Normally we have two commercial outfits that go up almost daily, so about 3 to 5 in the morning on any given day. But during Fiesta the pilots come in from all over the world for a week's worth of flying, fun, festivities and fireworks. On mass ascension days as many as 500 balloons go up!
Albuquerque has become a mecca for flying because we have box currents that go one direction at one altitude and the opposite direction higher up, so balloons can drift in lazy circles and -- if skilled enough -- land pretty close to where they took off.
Albuquerque has become a mecca for flying because we have box currents that go one direction at one altitude and the opposite direction higher up, so balloons can drift in lazy circles and -- if skilled enough -- land pretty close to where they took off.
