ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A fleet of hot air balloons took to a clear desert sky Saturday to begin a colorful mass ascent at the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Festival.
The nine-day gathering attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for a rare opportunity to be on hand as the giant balloons are deflated and inflated.
The balloons were released to screams of joy after a short weather delay, and were carried away by a gentle breeze. Propane burners blared and hundreds of balloons — from traditional globes to cartoon shapes — rose, decorating the sky with color.
“The mass ascension is magical, unlike anything I’ve actually seen in the world,” said Paul Kluzak of Phoenix. He has come twice before and arrived this year wearing a tall hat resembling a hot air balloon, with a camera hanging around his neck. “Seeing them all at once is really cool.”
Companion Heather Klosak said words could hardly express the excitement of the event.
“We would just love to be a part of it,” she said. “It’s fun to be on the playground” as the balloons inflate and go.
This year’s festival includes 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which will be released for the first time at the festival. This includes Mazu, modeled after the sea goddess of the same name who has deep roots in Taiwanese culture and tradition.
Typically, cool morning temperatures at dawn can help pilots stay in the air longer, or carry more weight. But the morning air was unusually warm on opening day, with many spectators taking off their shirts.
Morning lows and afternoon highs are expected to be above average for several days in the city, which on Monday recorded its highest temperature late in the year, at 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 degrees Celsius), according to the National Weather Service. .
Globally, things are getting hotter too. This year will likely end as the warmest year ever measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported in early September.
Typically, when it’s cold in the morning, less fuel is needed to propel the balloons higher. Fiesta veterans explain that it’s all about generating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to higher temperatures than those outside.
However, inflation occurs year-round in many places, including the troubled Phoenix area, which has seen its share of record temperatures in recent months.
Troy Bradley, an accomplished balloon pilot who has been flying for decades, ignored the warm weather in Albuquerque.
“These are not really issues from a spectator’s perspective,” he said. “I don’t see any difference except that they won’t freeze in the pre-dawn hours.”
