PHO T O: BILL W AL T ON FL YNT PHO T O: KIM VE SEL Y Above: The Balloon Fiesta’s “gas station”: pilots refueling During Balloon Fiesta, Nancy’s team cruises around Propane the metro area, usually Sandia Reservation, Corrales and Mike Chandler, Propane Chief, monitors the activities Bernalillo. When a call comes in, the team heads to the of balloon pilots and crews who are refueling their spot in order to find out what happened and to talk to the balloon’s tanks. They work closely with Albuquerque landowners. Nancy’s team has keys to various locked Fire Department, the Albuquerque Fire Marshall and gates (e.g. AMAFCA or city parks or private/commercial the propane contractors, who provide the trucks and properties) in order to facilitate helping to inform and personnel who actually deliver the propane to the calm landowner issues. The Balloon Fiesta also provides manifolds (these are the certified gas pipes and hoses and encourages landowners to display a “white sheet” or used by the propane contractors and AIBF). This year, “white X” on their property to signal balloonists that it is our propane contractor is Pinnacle Propane. OK to land there. The Propane Team’s job is to monitor the balloon There are several prohibited zones (PZs) in the area, trucks and trailers as they come in to the refueling line, where landowners do not want balloons. Some are check on proper identification of the pilots/balloons, marked YELLOW (land here only if an emergency) or remind pilots and crew to follow safety procedures (no RED (don’t land and maintain a minimum altitude over smoking, no nylon fabrics near the propane, etc.), proper the property). For those landowners, Nancy’s team can refueling procedures, and to follow common-sense provide yellow or red markers. All officials stress the precautions. These folks also keep the records of which procedure for the landowner to record a balloon banner balloon got how much propane, or whether they did not number or take a photo of a balloon that is causing a refuel at all, and then computerize the data and turn it problem. If landowners ask that their property become over to the Balloonmeister. a PZ after Balloon Fiesta starts, Nancy’s team keeps this We cannot overly stress how closely all these teams information up to date, and displays all PZ information work together, along with the AIBF Executive Director, on the big map at briefing tower. Operations Director, Board, volunteers, and staff, Of course, many landowners love it when balloonists to make Balloon Fiesta the largest, safest and most drop in on them, and many balloon teams go the extra organized balloon event in the world. And the most fun. mile to make their visit to local neighborhoods special. To recognize this, the Landowner team nominates a Dr. Tom McConnell, a.k.a. “Father Time,” is the co- “ambassador pilot of the day,” announced the next originator of the iconic Zia balloon. He’s a member and morning at pilot’s briefing. past president of the Balloon Fiesta Board of Directors And talk about multi-tasking -- Nancy is also the and a leading historian and writer on the history of the person who retrieves the WINDSONDE, using GPS. event. She then returns the device to the Weather staff, who download the data to their computer. OFFICIAL PROGRAM 223