
Otherwise, enjoy the festival and the colorful balloons.
xoxo Sarah
I use to live in Albuquerque and sometimes hot air balloons would land in the park behind our house. Loved it. I am thinking of taking the kids back there sometime.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a chance to!
DeleteWe went to the balloon fiesta back in 1997; hubby got VIP passes to one of the tents inside the area where the balloons took off (through someone through his work). We got a breakfast and front row seats literally to watch them take off. Such a magnificent sight!
ReplyDeletebetty
That's amazing! I hope we get good views this year. :-)
DeleteThe picture is gorgeous. I've never hopped on a hot air balloon ride, but it's on my to-do list!
ReplyDelete[@samantha_rjsdr] from
Whimsical Compass
If you come to Albuquerque, it's much cheaper to take a ride during the time the Fiesta isn't going on. I hope you get a chance to go!
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