26 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2016 Media Guide 2022 Media Guide BALLOON FIESTA WEATHER IDEAL FLYING CONDITIONS Since balloons move with the air, information about the weather is imperative when deciding whether to fly. Before launching, pilots will contact one or more weather services to find out about weather and wind conditions in an area. Pilots only fly when the weather is close to ideal—when skies are clear and wind conditions are favorable. Balloons need stable air to operate effectively and the atmosphere is most stable during the hours just following sunrise and those hours are also the best for finding calm gentle winds. In some parts of the world this also applies to the hours just before sunset. Additionally, the temperature is usually cooler in the mornings and the balloon flies better in cooler weather since the hot air gets a better “lift”. The only control a pilot has over a balloon is vertical, so they don’t want to fly around the middle of the day when different pockets of air are rising and falling. THE “ALBUQUERQUE BOX” The fall weather in Albuquerque is known for its clear days and cool morning temperatures. This weather and what is known as the Albuquerque “box” will help this year’s Balloon Fiesta to become another spectacular spectator event. When the “box” is working, guests are able to see hundreds of balloons create a kaleidoscope of color in the Albuquerque sky – there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. The “box” is a combination of upper and lower level winds created by the Rio Grande Valley and enhanced by the Sandia Mountains. The box enables balloonists to back-track their flight pattern and land close to their launch sites conjuring the impression of flying inside a box. Cool air from the north near the surface will take pilots one direction while higher winds blow in the opposite direction. Pilots need only to change elevation to fly back along their original course. Some wind patterns will allow a pilot to dip their gondola in the Rio Grande for a “Splash and Dash” other patterns will move balloons toward the Sandia Mountains. This unique relationship of mountain formations and wind characteristics has brought many balloonists back to Albuquerque year after year to enjoy beautiful ballooning weather. This “box” allows the hundreds of balloons that lift off from the field during Balloon Fiesta’s Mass Ascensions to remain close to the field, creating a colorful visual display found nowhere else in the world. [CONTINUED]