Report on The Kodak
Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta
New Mexico, USA
October 2nd to 10th
1999
** "The following is not an
official report, but my personal view of this event."
Eric Dufour
This year was the 28th annual Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta and the first year that paramotor
pilots were invited to participate. More than 1.5 million spectators
visited over the nine days period.
The paramotor pilots briefing began
at 7:00 AM each morning, with coffee, donuts and muffins provided.
|
|
|
This was the first year that paramotors
were invited to fly at the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta. |
|
Four instructors were there to help
our hosts, Michelle
& Jerry Daniele : Francesco
de Santis from Florida, Alan Chuculate from California, Andy
McAvin from Texas and myself. Scott Alan,
from Florida, was also there to help with powered parachutes. Our mission was to help other pilots to safely enjoy flying at
this event.
Bill Bennet (pioneer and developper
of the sport of hangliding) and Denise Van Kuren, were our on
stage commentators.
Albuquerque is at 5000' altitude. Therefore,
many paramotor pilots had to run faster and longer on the take
offs. Since the air is thinner at this high altitude, some pilots
got tired faster and it took them one or two days to get used
to it. Nice climate, a lot of space and very nice scenery.
There were three slots of three days
each.
|
|
|
First slot :This one was mostly with local paramotorists
and others from different American states.
We had up to 12 paramotors in the air
at the same time, but could not fly more because of logistics,
weather (too windy at some times and lack of wind at some other
times), lack of experienced pilots at high altitude and lack
of power at altitude with some units.
|
| In the first day, flying with the air
balloons was possible, because the weather was such, that the
balloons were stationary over the park, in an arrangement called
" The Box", a wind pattern, that allowed only a few
pilots to fly around them. Flying with the balloons:
Most of the French were expecting to
fly with the balloons, but unfortunately, the FAA (Federal Aviation
Administration) did not allow any paramotors to launch until
the balloons had completely cleared the field.
|
|
|
|
One morning, we were getting ready
to send some pilots with the balloons as a test for the FAA and
balloon committee.
The lucky first one was Bill
Walsh , instructor in Massachusetts,
who was smart enough to take some great shots with his high quality
video mounted helmet.
Bill took off first and the FAA came to give us a hard time because it
seemed that nobody was supposed to launch before they told us. We will
never know who gave Bill the green light to go. Nevertheless, after
much explanation from us and from Bill, we could fly over the field again...
In a clear sky... |
|
Between 800 and 900 air balloons were
launching on every nice mornings. |
|
Nous ne saurons jamais qui a donné le feu vert à
Bill. Après excuses et explications de notre part ainsi que de celle de
Bill, nous avons pu voler sur le site encore ... dans un ciel clair...
|
|
Bill Walsh flying with the air balloons. |
|
|
Second slot : Now came the "French delegation".
I welcomed them in my French Canadian accent. Some spoke good
English, but some little. So, I had to stay close to help communicate
all the details.
It was nice for Elisabeth and I to
once again, see Guy Leon-Dufour, president of Adventure paramotors,
with his wife, Marie-Henriette, and two of their sons.
There was also Michel Twitou, former
European paramotor champion and Thierry Simonet, who manufactures
the Back Bone paramotors and is also a very good pilot.
Many Americans were watching the French,
since they have flown for years and this sport originated in
Europe. Some displayed good skills and talent, but others were
struggling with take offs at high altitude.
|
|
|
Alan Chuculate, instructor in California,
and me, while conducting the paramotor flights. |
|
Third slot :Next came the
Belgians with my good friend,
Olivier Symoens, instructor at the Easy
Flying Paramotor School, in Brussels. When those pilots
learned that it was impossible to fly with the balloons, they
immediately headed for Santa Fe, a very nice town located one hour
north of Albuquerque, to fly the desert and see things other than a
large parking lot. Michelle & Jerry understood the pilots
frustration and as the town is surrounded by nice sites, they
quickly organized flights at a small canyon called "Bad Lands",
which is about 30 minutes from the paramotor launch site, and at the
19th Avenue balloon launch site; another place in the desert nearby.
|
The small canyon called "Bad
Lands". |
Ayant compris la frustration des pilotes,
Michelle & Jerry ont rapidement organisé des vols
à un petit canyon appelé "Bad Lands",
situé à environs 30 minutes de notre site, ainsi
qu'au site de décollage de montgolfières de la
19 ième Avenue; une autre belle location désertique
des environs.
|
 |
|
In the evening, there was the spectacular
"Glow" of the hot air balloons. |
|
|
Michelle & Jerry Daniele, instructors
at American Flyer PPG, in New Mexico, did a great job in putting
this show together. Almost all pilots (total near 50) could fly
Albuquerque and see balloons. The year 2000's Balloon Fiesta is promising
to be even better, since they are already working on flying paramotors
WITH hot air balloons.
|
|
|
Jerry & Michelle Daniele at the
19th Avenue site. |
|
As a paramotor pilot and someone who
happens to be a video producer, Bill Werntz ( werntz777@aol.com ) made sure he was there.
He has produced a
video that takes you behind the scenes with candid interviews
and up close and personal shots of the many colorful pilots who
made this paramotor flying on a paramotor at this event, a reality,
not soon forgotten. |
 Click here to see an
article of this event on the Ultraflight Magazine
 Click here to
see the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Fly-in 2002
Click here
to see a report with pictures of the Balloon Fiesta Fly-in 2000
The Kodak Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta's Web site
|
