# Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207 "2012-10-09T13:47:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/1 "2012-10-09T13:47:16Z")
I live just outside Albuquerque and always look forward to the Fiesta. Perfect launch conditions today; you can watch live coverage here: [KOAT-TV](http://livewire.koat.com/Event/Albuquerque_International_Balloon_Fiesta_Live_Updates_and_Streaming) [KRQE-TV](http://www.krqe.com/subindex/local_guide/balloon_fiesta) [KOB-TV](http://www.kob.com/article/12148/index.shtml?cat=10113) (seems to be off the air at the moment) ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/2 "2012-10-09T14:05:48Z")
Hundreds of balloons in the air at the moment; pretty cool! ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/3 "2012-10-09T14:52:47Z")
Beautiful! Looks like fun on a perfect day there! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/4 "2012-10-10T13:02:19Z")
It’s another beautiful morning in Albuquerque and they are laying out the balloons in preparation for launch. You can watch live coverage on the local TV stations I linked to in the OP. [Here is a link](http://www.google.com/search?q=albuquerque+balloon+fiesta&hl=en&rlz=1C1 _____ enUS424US424&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CHB1ULTZNK7ligL45YHwBQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=653) to photos from past Fiestas. Weather permitting, they will be doing a launch every morning between now and Sunday. It’s pretty awesome to see several hundred balloons in the air, and the TV coverage from the helicopters can be very impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/5 "2012-10-10T13:38:29Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > \…It’s pretty awesome to see several hundred balloons in the air \ It’s even more awesome to be in one of the several hundred balloons in the air! If you get the chance, take (buy) it. Don’t forget the other balloon event that took out on Sun eve: [America’s Challenge](http://www.balloonfiesta.com/GasTracking/2012/mobile.html) (Yes, duration is HH:MM format - 2+ days) The three balloons still flying may very well be smelling the salt air of the Atlantic Ocean today. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/6 "2012-10-10T13:54:52Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > It’s even more awesome to be in one of the several hundred balloons in the air! If you get the chance, take (buy) it. > Don’t forget the other balloon event that took out on Sun eve: > [America’s Challenge](http://www.balloonfiesta.com/GasTracking/2012/mobile.html) > > (Yes, duration is HH:MM format - 2+ days) > > The three balloons still flying may very well be smelling the salt air of the Atlantic Ocean today. I worked on a chase crew one year, but I’ve never taken a ride here in Albuquerque. My only balloon ride was about 17 years ago, with two other balloons in the air. Lots of fun! And yeah, the America’s Challenge is awesome too! I was surprised last night when they said one of the balloons was east of Atlanta! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta/637207/7 "2012-10-11T02:35:36Z")
If they catch the jet stream, they go. One year, we couldn’t catch them. They were doing about 50. We could \*drive \*faster, but had to follow the roads & had to stop for fuel occasionally which negated any speed advantage.