Scott Appelman, Rainbow Ryders founder, dies at 66

Scott Appelman, the founder and president of Rainbow Ryders, an iconic hot air balloon company with a name synonymous to that of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, has died, people close to him have confirmed. He was 66.

Appelman died in Phoenix of a heart attack on Thursday morning, they said. He is survived by his wife, Heather Hopkins Appelman, and family.

Appelman had started his company operating out of a garage with just one two-passenger hot air balloon — and in the decades since had turned it into an industry leader.

Rainbow Ryders, founded in 1983, eventually expanded across Albuquerque, Phoenix, Colorado Springs, and Park City, Utah, according to the Rainbow Ryders website. The company has dozens of balloons across those markets, more than 100 employees and flies roughly 45,000 people each year.

In an interview with the Journal last year, Appelman said he’s “always loved aviation.”

“I used to be that nerdy little guy that would hang out at the end of the runway and watch planes take off,” he said. “The idea of flying and just having no steering wheel and just kind of navigating what Mother Nature gives you, it’s a lot of fun, and every flight’s different.”

Appelman originated the Fiesta’s Balloon Glow and helped organize the Special Shape Rodeo. Rainbow Ryders renewed the contract to serve as the official Fiesta balloon ride provider last March and has served in that role since 1999.

“It’s weird because everybody said, ‘You work so hard,’ but I really didn’t feel like I was working because I love what I do,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of everything that’s happened. It takes a big team to make this happen.”

Appelman’s love for ballooning began when he was a child, attending his first Balloon Fiesta at age 12.

Two years later, he was at the Fiesta crewing and, by the time he got to college, Appelman befriended someone with a hot air balloon who taught him how to pilot.

After graduating in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of New Mexico, he started ballooning recreationally around the country.

“I was having a great time and decided that I was going to quit the family business, which was Academy Plumbing and Heating, and decided to see if I could make a living doing hot air balloon rides,” Appelman said. “... It’s been a heck of a ride.”

In a statement, Balloon Fiesta officials said the organization and “ballooning community are devastated to learn” of Appelman’s death.

“Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” Fiesta officials said in the statement. “Scott’s fingerprints and legacy cover the Balloon Fiesta through his leadership on our board of directors, organizing the first Balloon Glow and Special Shape Rodeo. So many accomplishments which will all be celebrated and commemorated in proper time. For now, we will mourn his passing and ballooning’s loss.”

The Fiesta’s board of directors president, Judy Nakamura, told the Journal Thursday she first met Appelman — whom she referred to as “Scottie” — in 2004 when she got her start in ballooning.

“He’s a larger than life figure in the ballooning community,” she said. “I just can’t say enough. … If you’re in this community, you know him. When I talk about community, I don’t just mean Albuquerque — I mean the community of ballooning.”

The Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association called Appelman “a dedicated supporter, volunteer and advocate for hot air ballooning.”

“The sight of a Rainbow Ryders hot air balloon flying through Albuquerque’s sky will forever be a cherished memory honoring Scott’s enduring legacy,” the group said in a statement. “We are grateful for Scott’s years of generosity and expertise in Quad A and hot air ballooning.”