
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.
2023 School Request form is available from March 15-July 1.
2023 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 |