((PKG)) HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
((Banner: Lifting Spirits))
((Reporter/Camera: Julie Taboh))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Albuquerque, New Mexico))
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
Morning. How you’re doing?
I got into ballooning by accident.
Slowing down a little bit.
((NATS & MUSIC))
This is my 32nd year and this is my 20th year here at
Albuquerque.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
We're just flying above the surface of the earth like, you know,
really, you know, close to the ground or high up. I mean, it's
unique. You have few types of aviation where you could just float
above the ground. So, yeah, after that first flight, it’s like, you're
hooked.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
This is the biggest ballooning event in the world by far. So, every
year they kind of pared it down. Now they settled between 550
and 600 balloons.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Jill Levin, Festival Attendee))
I've been coming out for 40 years, since I came out here for
college, and it's, it's fabulous every single time. Can't beat it.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Reyna Naranjo, Festival Attendee))
It screams New Mexico. I don't know another place that has
something remotely close to this.
((Omar, Festival Attendee))
It's almost like a tradition to come every year. So, every New
Mexican knows that it’s balloon time.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
There are balloons here from, I think, this year 17 countries in the
world.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Sam Parks, Director of Operations))
Well, the festival started 48 years ago with only 12 balloons to
start with. And it happened basically in celebration of the
founder's mother's birthday. And so, here we are 48 years later
but I would imagine that we're going to be somewhere between
800,000 and a million over the nine-day period of the festival.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Sam Parks, Director of Operations))
The balloons themselves are located in a large launch field but
the crowd can go right up to them and touch them.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Sam Parks, Director of Operations))
I am inspired by it. One of the things that I heard yesterday,
which really touched my heart, was a young boy telling his
mother, ‘this is the best day ever.’ And so, when you hear things
like that, it just kind of puts it all in perspective and it makes you
feel like you're doing a good thing.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
See you next year!
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Banner: Lifting Spirits))
((Reporter/Camera: Julie Taboh))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Albuquerque, New Mexico))
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
Morning. How you’re doing?
I got into ballooning by accident.
Slowing down a little bit.
((NATS & MUSIC))
This is my 32nd year and this is my 20th year here at
Albuquerque.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
We're just flying above the surface of the earth like, you know,
really, you know, close to the ground or high up. I mean, it's
unique. You have few types of aviation where you could just float
above the ground. So, yeah, after that first flight, it’s like, you're
hooked.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
This is the biggest ballooning event in the world by far. So, every
year they kind of pared it down. Now they settled between 550
and 600 balloons.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Jill Levin, Festival Attendee))
I've been coming out for 40 years, since I came out here for
college, and it's, it's fabulous every single time. Can't beat it.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Reyna Naranjo, Festival Attendee))
It screams New Mexico. I don't know another place that has
something remotely close to this.
((Omar, Festival Attendee))
It's almost like a tradition to come every year. So, every New
Mexican knows that it’s balloon time.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
There are balloons here from, I think, this year 17 countries in the
world.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Sam Parks, Director of Operations))
Well, the festival started 48 years ago with only 12 balloons to
start with. And it happened basically in celebration of the
founder's mother's birthday. And so, here we are 48 years later
but I would imagine that we're going to be somewhere between
800,000 and a million over the nine-day period of the festival.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Sam Parks, Director of Operations))
The balloons themselves are located in a large launch field but
the crowd can go right up to them and touch them.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Sam Parks, Director of Operations))
I am inspired by it. One of the things that I heard yesterday,
which really touched my heart, was a young boy telling his
mother, ‘this is the best day ever.’ And so, when you hear things
like that, it just kind of puts it all in perspective and it makes you
feel like you're doing a good thing.
((NATS & MUSIC))
((Gary Michalek, Balloon Pilot))
See you next year!
((NATS & MUSIC))
