over some of New Mexico’s spectacular landscape - scenes that closely resembled the cartoon background. Sid’s choice for this awesome balloon design was perfect. Ballooning brought us together and memories keep us going. We will always treasure the great times with Sid. He changed our lives forever. Mark Sullivan, champion hot air and gas Above: Balloon pins are among the most popular balloonist, President of the FAI International collectibles Below: Ty’s fi rst special gift from Sid: the Ballooning Commission, and Diplome Montgolfi er original World Balloon pin recipient bought my fi rst balloon from Sid in January he was trading, and it was a pin I already had. Not 1983 and we became instant friends. Sid wanting to be rude, I happily gave him my pin took me under his wing and we shared many for a trade. He gave me the pin he had, great adventures but he also reached for another one. It together in the air, Iunder the water and O was the ambulance pin complete with T the trailer attachment. It’s one of my on the seas. PHO fondest memories of Balloon Fiesta Throughout the 1980s Y and Sid. and 90s we competed AMIL Sid was such a kind man. He against each other in the didn’t care if you were a millionaire, local Top Gun events so we UTTER F down to your last dime, an old man could qualify for the U.S. C in his dotage or a child as young National Championship. as I. His kindness is what I will Many years at the U.S. miss the most, but I’ll always have Nationals we teamed up to those pins as a reminder of when increase our odds against I fi rst met Sid Cutter. the other competitors and in 1986 Sid won his Dick Brown, early Albuquerque balloonist, second U.S National title. Dick Brown, early Albuquerque balloonist, Montgolfi er Diplome recipient, and former editor of In 1995 Sid, myself and Troy Ballooning, the journal of the Balloon Federation of Bradley teamed up and America. Excerpted from the 2011 Balloon Fiesta won the 1st U.S. National program: Team Championship in Gwinnett Georgia. Sid y the fall of 1972, Sid was fl ying a and I fl ew together in the big balloon portraying Warner Bros’ U.S. National Gas Balloon Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote Championship, took 4th in cartoon characters. This balloon was the 1990 World Gas Balloon awkward and sluggish, but that was Championship in Tyndall, Bnothing compared to the Coyote’s SD and had two great Sid Cutter ludicrous contraptions from the ACME mail-order fl ights in the American’s company. In those days, we were still learning how Challenge Gas Balloon to fl y balloons and sometimes we burned the skirt Race. We caught tarpon, big mouth bass, fl y fi shed to a crisp, not unlike the fateful Coyote being burned for trout and scuba dived some of the best spots to a crisp when his elaborate plans to catch the in the world, always having great fun, many times ever-elusive Roadrunner failed. Sid made some hard laughing until our sides ached. Sid and Jewel were landings in the balloon but nothing like the Coyote’s always the leaders in fi nding new and exciting things terminal descents and splats on the desert fl oor. to do and I was truly honored to be included in so Each fl ight became another win for our beloved state many of their adventures. bird - the Roadrunner. Big balloons need big crews If you are lucky you will fi nd a friend like Sid once so we helped Sid with infl ation, chasing and packing in a lifetime and I am proud to have called Sid my up. In return, Sid gave us our very fi rst balloon ride best friend. ® 46 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta