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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiasco (2024)

So....you went, eh? :flipoff2:
Nope. Stolt photo. We go when we've got company in town.

Wife and I's parents both had the luxury of having VIP access while we were growing up. Backdoor, drive right onto the field, hot burritos and cold beers before sunrise for free for 20ish years.

Attending as part of the general public is still cool. But it sucks. 🤣
 
I was in high school the first year the held with 1/2 dozen ballons took off from the mall parking lot. I was doing a health carreers turn at the VA hospital 4th floor, pretty cool to watch as they came right towards us changed altitude and headed a different direction.
 
Grew up around balloons, the local one here is one of the biggest in canada, the crowds are miserable but if they do a moon glow its worth watching
 
Take the Tram up to the top of Sandia, it's pretty awesome
During fiasco? Fuuuuuck no. Any other time, yes.

Drive up to the top of the Crest if you want to be disappointed in the balloon view with a few hundred other people.

It's a 2 mile easy round trip hike to the restaurant/bar at the top of the tram, also not recommended during fiasco. (We full moon snowshoe it. The bar at the halfway point is fucking awesome when you just shoed in at -20f). :smokin:
 
:laughing:

I'd venture a guess that it's the least secure event of its size in the US. Pretty impressive actually. Wheelerfreak might have better insight.
I have never been to the current location for the event other than for work. For that we had direct access to the event, hospitality tent and food..no beer though cuz work. The last time I had to work it they didn't have metal detectors or pat downs etc. Just walk right in
 
Wife had to go to airport today for work travel. Not a fun drive
Did she take the kids? You a bachelor for a while?

Last year I had a 6am flight out on the second weekend. Spent the night in ABQ. No problem getting a hotel. Since the fiasco was going on, the hotel breakfast was being served earlier, so I got some. Which was nice. The airport wasn't bad either.

This year the road construction at the big I and at the airport probably brings more suck than the fiasco.
 
But yeah, I wont be going to ABQ for a few weeks. ~500,000 tourists in town.

What about this event???? 28th Annual Punkin Chunkin! this Saturday October 12, 2024

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FIFY. :laughing:

I love flying though. :grinpimp:
Exactly this. My wife and I rode a balloon in OKC once. It was great fun, seriously. But JFC, the people running it are, say, the top 10 percent of carnies. But they’re still fucking carnies through and through. So, if you’re too smart to get on a meth-assembled rollercoaster, you should ask yourself how much you want to get in a barely-meth-sober flying machine. I think it’s among the most dangerous ways to fly.

But it’s an absolute blast.


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Meh... It is fun.

I crew with some of the local pilots, and there are some REALLY good pilots, and some sketchy ones.

I have flown with one that could descend at 900FPM and miss power lines, land on a postage stamp and make it soft as a feather.

I have crewed with others that would have a hard time finding the earth in broad daylight.

The key is go to a local balloon fest and ask the crews who they would fly with. i would ask if you are looking for a flight or an adventure then point you in the right direction... ;)
 
Didn't read all this but......anyone ever ridden in a balloon? Not a tether up and down, a legit ride? I crewed for some folks that have one and went to a balloon fest with them. I don't know how many miles we went but it was cool. A little unsettling but still cool.
 
Didn't read all this but......anyone ever ridden in a balloon? Not a tether up and down, a legit ride? I crewed for some folks that have one and went to a balloon fest with them. I don't know how many miles we went but it was cool. A little unsettling but still cool.
if you read all this you would know. :laughing:
 
I have flown with one that could descend at 900FPM and miss power lines, land on a postage stamp and make it soft as a feather.
Guy/couple I crewed for was damn good. The festival I went to with them....they had a contest. All pilots were given a ring about as big around as a Frisbee. There was a tall pole at the grounds where they did tether rides. The goal was to go out to wherever you wanted to launch from, float/fly back to the grounds and drop the ring over the pole. We would have won since I could reach out and touch the pole we we that close. Winds up the pilot left the ring in the chase truck.:rasta:
 
Guy/couple I crewed for was damn good. The festival I went to with them....they had a contest. All pilots were given a ring about as big around as a Frisbee. There was a tall pole at the grounds where they did tether rides. The goal was to go out to wherever you wanted to launch from, float/fly back to the grounds and drop the ring over the pole. We would have won since I could reach out and touch the pole we we that close. Winds up the pilot left the ring in the chase truck.:rasta:
:laughing: that sucks. Prize every year here for ring toss is a new chase truck.
 
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