Due to rain and wind, attendees of the 2024 White Sands Balloon Invitational at White Sands couldn’t enjoy the traditional balloon flying on Sept. 21.
The weather shifted to a calm, cool morning on Sept. 22, and about 14 balloons lifted gently from Ed Brabson Balloon Park in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Hot air balloon pilots and aficionados can look forward to another ballooning opportunity this fall with the world’s largest ballooning event, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2024, Oct. 5-13. The fiesta draws balloon pilots from all over the country, including Canada and Spain.
Dave Chelgren, with the committee for the White Sands event, said pilots are always cognizant that a flight may or may not occur when they arrive for the events.
“It’s always nice to have a fly day, and to end on a good note is always a great thing,” he said on the morning of Sept. 22 as balloons floated over his head.
“Weather delays and weather cancellations are a thing of reality with the ballooning community. We always tell people ‘we would rather disappoint you than hurt you’. If there’s questionable weather conditions, we are not going to launch the field,” Chelgren said.