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Inside the Basket - Dave and Erin Bair, Balloon Fiesta Pilots
May 25, 2022
Dave and Erin Bair are a father-daughter duo who both pilot balloons at Balloon Fiesta. In fact, they have participated as pilots with Dave’s father and Erin’s grandfather, Ray Bai…
Inside the Basket - Samantha Greenwald, Balloon Fiesta Navigator Manager
April 21, 2022
Samantha Greenwald is Balloon Fiesta’s new Navigator Manager, joining the organization this month. In this month’s Inside the Basket, get to know Samantha’s ballooning backgr…
Inside the Basket - Tracey Hawkins, Balloon Fiesta Sponsorship Sales Assistant
March 10, 2022
As Balloon Fiesta’s Sponsorship Sales Assistant, Tracey Hawkins helps with a variety of tasks, including processing the contracts of sponsors and assisting with pin designs. In this mont…
Inside the Basket - Dave Reineke, Balloon Fiesta Pilot
February 22, 2022
Dave Reineke is a Balloon Fiesta pilot who has participated in the event the past 28 years. In this month’s Inside the Basket, he dives into what its like to pilot balloons with his wife…
Inside the Basket - Al Tetreault, Balloon Fiesta Board President
January 14, 2022
Al Tetreault has been a Balloon Fiesta Board of Directors member since 1991, and is Balloon Fiesta’s Board of Directors’ newly elected President. In this month’s Inside the B…
Inside the Basket - Eric Hodges, Balloon Fiesta Pilot
December 10, 2021
Eric Hodges is a pilot who has been flying at Balloon Fiesta for 35 years. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Eric shares how he once was the youngest pilot at Balloon Fiesta, his favor…
Inside the Basket - Taylor Caldwell, Balloon Fiesta Receptionist
November 18, 2021
Taylor Caldwell has been a part of the Albuquerque ballooning community since she was a child. And now, she has just wrapped up her first Balloon Fiesta as the organization’s receptionis…
Inside the Basket - Sara Lopez, First-Time Balloon Fiesta Guest
October 22, 2021
Sara Lopez was a first-time Balloon Fiesta guest at the 49th event.. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Sara talks more about her Balloon Fiesta experience and what it meant to share…
Inside the Basket - Amanda Brady, Balloon Fiesta Transportation Manager
September 27, 2021
Amanda Brady is Balloon Fiesta’s Transportation Manager. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Amanda shares her favorite tips on how to get to Balloon Fiesta Park. 1. Give a brie…
Inside the Basket - Michael Glen, Balloon Fiesta Pilot
August 24, 2021
Michael Glen is the first parapalegic pilot. He pilots Joelly Bee, a special shape balloon in the the famous bee trio. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Michael shares more about hi…
Inside the Basket - Denise Winn, Balloon Fiesta Navigator
July 26, 2021
Denise Winn is a Balloon Fiesta Navigator who has been involved with the event since 1986. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Denise explains how volunteering at Balloon Fiesta has crea…
Inside the Basket - Sam Robey, First-Time Balloon Fiesta Pilot
June 24, 2021
During Sam Robey’s first balloon ride, he proposed to his girlfriend. Now, nearly 30 years later, he will pilot a balloon at Balloon Fiesta for the first time and she is his wife and cre…
Inside the Basket - Victoria Schultz, Balloon Fiesta Trolley Team Lead
May 17, 2021
Victoria Schultz is a Balloon Fiesta Navigator and the co-team lead for Balloon Fiesta’s Trolley Team. In this month’s Inside the Basket, she shares more about her typical day dur…
Inside the Basket - Matt Guthrie, Balloon Fiesta Board of Directors President
April 28, 2021
Matt Guthrie is the President of the Balloon Fiesta Board of Directors. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Matt shares his favorite Balloon Fiesta memory, how he became involved with Ba…
Inside the Basket - Lynn Tillery, Balloon Fiesta Navigator
March 24, 2021
Lynn Tillery is a Launch Director at Balloon Fiesta who has been involved with the event since 1982. In this month’s Inside the Basket, she walks us through a typical Balloon Fiesta day…
Inside the Basket - Bill Bussey, Balloon Fiesta Pilot
February 23, 2021
Bill Bussey is an award-winning, Balloon Fiesta pilot, who has been involved with the event since 1977. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Bill delves into his ballooning background, of…
Inside the Basket - Jennifer Schurman, Balloon Fiesta RV and Navigator Manager
January 20, 2021
Balloon Fiesta’s RV and Navigator Manager, Jennifer Schurman helps create a memorable experience for RV guests and Balloon Fiesta volunteers during the event. In this month’s Insi…
Inside the Basket - Barry Conley, Balloon Fiesta Navigator
December 16, 2020
Barry Conley has been a Balloon Fiesta Navigator for 30 years. Though he started with a variety of procurement roles, he now helps the news media experience the magic of Balloon Fiesta, as par…
Inside the Basket - Paula Craner, Balloon Fiesta Navigator
November 12, 2020
Paula Craner is a Balloon Fiesta Navigator that helps answer guest questions at the Balloon Fiesta front desk. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Paula shares insight to frequently aske…
Inside the Basket - Blair Morrison, Balloon Fiesta Navigator
October 26, 2020
Blair Morrison became involved with Balloon Fiesta during his time working with a local news television station and eventually transitioned to becoming a Balloon Fiesta Navigator. He now has v…
Inside the Basket - Keith Takach, Balloon Fiesta pilot
September 17, 2020
Keith Takach is a Balloon Fiesta pilot who first started competing in ballooning events in 2004. Now, Keith competes regularly because he loves the challenge of precision flying. In this mont…
Inside the Basket - Ursula Richards, Balloon Fiesta pilot, Navigator and pin collector
August 18, 2020
Ursula Richards wears many hats during Balloon Fiesta. She pilots a special shape balloon during the event, is a team lead for the Balloon Fiesta Trolley team and is an avid Balloon Fiesta pin…
Inside the Basket - Michelle Healy, Balloon Fiesta Chief Launch Director
July 14, 2020
As a Balloon Fiesta Launch Director, Michelle Healy helps balloons safely take flight. In this month’s Inside the Basket, Michelle shares more about how pilots are cleared for takeoff an…
Inside the Basket - Nancy Abruzzo, Balloon Fiesta Welcome Committee International Pilots Team Leader
May 27, 2020
Nancy Abruzzo is a Balloon Fiesta Navigator who helps create a seamless event for first-time Balloon Fiesta pilots. She has also created a Balloon Fiesta-based children’s book that bring…
Inside the Basket - Kimberleigh Gavin and Paul Gavin, Balloon Fiesta Shirt Artists
April 28, 2020
Kimberleigh and Paul Gavin are the two artists who have created the design for the 2020 Balloon Fiesta retro tee-shirts. Their design features balloons, both the real and imaginary, that illus…
