ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In 1987, hundreds of hot air balloon pilots and excited community members gathered together to break new ground at the launch of Balloon Fiesta’s inaugural Balloon Glow. Channel 13 was on-site to cover the event; here is a look back to that day from KRQE’s video archives.
With nighttime ballooning restricted by flight regulations, seeing a hot air balloon in the dark was a rare, if not novel, occurrence. Ballooning enthusiasts wanted to change that and had the idea to hold a static nighttime event where pilots lit their burners but kept their baskets on the ground, displaying their envelope designs by firelight. Event attendees were speechless in anticipation. “To be honest with you, I can’t even think of something to describe it. A picture’s going to give you more than 1,000 words this time. It should be phenomenal,” said one guest.
Although Abuquerque’s first known balloon glow was held in 1979, with local pilots inflating as a Christmas Eve “thank you” to locals, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta launched its own glow – the world’s largest – eight years later, in 1987.
The event took lots of planning, precision, and many organizers to put together. Radio operators even orchestrated actions for the pilots involved. In the end, 300 balloons inflated and pilots fired off their burners, lighting up Albuquerque’s night sky in a coordinated effort.
While attendees took in the scene from the field, the view from the sky was even better. Lined up in a grid-like pattern, pilots lit their burners in specific sequences, attempting to create large images of a frame, a diamond, and the number 75, representing 75 years of New Mexico’s statehood. However, only the frame was a visible success, according to Channel 13’s reporting. Despite that, community members still thought the event was “fantastic.”
“I think once the word gets out, as I believe it will to everybody, I think this is going to be even a greater attraction than it already was,” said one attendee. Their prediction was correct, and the Fiesta’s Balloon Glow has remained a staple event year after year, drawing visitors from around the globe.
