Balloon Fiesta Part 1

Arriving on Thursday, Oct 3rd; we were a couple of days late for the start of the event.  Attending as part of the Boomers group of the Escapees club has the advantage of daily access to the launch field; participation in a number of group events (happy hours, pot lucks and dinners) as well as the opportunity to volunteer as a balloon crew member.


Since we were late arriving our volunteer duties did not start until the Monday's events.  The events each day included a dawn "patrol" launch; then a mass ascension at sunrise.  The afternoon events normally includes sky divers or live music.  The evenings often include "glows" where balloons do a static inflation and then light their gas burners in volleys which put on quite a light show.  This was followed by a fireworks display.

We got a lot of pictures during the first weekend of morning launches and evening glows.

The crowds were incredible with more than 100 thousand people on the field for morning launches.
 
 One of the great things about the fiesta is the chance to get right down on the launch field and to meet the pilots and crews.

 
After  eleven days, we had taken hundreds of pictures and videos.  This blog cannot possibly show them all.  Over the next two postings (parts 2 & 3) I'll include a lot more photos to include many of the interesting special shaped balloons and coverage of our crewing and balloon flight experience.