Albuquerque Aloft
Nearly 200 pilots who are registered for Balloon Fiesta signed up to participate in Albuquerque Aloft this year. Pilots tether or launch their balloons from selected school grounds in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho on the Friday morning before Balloon Fiesta.

Albuquerque Aloft has grown tremendously since the first event in 2005, and continues to bring the joy of ballooning directly to children in their school playgrounds. It is a great way to kick off the beginning of the nine days of Balloon Fiesta every October. Parents, students and teachers alike have the opportunity to meet the pilots and crew, and experience the excitement of watching and learning how a balloon flies. Albuquerque Aloft also provides city residents and guests a visual preview of Balloon Fiesta, as balloons launch from different sites around the city simultaneously.

Balloonists at selected schools may elect to fly from the campus or may remain inflated at the school site. Weather permitting; inflation is scheduled at approximately 6:45-7:00 a.m., with launch scheduled for 7:00 -7:30  a.m. The simultaneous launch is coordinated by KKOB AM Radio, the “official voice” of Balloon Fiesta. 

Schools are encouraged to invite parents and students to be on hand for the event, and groups at some schools offer refreshments for sale, adding to the fun.  School requests for balloons are needed prior to July 1 of each year to properly determine if a balloon can inflate in the designated space. 

Albuquerque Aloft is the only Balloon Fiesta event in which balloons launch from pre-designated sites outside of Balloon Fiesta Park. 

2024 School Request form is available from March 15-July 1.

2024 ABQ Aloft Balloon Request Form

 2023 Albuquerque Aloft Pilot Assignments

Pilot Name
School
Adams, Steven S.Y. JACKSON
Adie, Martin DOLORES GONZALES
Akin, Jason CHAPARRAL
Aley, David ADOBE ACRES
Arkwell, Kathy A. MONTOYA
Ashworth, Jeffrey CORRALES
Aubol-Hanks, Nancy KATHERINE GALLEGOS
Baca, Rodney COCHITI
Bacon, Robert TIERRA ANTIGUA
Bair, David PUESTA DEL SOL
Bair, Raymond OSUNA ELEMENTARY
Baker, David SANDIA PRESBYTERIAN PRESCHOOL
Ballengee, Mary ALAMEDA ELEMENTARY
Barnes, Kent COLLET PARK
Bartra, Alejandro EXPLORE ACADEMY
Beebe, Ken NEW MEXICO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Bertetto, Michael BEL AIR ELEMENTARY
Biernacki, Anthony MACARTHUR ELEMENTARY
Blizzard, William ALAMEDA ELEMENTARY
Boyd, Gary S.Y. JACKSON
Brennand, Michael PAINTED SKY
Browning, Joseph ENCHANTED HILLS ELEMENTARY
Buzzard, Edward MAGGIE CORDOVA
Byer, Ryan VISTA GRANDE
Caldwell, Trenten PETROGLYPH ELEMENTARY
Candelaria, Gerald COYOTE WILLOW FAMILY SCHOOL
Carpenter, Michael ERNEST STAPLETON ELEMENTARY
Carreathers, Lonnie APACHE ELEMENTARY 
Cato, Josh RUDOLFO ANAYA ELEMENTARY
Chando, Patrick EMERSON ELEMENTARY
Chase, Brian SEVEN BAR
Chavez, Laurie JOHN BAKER 
Coffing, Stephen DOUBLE EAGLE ELEMENTARY
Converse, Karen ZUNI ELEMENTARY
Cuneo, Peter ARMIJO ELEMENTARY
Curry, Ron LONGFELLOW
Davenport, Richard BANDELIER
Davie, Ryan RIO RANCHO ELEMENTARY
Davison, Cornelius HAWTHORNE
Degattis, Colin MARK TWAIN
Dickey, Franklin ALVARADO 
Dickey, Bill ALVARADO
Dinkler, Fred TOMASITA
Duff, Robert TRES VOLCANES
Duff, Robert TRES VOLCANES
Dyer, Jonathan HAWTHORNE
Eakin, Sean MANZANO MESA
Eichhorn, David LOS PADILLAS
Eldridge, Stacy VISTA GRANDE
Ellis-Ostgulen, Debi BEL AIR
Evans, Timothy MITCHELL
Favero, Marcus ENCHANTED HILLS
Ferguson, Ken COMANCHE
Fisher, Thomas BARCELONA
Fitch, Matthew LOWELL
Fitzgerald, William CIELO AZUL
Fritze, Mark CARLOS REY
Galaz, Yvette MAGGIE CORDOVA
Garcia, Gregory BELLEHAVEN
Gonzales, Michael JOE HARRIS
Goodman, William KIT CARSON
Gorenflo, Michael DENNIS CHAVEZ
Graham, Colin A. MONTOYA
Grassbaugh, Robert SHINING STARS
Greenwood, Eric CHAMIZA
Griego, Rodney EAST SAN JOSE
Griffith, Justin CROSS OF HOPE
Grogan, William REGINALD CHAVEZ
Gruenberg, John EMERSON
Hackett, Myia MCCOLLUM
Hahn, Robert MONTESSORI OF THE RIO GRANDE
Hartshorn, Sharon GOVERNOR BENT
Heiken, Paul ARMIJO
Hodges, Eric GEORGE SANCHEZ
Holmes, David MCCOLLUM
Holt, Judy DURANES
Houle, Alexandre GEORGE SANCHEZ
Humiston, Charles CHAMIZA
Hutchinson, Terry EUGENE FIELD
Jackson, Neil GEORGIA O'KEEFE
James, Gay GRIEGOS
Johnson, Colleen TIERRA ANTIGUA
Jones, Steve EDMUND G. ROSS
Kaufman, Blair CHAPARRAL
Kelly, Robert HELEN CORDOVA
Keyser, Ralph INEZ
King, Michael CHRIST LUTHERAN SCHOOL
Kinser, William LOS RANCHOS
Kious, Thomas EDMUND G. ROSS
Komadina, Mark ERNEST STAPLETON
Larotonda, Carol OSUNA
Lavorgna, Bruce LA MESA
Lawhorn, Richard MARIE HUGHES
Lee, William GRIEGOS
Lowenstein, Albert DOUBLE EAGLE
Mackechnie, Roger MOUNTAIN VIEW
Maclean, Tristan PETROGLYPH
Mancini, J.j. COMANCHE
Manus, William BOSQUE FARMS
Martindell, Donald COLINAS DEL NORTE
Martinez, Frankie MACARTHUR
Mason, James PAJARITO
Mast, William JANET KAHN 
Mcclinton, Donald ONATE
Mcclung, Collin EDWARD GONZALES
Mccord, Christopher SAN ANTONITO
Meyer, Mark MANZANO MESA
Morgan, Gary MATHESON PARK
Moughan, Gavin ANNUNCIATION
Mumm, Karalyn CHELWOOD
Myers, Marissa ADOBE ACRES
Nakamura, Judith SANDIA PREP
Newlin, Patricia HODGIN
Nickolay, Larry SAN ANTONITO
Olguin, Paul MISSION AVE
Orchard, Timothy WHERRY
Pata, John CORRALES
Peete, Lichele VALLE VISTA
Price, Kelly PUESTA DEL SOL
Randall, Thomas VENTANA RANCH
Raper, Robert NORTH STAR
Rice, Deborah MARY ANN BINFORD
Richardson, Robert KIT CARSON
Richardson, Shane MATHESON PARK
Rightley, Michael BERNALILLO ELEMENTARY
Ritchie, William SEVEN BAR
Rodden, John LONGFELLOW
Russo, Thomas SOMBRA DEL MONTE
Ruth, Dale GOVERNOR BENT
Salazar, Katelyn LA LUZ ELEMENTARY
Sanchez, Ronald SUSIE RAYOS MARMON
Schuler, Gerald HODGIN
Seay, Samuel LEGACY ACADEMY
See, Glenn LOWELL
Seghers, Jos EAST SAN JOSE
Shipman, Shane SHINING STARS
Smart, Rex LA LUZ
Smatana, Bernard JOHN BAKER
Smith, Paul ST. CHARLES BORROMEO
Smith, Neal NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY
Speicher, Shawn ST. MARY'S
Stanke, Natasha BANDELIER
Steidley, David MOUNTAIN VIEW
Steinbock, Tom ALAMOSA
Stokoe, Steven SOMBRA DEL MONTE
Takach, Keith COLINAS DEL NORTE
Tatum, Daryl MONTEZUMA
Vanwye, Sandra KIRTLAND
Vavra, William CHELWOOD
Vesely, Scott BERNALILLO ELEMENTARY
Viner, John SANDIA VIEW CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Voorhees, Michael MARK TWAIN
Wadsworth, William MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Walker, Dorothy ZIA
Warren, Suzanne GOSPEL LIGHT BAPTIST ACADEMY
Watson, Barney ATRISCO
Wehner, Chuck DURANES
Welz, Zerek ASK ACADEMY
Whitling, Ian ZUNI
Wilson, John MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Wolfe, Jonathan PUESTA DEL SOL
Wright, Thomas DESERT WILLOW FAMILY SCHOOL
Wright, Thomas DESERT WILLOW FAMILY SCHOOL
Wright-Smith, Elizabeth JOE HARRIS
Yocom, Mark ALAMOSA
Zamora, Loretta DENNIS CHAVEZ
Zimmer, Jesse PAJARITO
Zimmer, Rachel RIO RANCHO ELEMENTARY