ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A fleet of hot air balloons took off into a clear desert sky Saturday to kick off a colorful mass ascension during the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.
Balloons flew amid shouts of delight after a brief delay due to the weather and were chased away by a gentle breeze. Propane burners roared and hundreds of balloons – from traditional globes to cartoonish figures – rose to splash the sky with color.
“The mass ascension is just magical, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the world,” said Paul Kluzak of Phoenix. He has come twice before and this year arrived wearing a top hat that looked like a hot air balloon, with a camera around his neck. “It’s really cool to see them all at the same time.”
Companion Heather Kluzak said words can barely express the tension of the event.
“We just enjoy being part of it,” she says. “It’s fun to be on the field” where the balloons inflate and take off.
This year’s celebration will feature 106 special-shaped balloons, 16 of which will be making their festive debut. This also applies to Mazu, modeled after the sea goddess of the same name who is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture and traditions.
Normally, cool morning temperatures at sunrise can cause pilots to stay in the air longer or carry more weight. But the morning air was unusually warm on opening day, with many spectators stripping down to T-shirts.
Morning and afternoon temperatures are expected to be above average for days in a city that recorded its hottest temperature this late in the year on Monday, at 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 degrees Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.
Globally, things have also gotten hotter. It’s probably this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported at the beginning of September.
When mornings are cool, less fuel is usually required to raise the balloons. Fiesta veterans explain that it’s all about generating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to temperatures higher than that on the outside.
Still, hot air ballooning happens year-round in many places, including the simmering Phoenix area, which has already seen its share record temperatures the past few months.
Troy Bradley, a veteran balloon pilot who has been flying for decades, shrugged off the warmer weather in Albuquerque.
“From an observer’s point of view, these are really non-issues,” he said. “I don’t see any difference other than it won’t freeze in the early morning hours.”