Acoma Balloon Rally to lift off this weekend

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

PUEBLO OF ACOMA — Friday morning, about 7 a.m., the skies above Acoma will be filled with colorful hot air balloons, as the third Acoma Balloon Rally gets under way.

Rally officials are expecting about 15 balloons, including Acoma's balloon, to ride the skies, weather permitting, as a three-day balloon rally begins at the Sky City Cultural Center, 16 miles into the valley on the reservation. Six balloonists had registered as of Wednesday afternoon.

On Saturday and Sunday, the balloons will move to Sky City Casino Hotel, at Interstate 40, Exit 102, said Phil Robertson, publicity manager for Acoma Business Enterprises.

The tribe has never before allowed balloonists to fly over Sky City, he said.

"The view of the valley is picturesque, even majestic; so the tribe decided to allow this event to begin here," he said.</sub>Use the balloonRobertson said the Pueblo of Acoma has owned a balloon for years and three years ago decided that it was not being used much and so planned the first balloon rally in 2003.

The rally will also have tethered balloons for people to ride during all three days. There is no admission fee to this event and the public is invited.

A "balloon glow" is planned Saturday night from 6-9 p.m., at Ski City Casino Hotel's north parking lot, weather permitting, again.

The glow is where balloon pilots fill the balloons with air and then use the burners to light their balloons. They remain tethered to the ground, and the lit balloons with their thousands of colors brighten the night sky.

Balloon pilots will be on hand to talk to the public about riding in balloons, why they fly, how they fly, answering any and all questions, Robertson said.

A pilots daily briefing before flying each morning is at 4:30-5:30 a.m., and the public is invited, pilots then start preparing their balloons to, fly, including rolling them out from a folded position and superheating the air with special burners.

This take about an hour and ascension each morning should be around 7 a.m., if the weather holds, Robertson said.

A balloon crew is more than just a pilot. There are members of a "chase crew," from two to several people who ride in trucks, chasing the balloon to recover it when it lands, wherever it lands.

A special pilots- and crews-only dinner is planned Saturday from 6-9 p.m., in the Pinon Room at the hotel.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.