The Mass Ascension

A terrific new Balloon Museum graces the launch area in Albuquerque. It has several interesting exhibits plus a rich history of ballooning. Man first defied gravity in 1783 when the French lifted the first hot air balloon near Paris. Since then ballons have served many useful purposes. Both sides used them during the Civil War for reconnaissance and to observe the positions of their adversaries. During WW II, the Japanese unleashed 10,000 balloons loaded with munitions hoping they would reach the U.S. mainland. The operation was a failure, but some of those balloons reached as far as Michigan. Seven people in Oregon were burned to death. They were the only casualties of the infamous balloon attack. The news was covered up by our government. In the early days of NASA, Astronauts and their equipment were first tested in balloons before they were allowed to enter space ships.

Today, on the last day of the Fiesta, all of the balloons were supposed to be launched in mass. However, the wind currents were such that the larger balloons did not risk the final event. However, the skies over our trailer were full of strikingly beautiful hot air crafts flying so low that we could see what the crew was wearing. One surprised us by landing about 30 feet in front of our Airstream. The pilot chatted with some of our fellow RVers for a few minutes, and then he took off again.

Vendors continued to hawk their wares until the very end of the Fiesta. This is a grand event for children of all ages.