{"id":37939,"date":"2022-10-10T19:29:21","date_gmt":"2022-10-11T01:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/as-pilots-age-albuquerques-ballooning-future-at-crossroads\/"},"modified":"2022-10-11T01:29:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T01:29:21","slug":"as-pilots-age-albuquerques-ballooning-future-at-crossroads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/as-pilots-age-albuquerques-ballooning-future-at-crossroads\/","title":{"rendered":"As pilots age, Albuquerque’s ballooning future at crossroads"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Veteran
Veteran balloonist Ron Curry, center, stands up the KKOB news radio balloon as thousands gathered at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque to watch the morning mass ascension, Oct. 7, 2022. Curry, like many of his contemporaries, plans to retire from ballooning after this year's 50th anniversary fiesta. (Jim Weber\/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)<\/span>Jim Weber<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ALBUQUERQUE \u2013 Bryce Risley is putting everything he has into documenting and preserving the world-famous culture of Albuquerque ballooning that captivated him as a child.<\/p>\n

Risley holds a double master\u2019s degree in marine science, but since returning to his home state after graduate school, he\u2019s switched his obsession from creatures that live in the water to humans who feel at home in the air.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old balloonist, photographer and social scientist is several months and 60-plus interviews into compiling what he says will be the most comprehensive ethnography of the local ballooning scene ever produced. His goal is to speak to and photograph more than 250 people who make up the fabric of the ballooning community for a book called The Albuquerque Balloonist.<\/p>\n

Initial work on what he expects to be a multiyear project has opened Risley\u2019s eyes to an aging community facing challenges on multiple fronts that have him concerned for the future of ballooning in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re losing ballooning very quickly \u2013 quicker than pretty much anybody has ever articulated in the media or on a large public platform,\u201d said Risley, who joined his first crew while attending the University of New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s presently a large cohort, a very large cohort, of balloonists who are going to retire after the 50th Fiesta.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s difficult to gauge the number of balloonists who will call it quits when this year\u2019s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta ends Sunday, but Risley said he\u2019s learned dozens plan to make the milestone event their last hurrah.<\/p>\n

Many others likely won\u2019t be far behind, he said.<\/p>\n

\"Bryce
Bryce Risley dons his Balloon Boy Jacket as he tests the controls on his remote balloon before he and a crowd of RC ballooners take a shot at a world record during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque on Oct. 7. Risley says the jacket has a lot of old-guard ballooning patches given to him by veteran ballooners. (Jim Weber\/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)<\/span>Jim Weber<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Veteran
Veteran balloon pilot Robert Lupton tests his equipment as thousands gathered at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque to watch the morning mass ascension Oct. 7. Lupton and his wife, Sally Lupton, who is also a balloon pilot, plan to retire from ballooning after this year's 50th anniversary fiesta. (Jim Weber\/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)<\/span>Jim Weber<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hot
Hot air balloons inflate as thousands of spectators gather at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to watch the morning mass ascension during the 50th anniversary balloon fiesta Oct. 7. (Jim Weber\/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)<\/span>Jim Weber<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Veteran
Veteran balloonist Sally Lupton checks her balloon for holes as thousands gathered at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to watch the morning mass ascension, Oct. 7 (Jim Weber\/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)<\/span>Jim Weber<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The same people who entered into the novel sport during the early days of Albuquerque ballooning in the 1970s and 1980s remain a dominant fixture today. Risley said their departure will leave a hole he believes will soon become more noticeable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a secret that it\u2019s a very old community,\u201d Risley said, \u201cbut it\u2019s significant because they\u2019re running out of time to replenish their community and grow it up to numbers that we are historically used to.\u201d<\/p>\n

As local pilots and officials look beyond the 50th anniversary of the iconic event, there\u2019s a wide spectrum in the level of concern about the challenges facing the Albuquerque ballooning community.<\/p>\n

Preserving existing landing spots for Balloon Fiesta participants and preparing or acquiring new landing sites amid urban development remains an agreed-upon priority, and recruiting new balloonists to replace those that are departing is something most acknowledge as important. But the degree to which such issues may have an impact on Balloon Fiesta and the ballooning community overall is up for debate.<\/p>\n

Some people anticipate an upcoming drop in participation in the Fiesta \u2013 even saying it could leave the city\u2019s title of ballooning capital of the world up for grabs. Others claim calls for alarm are premature and that taking manageable steps will help the city maintain its reign.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not anything to take for granted, obviously, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s in danger,\u201d said Paul Smith, executive director of the Balloon Fiesta since 1997. \u201cAlbuquerque is the balloon capital of the world. \u2026 I have not heard of anyone trying to claim our title or even approach our numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Husband and wife pilots Robert and Sally Lupton began their balloon journey in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where they\u2019d known each other since they were 5.<\/p>\n

Robert says they \u201chad to be silly and went off to marry other people\u201d but returned to their hometown, got reacquainted, and Sally took Robert for a balloon ride.<\/p>\n

Sally had already caught the ballooning bug and mortgaged her car to buy a $10,000 balloon system. \u201cI\u2019ve always been a little crazy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Robert then purchased his own balloon, and the two spent years traveling to events and flying together as their love for each other and ballooning grew.<\/p>\n

They spent so much time at New Mexico festivals that they decided to move to Albuquerque in 1993. They got married that year in their crew chief\u2019s backyard, with Sally holding a bouquet of balloons.<\/p>\n

Now both 74, Sally is participating in her 41st fiesta while Robert is in his 35th. It will be their last as pilots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided it was just time. Everything has gotten so much heavier,\u201d Robert said. \u201cThe time to prepare is just more difficult for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not worried about the flying, but you\u2019ve still got to pick it up and put it away. If we can\u2019t do our share, that\u2019s not fair to the crew and everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n

They plan on selling their Lady Jester balloon following the Balloon Fiesta. Risley said he knows many other retiring pilots will do the same.<\/p>\n

For the Luptons, it\u2019s an emotional end to a high-flying chapter of their lives. But the relationships they\u2019ve built will remain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re the main core of our social life,\u201d Sally said of their crew members, many of whom have been with her for 40 years. \u201cThey\u2019re who we do birthdays with. We\u2019ve been taking New Year\u2019s trips to spend sunrise with some of these people at various locations throughout the world. \u201cPretty much everything about our life and the jobs that we had and the people we\u2019ve spent time with has started with ballooning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ron Curry, 74, is another balloonist who is planning to make his exit after this year\u2019s Fiesta. Since 1980, he\u2019s been piloting for KKOB-AM Radio on a handshake agreement.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s never been paid, but in return, he gets to have the KKOB Radio balloon in his possession at all times. He pays for fuel, the station pays for insurance, and every year he gets about 20 cases of Gruet sparkling wine to entertain riders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a very positive, unusual relationship,\u201d Curry said.<\/p>\n

Curry\u2019s successor on the KKOB balloon will be a friend who\u2019s in his late 50s.<\/p>\n

He said it\u2019s easy to see the demographic of the ballooning community getting older and that more young pilots will be needed to fill the void, but he thinks it\u2019s an issue that can be overcome with a focused effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Balloon Federation of America has a young balloonist school that they put on across the nation, and they\u2019re always encouraging young pilots to get involved,\u201d Curry said. \u201cBut it is a concern that has to be addressed, and it has to be promoted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert Lupton said when he attends morning pilot briefings, the majority of pilots he\u2019s rubbing shoulders with are over 60.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not just a function of age but a function of cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While his wife purchased her first balloon for $10,000, new balloon setups today can cost $40,000 or more. With many already struggling to find affordable housing, he said ballooning is not financially realistic for most young people.<\/p>\n

Risley has made his own remote control balloon with a 20-foot envelope to cut down on costs. He flew it during Balloon Fiesta and said more people are getting into the lower-stakes version of the activity.<\/p>\n

The future of ballooning is a big deal for Albuquerque, in part because it\u2019s big business.<\/p>\n

Especially during Balloon Fiesta.<\/p>\n

The market research firm Forward Analytics estimated the economic impact of the pre-pandemic 2019 Balloon Fiesta to be $186.82 million.<\/p>\n

Scott Appelman is the face of one big balloon business. The longtime pilot is the founder and president of Rainbow Ryders \u2013 the largest balloon ride company in the U.S. It\u2019s been the official ride provider for Balloon Fiesta since 1999 and has operations in Albuquerque, Phoenix and Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n

Appelman said he was 12 when he attended the first Balloon Fiesta. This year marks the 40th time he has flown in the Fiesta.<\/p>\n

Following the 50th anniversary event, Appelman expects future Fiestas to decrease in size due to multiple factors, including many pilots aging out and some balloonists shying away from participating due to decreasing landing sites as a result of urban development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of pilots out here, they\u2019re here on vacation, they\u2019re here for fun,\u201d Appelman said. \u201cThey do feel very welcomed, the community is great and they have a good time with the camaraderie, but you also want to feel comfortable flying.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is becoming more and more challenging because of a lack of landing sites across the board in the Albuquerque area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rainbow Ryders requires its pilots to have a minimum of 500 hours of flight time. Still, the company\u2019s balloons sport huge gondolas that hold 12 to 14 people, which can be more challenging to set down, even for experienced balloonists.<\/p>\n

The issue has been so prominent that the city of Albuquerque created a Balloon Fiesta Balloon Landing Task Force in 2018 to generate potential solutions to address the critical need.<\/p>\n

Possibly looking to capitalize on the situation, Appelman said representatives from Phoenix have approached him and his company to feel out if their city could put together an event on a Balloon Fiesta scale while offering more open area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that that\u2019s happening, but those conversations have happened, and they\u2019re getting more real by the day,\u201d Appelman said. \u201cAnd we are involved in them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Appelman said it\u2019s been increasingly difficult to hire pilots for his Rainbow Ryders, and fewer are being found among local pilots.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Albuquerque, Phoenix and Colorado Springs, to me, I\u2019ve tapped out all the best pilots I can find,\u201d said Appelman, who has 25 pilots at this year\u2019s Fiesta.<\/p>\n

In addition to the 500 hours of flight time, Rainbow Riders requires its pilots to have second-class medical certification. This isn\u2019t a Federal Aviation Administration requirement for commercial balloonists yet, but Appelman and other officials said the organization\u2019s proposal could potentially be enacted before next year\u2019s Fiesta.<\/p>\n

Appelman said the hassle of extra health requirements, forms and medical examinations could convince other aging pilots that it might be time to step away.<\/p>\n

While the shrinking number of landing spots in the city is a concern during Balloon Fiesta, vanishing launch sites has been a challenge local pilots have had to face the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

The Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association, or Quad A, is the city\u2019s ballooning club and is the largest such club in the world at about 600 members. The club is dedicated to providing social and educational opportunities for ballooning in the community.<\/p>\n

Peter Cuneo, 71, is vice president of Quad A and has been piloting balloons along with his wife, Barbara Fricke, since the 1980s.<\/p>\n

He and Appelman mentioned multiple popular launch sites that have been lost in the last month, including one near Presbyterian Rust Medical Center on Unser Boulevard.<\/p>\n

Cuneo said Quad A is in discussions with Rio Rancho Public Schools to possibly use some of its land as launch sites for club activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the years that I\u2019ve been ballooning, we have moved farther west and farther north to have our launch sites, and that\u2019s just a process that\u2019s going to keep happening as Albuquerque continues to develop,\u201d Cuneo said.<\/p>\n

Risley said the constant moves are having an impact on social groups that are foundational to the ballooning community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spoken to over 60 balloonists, and I\u2019ve asked them \u2018What do you enjoy the most about it?\u2019 and the flying is secondary. It\u2019s the socialization, the camaraderie of being around each other,\u201d Risley said. \u201cThis fractioning up and parceling of land and relocating, you can\u2019t fit as many balloons into the next site that we might find to go to. So cliques of balloonists or friend groups get split up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amid the concerns some balloonists and officials have for the future, this year\u2019s Balloon Fiesta still brought in huge crowds and supported about 650 balloons.<\/p>\n

The event has had a handful of previous locations prior to landing at its current site at Balloon Fiesta Park in 1996. The multiuse space, with its 86-acre launch field, is one in which the city has heavily invested. Moving again is something most people don\u2019t see as viable.<\/p>\n

Balloon Fiesta executive director Smith said there has to be a continued commitment from the city and state to making the site work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be talking to the Legislature and the governor in the coming months about how to preserve the spot so that Balloon Fiesta can stay in Albuquerque at our current location,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge investment in Balloon Fiesta Park, and we don\u2019t want it to have a shelf life; we want it to be able to go on for as long as it can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Balloon Landing Task Force last year released a report outlining steps to preserve landing spaces from development and to acquire or transform other sites to facilitate the needs of some 500 to 600 balloons.<\/p>\n

\u201cProviding adequate landing sites must involve many tools,\u201d said Dave Simon, Albuquerque\u2019s parks and recreation director who provides leadership for managing Balloon Fiesta Park and has served on the task force.<\/p>\n

The report identified certain locations of various sizes that could be acquired for landing sites. Working with private landowners, such as big-box stores, to retrofit parking areas or open spaces by limiting obstructions like trees or light poles is another option, possibly with the aid of tax credit incentives. Having early dialogue with developers so they can offer more balloon-friendly spaces is another suggestion.<\/p>\n

The city added Vista del Norte Park about 4 miles south of Balloon Fiesta Park in 2014 to provide landing space for balloonists, and it\u2019s become a popular landing zone that can accommodate about 50 balloons.<\/p>\n

At this point, Simon said there isn\u2019t a dedicated pot of money the city can draw from to acquire additional land. Most of the recommendations from the task force\u2019s report remain in their early stages and are yet to be implemented, he said.<\/p>\n

Some balloonists think the city\u2019s efforts may be coming too late.<\/p>\n

Appelman and Risley said the city should have been doing things like burying power lines and preserving landing spaces many years ago when it realized the importance of ballooning and Balloon Fiesta to the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe response to the lack of landing sites is 15 to 20 years too late, period,\u201d Appelman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as other cities have placed limitations on their development practices to preserve their cultural assets, Albuquerque has not,\u201d Risley added. \u201cI think it will be recognized at some point that this lack of preservation for the cultural asset that is ballooning in Albuquerque will go down as one of the greatest squanderings in the city\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of attracting new balloonists, it is pilots and crew members who are often the best ambassadors.<\/p>\n

In earlier years, Risley said many pilots have told him that balloonists flying over the city throughout the year would land in residential areas and be able to interact with children and adults, offering rides to draw interest.<\/p>\n

Risley said those connections are occurring much less frequently these days with pilots typically sticking to safer routes in less developed areas.<\/p>\n

He said the balloon community needs to take itself to the people again, having a presence at public events.<\/p>\n

In addition to tackling The Albuquerque Balloonist project full-time, Risley has been networking with other communities to try to get them excited about ballooning. He said having a balloon event associated with Pride Fest is among the early initiatives he\u2019s pursuing.<\/p>\n

Receiving no pay for his project, Risley said he\u2019s been working odd jobs to keep gas in his car while traveling between Santa Fe and Albuquerque to conduct many of his interviews. His plan is to eventually work abroad in his field of study, but for now, he knows his purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve convinced myself this is the most important thing I could be doing with my life at this moment,\u201d Risley said. \u201cI\u2019m giving back to a community that I cherish and love and am a part of because I have a special skill set based on my education and where I was born. I take that seriously. It\u2019s a big responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran balloonist Ron Curry, center, stands up the KKOB news radio balloon as thousands gathered at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque to watch the morning mass ascension, Oct. 7, 2022. Curry, like many of his contemporaries, plans to retire from ballooning after this year's 50th anniversary fiesta. (Jim Weber\/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)Jim Weber […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[138],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-37939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-new-mexico"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37939"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=37939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}