When I arrived at Rancho San Rafael Park, I was greeted by sleepy reporters from across the Truckee-Tahoe and Reno region. Red, tired eyes were scattered throughout the park, cameras in hand, cups of coffee doing their best to keep everyone awake at 5 a.m. We were all there for the Great Reno Balloon Race media preview, and despite the early hour, there was one thing we all had in common: we were absolutely beaming at the chance to fly in a hot air balloon.
As the morning rolled on, the sun slowly crested the horizon, and so did the balloons. Around 14 of them stood across the park, giant sheets of colorful fabric gradually coming to life.
The balloon I would be flying in, Pixel Perfect, was owned and piloted by Greg Nelson. It is a Cameron Z-77 balloon that Nelson designed himself about six years ago. At 77,000 cubic feet, it’s difficult to imagine its size. Nelson offered my favorite comparison: you could fit roughly 77,000 basketballs inside it. The colorful design resembles a giant pixel rainbow floating through the sky…