By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Its the 4th of July and the 249th birthday of our country and what a better way to celebrate than to get together and watch hot air balloons inflate and fill the sky in south Raton while munching on pancakes and sausage.
The Elks Lodge was on hand this morning to serve up the pancakes and sausage while the Rotary club had breakfast burritos and 111 Park served up coffee. Spectators were greeted this Friday morning with some fog and low clouds that later burned off and turned to beautiful blue skies with about 15 hot air balloons rising above the green grassy field of the La Mesa Airfield. The line for pancakes reached back across the tarmac in front of the hangar as did the line for coffee at the 111 Park trailer.
Teddy Romero was on hand to provide the music and some other entertainment while KRTN did a live broadcast from the site.
On Saturday morning balloonist had clear skies but the wind blew in an unfavorable direction toward uncooperative land owners. Based on the winds it was pilot’s discretion to fly Saturday morning. Pilot Tom Gardner moved his balloon down to the Colfax County event complex and lifted off from there with the hope of coming back to the field. As pilots know the winds can change in a matter of minutes and Gardner flew south from the rodeo grounds while other pilots stayed at the field and began to inflate only to have to deflate as the winds picked up Saturday morning on the field. Gardner flew his balloon down south near the Whittington Center but 17-20 mph winds caused his landing to be very rough causing injuries to Gardner and his passengers. Gardner travelled back to Albuquerque Saturday and was not able to attend the event on Sunday.
KRTN Heard form Tom Gardner and this was what he had to say. “I disagree with your statement, “…landing to be very rough causing injuries to Gardner and his passengers.” I agree we had a rough landing because of the winds. We did get bounced around. I and one passenger hit our knee, probably on a propane tank and the other passenger hurt his arm slightly. The way the article is written makes it sound like we were all injured in a somewhat serious way. That is not true.”
Sunday morning greeted spectators and balloonist to mostly blue skies and light winds. It was the pilot’s discretion Sunday and all of them decided lets fly and what a beautiful site it was as the balloons inflated and began to rise above the airfield. The initial pie balls that were released during the pilot briefing showed east southeast winds and once they got high enough tuned back in a southwesterly direction. Once the pilots got airborne they floated east south east and then climbed and many found their way back over the south end of the airfield where many of the landed.
Raton Mainstreet Executive Director Brenda Ferri was pleased with this year’s event. The group will begin the process of planning for next year hoping for a few more balloons but noted that many of the balloonist this year were new to the rally. Aurora Dent a Junior at Trinidad High School won the design competition for this year’s balloon rally logo.
I disagree with your statement, “…landing to be very rough causing injuries to Gardner and his passengers.” I agree we had a rough landing because of the winds. We did get bounced around. I and one passenger hit our knee, probably on a propane tank and the other passenger hurt his arm slightly. The way the article is written makes it sound like we were all injured in a somewhat serious way. That is not true.