Albuquerque To Host National Ballooning Competition; It’s A First For The Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta presented by Canon will host the 2016 U.S. Women’s National Championship. This will be the first time that the competition will be held in Albuquerque. It will also be the first time the event will stand alone from the National Hot Air Balloon Championship presented by the Hot Air Competition Division (HACD) of the Balloon Federation of America.

The championship launches Friday, September 30 and concludes with the final flight scheduled Wednesday, October 5. The finale will coincide with the Flight of Nations during the 45th Balloon Fiesta, which takes place October 1 through October 9.

“We are honored to be chosen to host the event this year and proud to support competitive ballooning,” said Paul Petrehn, Balloon Fiesta event director. “It’s a good time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of the women competitors on the field.”

Generally, women represent about 10-15 percent of pilots at Balloon Fiesta. Applications for the Women’s National Championship were open to all U.S. female citizens in good standing and holding membership with the Balloon Federation of America and HACD.

The event will be staffed in part by Competition Director Maury Sullivan, Deputy Director Mark Trillanes, Meteorologist Brad Temeyer, Safety Officer Debby Young, and Scoring Officer Mike Gilligan, all of whom will stand alongside 1,000 Balloon Fiesta volunteers and 2,000 chase crew volunteers. The event will occur in Northwest Albuquerque as well as at Balloon Fiesta Park.  The entire championship is considered part of the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is an annual festival of hot air balloons that takes place every October in Albuquerque, NM.  It is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.balloonfiesta.com