Strong Man Bill
It takes an entire team of people to pull the balloons from the trucks, unfold them, start the hot air into them, and then launch them.
Once the balloon is in the air, the team converts to “Chaser” mode, piling into their vehicles to follow the balloon as it drifts around at the mercy of the winds.
The balloon has no control over where it lands, and the site is often not the optimal place to drop a basket. Crews often have to trample cornfields flat or usher away livestock to make room for the hot-air craft.
Every few years, a balloon drifts over Kirtland Air Force Base. When it lands, the pilot and passengers are given a stern talking to, their film is destroyed, and they’re detained for several embarrassing hours.
Tags: Albuquerque, Archives, balloon fiesta, photo