One Of The Most Amazing Aspects About Ballooning Are The Folks Who Are Devoted To It

It's been a few months now and still the sites, sounds and sensations of the 2010 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta bring a smile to our faces. Better than that, though, are the friends we made, the rest of the people we met and the world we were privileged to be a part of, that tumultuous week.

One of the more indelible characters we met that week was none other than Master Balloonist Mark Sullivan who showed up to enjoy the Balloon Fiesta as both a Hot-Air AND Gas Balloonist... even racing as part of the America's Challenge (along with his partner, Cheri White). Mark's most recent bio notes that, "Being a native of Albuquerque becoming interested in ballooning was quite easy. My first balloon flight was in 1973 and I attended most of the early balloon events in Albuquerque. My first balloon came ten years later and in 1983 I received my commercial balloon license, my gas balloon rating in 1985. Total balloon hours 1950 with 900 of them in gas balloons. I belong to all national and local aviation organizations. Ballooning has changed my life and led to many great experiences and great friends all over the world."

The America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race was founded by the Balloon Fiesta in 1995, due to the vision and efforts of Sullivan, who had served as a former Balloon Fiesta President and was (among so many other honors) recipient of the Montgolfier Diplome (one of ballooning's highest honors). Sullivan saw the need for America to be identified with the world's most prestigious ballooning sport.

The America's Challenge race can be grueling... "Balloons in the America’s Challenge often fly upwards of 60 hours, and the pilots carry with them everything they need to navigate and survive as they fly thousands of feet above the ground.  While this is a distance race, endurance is also important: the longer a balloon can stay aloft, the better the team’s chance of victory.  The America’s Challenge duration record is in excess of 69 hours – nearly three full days!"

Gas or Hot-Air, Sullivan participates in ballooning on many levels and in addition to being a world-class competitor, he is an international event organizer and a representative to national and international ballooning organizations. Join Aero-TV as we spend a little time chatting with one of the more accomplished balloon pilots in the world, Mark Sullivan.

FMI: www.balloonfiesta.com, www.coupegordonbennett.org/, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews