OIS S JE ONNELL Y GHE SEL HU McC DEBER TT UL O OM KIM VE A C O: T O: O: P O: S T T T T PHO PHO PHO PHO In 1976, Sid introduced the In 1978, balloonists Bob Ruppenthal designed and Then, in 2021, the AIBF World Balloon, the fl agship Darryl Gunter built an experimental balloon they called Director of Operations balloon of Sid Cutter’s Fiesta. This balloon was recently rebuilt using some of Sam Parks, came up with and Tom Rutherford’s the original components and has appeared at Balloon a new proposal: build a new ballooning Fiesta. Some years later, a group of AIBF Board members balloon at Balloon Fiesta corporation, World Balloon pooled their resources and built the fi rst of a series of in nine days that would be Championships. Sid offi cial AIBF balloons, also called Fiesta. These balloons the newest fi gure-head went on to produce and became the face of AIBF for many years. balloon for AIBF. This fl y fi ve of these balloons, balloon, Fiesta Gold, was to promote his new and is intended to fl y company. around the USA and the world to commemorate and to herald the coming of the 50th anniversary of Balloon Fiesta, which would occur in October 2022. OFFICIAL PROGRAM 175