The Last Balloon Pictures

These pictures are from Saturdays MASS Ascension.

Marcia and Jim are in the balloon with the black stripe near the top.

A better picture of the balloon "Morning Wood" Daniel is the pilot and Marcia and Jim are in the balloon with him.

I was "zoomed" in as far as my 10X zoom would get me.

If you enlarge this picture you can see Marcia and Jim waving at me.

I'm standing beside our RV taking these pictures.

Yes that is SN** on the mtns in the background.

Even Uncle Sam was flying.

Daniel is setting the balloon down where they change passengers. Marcia and Jim get out and Nancy and Terry got in for a short ride.

Here the "first time fliers" get their initiation. They knelt down as Chris told the story, and then the champagne hit.

Jim, Nancy, Marcia, and several others with the Escapee Boomers got up before daylight almost every morning, fought the cold and darkness, to crew for their pilots so these flights could happen. During the flights they drove and rode in chase trucks so they could help pack everything up so it would be ready for the next flight. They worked very hard, and got up really early to crew for these pilots, and they deserved a lot more than they got, but they all said the enjoyed it and would do it again.

I didn't get out of bed for the Farewell mass ascension Sunday AM, I had seen enough and it was too cold for me to stand out there taking pictures.

Over all the 2011 ABQ Balloon Fiesta was a lot of fun.