I fi nally managed to turn Firebird around, but it was too much and too soon. By the time Cutter landed Roadrunner, a sizable crowd gathered, and the contestants appeared to be landing in the middle of a parking lot full of cars. From an organizational standpoint, the race was most impressive. For instance, no sooner had Firebird and I hit the ground than we were checked out by a medic (my landing wasn't that bad!), greeted and interviewed by a lady radio announcer, and presented with a bottle of Cold Duck by another beautiful lady. Wow! Matt Wiederkehr, in Flying Raven 1, had an early starting time and dogged Roadrunner to the landing site to take an early lead. Wilma Piccard, however, soon maneuvered Gypsy to within 206 feet and took over fi rst place. That looked like it, until last-place starter Don Piccard, Wilma's husband/mentor, swooped the giant Spirit of '76 to a mere 184 feet from the target, putting the Piccard pair into fi rst and second places in the fi nal results. ''Too bad the kids weren't fl ying", kidded Piccard Above: Brent Stockwell, in Firebird, ready for launch in the between gulps of champagne, but fortunately for fi rst Balloon Fiesta. Photo from the original 1991 article. Wiederkehr there were no more Piccards in the air that day. out that April is the windiest month of the year in New With this outstanding race behind, an excellent eff ort Mexico. fi rst time out, the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Each pilot was driven to the airport and issued a Association is already planning for their second race, brand-new Chevrolet pick-up truck. I can almost hear "The First World Hot Air Balloon Championship.'' in the television commercial now: "Yessiree, friends and Albuquerque 11-17 February 1973. neighbors, Galles Chevrolet, in beautiful downtown Good luck and please invite me. Albuquerque, has twenty almost-brand-new pick-ups, driven only once through the desert by the little old wife Award-winning balloonist Brent Stockwell, one of of an aeronaut with a very light balloon." Each pilot was the “Original 13” (see article on page 52) fl ew balloons also issued one driver/aeronaut-retriever/groundcrew/ for nearly fi ve decades. He was the owner of Balloon slave. I was fortunate enough to get Bill Blackwell, Excelsior, a balloon fl ight school and repair station, served a young, strong, handsome radio announcer from as an FAA designated examiner and aviation counselor, Albuquerque's classical music station who is a future and co-authored several books with his late wife Christine aeronaut and an excellent tour guide. Kalakuka, including 1998’s “Hot Air Balloons. Stockwell Albuquerqueans must be early risers, as the shopping passed away in 2021 at the age of 89. center launch area was crowded by 7:00 a.m.; the Albuquerque Tribune estimated the crowd at 20,000, and the New York Times reported, “The fi rst traffi c jam the arid mesa northeast of town ever had.” ALBUQUERQUE RACE RESULTS Someone had very considerately supplied about 1,800 square feet of plastic sheeting for each balloon to infl ate 1. Don Piccard, Newport Beach, Ca Piccard AX-8 Spirit of '76 on without getting too sandy or stuck in cactus. 2. Wilma Piccard, Newport Beach, Ca Piccard AX-6 Gypsy Befi tting this western setting was a mounted sheriff 3. Matt Wiederkehr, St. Paul, Minn. Raven AX-6 Flying Raven l whose horse did the most fantastic four-legged version 4. Karl Stefan, Palestine, Tex. Raven AX-6 Star of Texas of the Mexican hat dance every time a balloon burner came on, and western character actor Slim Pickens 5. Gene Dennis, Grand Blanc, Mich. Raven AX-6 stood on one foot and then the other, muttering "yep". 6. Carter Twedt, Carson City, Nev. Raven AX-6 The Hare and Hound even naturally was called the 7. Dennis Floden, Fenton, Mich. Raven AX-6 "Roadrunner and Coyote Race”. Roadrunner Sid Cutter, 8. Bill Cutter, Phoenix, Ariz. Raven AX-6 with Don Draper, lifted off at 7:45. The coyote balloons, * Bill Murtorff , Corpus Christi, Tex. Piccard AX-6 Smile at 30-second intervals, followed fi fteen minutes later. * Brent Stockwell, Daly City, Ca. Piccard AX-4 Firebird All followed except Don Kersten in Merope, who took off * Oscar Kratz, Tucson, Ariz. about forty-fi ve degrees off course to the east, and I in * Don Kersten, Ft. Dodge, Iowa Piccard AX-6 Merope Firebird about forty-fi ve degrees off course to the west. OFFICIAL PROGRAM 63