Tag: gas jets

Balloons Over Albuquerque

Up early again today, but this was different. We had an appointment to fly over Albuquerque during a mass ascension at the Balloon Fiesta.

Actually, this was Helaine’s birthday gift to me. Though very apprehensive, Helaine decided she’d go too.

I’m glad to say she overcame her fears and had a great time in the air!

We were flying in a ‘small balloon.’ The wicker basket only had room for four plus the pilot. We’ve seen some that carried ten or more!

From Albuquerque B…

Our flying partners were Rachel and Roger Smith from Ft. Worth, TX. Married a year, and with Rachel clutching a new Canon Digital Rebel, they flew in just for this flight.

It was breezy as we walked out onto the field. Breeze and balloons don’t mix. At the edge of the field flags fluttered. The wind had to be at least 10 mph, maybe a little more.

From Albuquerque B…

Overhead were clouds. Yesterday the sky was a deep, pure blue. Today the blue appeared in patches. It was the perfect setup for a beautiful sunrise. The colors were just as they appear in this photo. Even the shaft of light is exactly what we saw.

We were supposed to leave at 7:00 AM, but not with the wind. The Balloon Fiesta organizers put a hold on takeoffs. In an event like this, safety has to be your only concern.

They were hopeful the wind would die down a bit. I wasn’t, so I called Connecticut and spoke to Matt Scott. He pulled up some computer data which showed the wind was already well above what was forecast.

We waited. I felt bad for the Smiths. Though Helaine and I had seen a full day of ballooning, Rachel and Roger might have to fly home with nothing!

A bit after 7:30, the word came. Today, we would fly! It was still a little breezy so the special shapes balloons, which are more difficult to control, would stay on the ground.

From Albuquerque B…

Our pilot, Al, pulled the cords starting two big gas powered fans. The balloon began to fill with air. It was environmental air and not buoyant. Then he lit the burners.

From Albuquerque B…

From cannisters in the basket’s corners, propane rushed to two gas jets. A long, slender, blue flame pushed into the envelope. The balloon began to stand.

Within a few seconds our hot air balloon looked like a hot air balloon. We got the signal and climbed in.

From Albuquerque B…

One of the coolest parts of the Balloon Fiesta is the up-close access. Anyone is allowed to walk the field and get close to the balloons… and they do.

I gave my card to a few people with nice cameras, asking if they’d take photos of our ascent. We’ll see. I don”t have high hopes.

The balloons are arranged in lines, one after another. Local volunteers, dressed like referees and referred to as “Zebras” act as air traffic controllers. With their guidance, one-by-one, the row ahead of us began to climb.

From Albuquerque B…

There was no turning back now. Our Zebra took a position a few dozen yards ahead of us, checked our flanks, turned back to us and raised her thumbs. Al turned on the jets. We were airborne.

From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…

A balloon climbs effortlessly. At first, its rise is startlingly rapid. As you get a little higher that sensation is gone.

You’re flying with the wind so there is no breeze on the passengers. I’ve flown five times now and have never experienced any bumpiness or turbulence. Mostly it’s quiet.

From Albuquerque B…

The only sound a balloon makes comes from the burst of flame applied every minute or so.

From Albuquerque B…

Looking around we could see ‘dusty patches’ below some clouds. That was rain and some of it was pretty close.

We began to lose altitude. Al picked out a spot that looked good for landing, but as we descended, the wind’s direction changed. He held the balloon aloft and searched for another spot.

From Albuquerque B…

We flew over a beautiful development of very expensive homes, on dirt roads, looking for a place to land. At a dry river bed we scraped the low brush… but Al decided this wasn’t his right landing spot.

He hit the gas.

From Albuquerque B…

Now we were flying at running speed, no higher than 50 feet above the ground. Landing spots were more difficult to find, though it really didn’t make any difference. We’d just fly until we found one.

We finally landed… on a road! The balloon tilted forward but then quickly righted itself. Someone popped out of our chase truck to stop traffic.

From Albuquerque B…

Unlike flying a ‘real’ airline, if you’re in a balloon, you help after landing. We gathered the balloon, cleared the road and drove back to the field.

Maybe it is possible to have a better flight, but I can’t see how. Helaine beamed. Not only had she overcome her fear, she had done so early enough to enjoy the flight.

We’ll spend the rest of the day doing nothing. Tomorrow we’re making a long drive: Albuquerque to Kayenta, Arizona. See you then.

From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…

Full Day And The Glowdeo

After the morning balloon session, Helaine and I returned to the hotel for a while. The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has distinct morning and evening sessions (with separate admissions).

From Albuquerque F…

After a brief nap it was off to the tramway which climbs Sandia Peak. Only one problem. Everyone else in Albuquerque had the same idea. The Friday afternoon wait was two hours! Helaine wasn’t going to take the tram to the top anyway, so we left.

Even from the base of the tramway, over 6,000 feet above sea level, the view was excellent.

Next destination was Old Town Albuquerque, a picturesque area of artsy stores and native craftsmen. We walked around for a while and Helaine found something for Stef.

The Fox Family Secrecy Act of 2006 prevents me from disclosing what she got.

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By the way, parking near Old Town is interesting. The parking lot has a series of boxes at one end. Each box has a slot where you put your money for parking. I slipped two dollars in the space marked 122.

We ended up overstaying our time, but got no ticket. I suspect it’s not heavily enforced. In fact, it sound like my money went all the way to the bottom, not my individual ‘cash cubby.’

Old Town is conveniently located next to Albuquerque’s museums. Helaine asked if I wanted to go to the Natural History Museum? I would have, had I not spied a small building, previously used for something else. It was the National Atomic Museum.

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The signs outside made it look a little off center and not afraid to poke a little fun of itself. Was this a real museum or a sly museum takeoff?

From Albuquerque F…

The first thing I noticed inside was a collection of slide rules. I stopped to gape. This was my kind of place. Before calculators, I was a slide rule expert.

In the history of atomic energy, New Mexico stands tall. Remember, there’s a lot of space here… lots of room to do things you don’t want found out. Our first atomic test was held not far from Albuquerque.

We paid our admission, walked in, and quickly walked into the theater where a movie was about to start; “Ten Seconds That Changed The World.”

Narrated by Richard Basehart and produced by the legendary David L. Wolper, this was a collection of grainy black and white footage which traced the real history of the atomic age, all the way to Hiroshima.

It seemed like it was originally cut for TV with distinct fades to black for commercial inserts. Whatever the case, it was fascinating. It was jam packed with historical film I’d never seen before – really good stuff from the 40s.

As we left, Helaine said, “That was worth the price of admission.” It was.

We only spent a few more minutes in the museum before heading back to the hotel and then the park-n-ride bus to Balloon Fiesta Park. There sure is a lot more traffic on a Friday evening than a pre-dawn Friday morning.

It was still light out as we approached the park. A dozen or so balloons floated about the area. The real action was shaping up on the field.

The Sun went down. The balloons lit up. The was a “Glowdeo.”

From Albuquerque F…

Tethered balloons were kept inflated enough to float up, while their attached baskets sat on the ground. Lit from the inside, the balloons glowed in the fading twilight.

I can’t imagine there’s anything else like this anywhere. There were dozens… maybe hundreds of balloons. Most of the time, each was dark, sometimes illuminated by neighboring balloons. The scene was constantly changing and since the balloons were all cheek to jowel, walking a few feet changed the perspective.

I decided to leave my tripod in the car and take my monopod. The monopod provides plenty of support, but not the rock solid steadiness you’d get from a tripod.

In a perfect world, the tripod would have been a better choice. With a few hundred thousand of our closest friends it would have been a significantly more cumbersome one.

To make up for the monopod’s shortcomings and the fact that the gas jets on the balloons were constantly going on and off, I overshot. Sometimes I shot 4,5,6 snaps of the same thing, hoping one would work.

I also kept the shutter very slow, having it open for a quarter second at times. That kind of setting almost guarantees some blur, but most of my shots are very sharp.

From Albuquerque F…
From Albuquerque F…
From Albuquerque F…
From Albuquerque F…
From Albuquerque F…

As the “Glowdeo” came to an end, we grabbed some tasty junk food and waited for the fireworks… but this was the end of a very long day. About two thirds through the fireworks I turned to Helaine and said, “Let’s head to the bus.”

From Albuquerque F…

We caught the spectacular display at the end from the bus stop, but there was little strength left between us to get excited. As the only event of the day the fireworks would haev been great, but we were well into sensory overload.

In the morning we fly… or at least we’re scheduled to fly in a balloon. The forecast has a chance for showers and lots of clouds. It’s iffy, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

Helaine’s never flown in wicker before. It’s a great experience. I’m really looking forward to it.

Blogger’s note: This is my 2,000th blog entry.