‘There are no tears allowed’: Life, legacy of Scott Appelman to be honored by ballooning community

As the 2024 iteration of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta kicks off — a void will be felt.

Scott Appelman, whose passion for ballooning was unmatched, died on Aug. 15 in Phoenix. He celebrated his 66th birthday on Aug. 10.

A celebration of life will be held for family and friends from 3-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at Sid Cutter Pilots’ Pavilion at Balloon Fiesta Park.

‘There are no tears allowed’: Life, legacy of Scott Appelman to be honored by ballooning community

“Scott always had a plan,” says Damian Kirson, Rainbow Ryders general manager. “We’re moving forward as per Scott’s wishes. Scott had a plan of action for everything. He always said, ‘There are no tears allowed.’ He wanted to make sure that there was a celebration of life and not a memorial service.”

As the founder of Rainbow Ryders in 1983, he grew the company from a small startup into a respected leader in the hot air balloon industry.

His vision, dedication and relentless commitment to safety and customer satisfaction set the standard for ballooning across the country.

Beyond business, Appelman was a loving husband, devoted father and an incredible pilot, always giving back to the community.

Tom Garrity, Balloon Fiesta spokesman, says traditionally the first Sunday morning of the Fiesta is termed “Memorial Sunday.”

“Balloon pilots will fly white streamers from their gondolas during their flight with the names of people who they are remembering/honoring,” Garrity says. “There are a number of balloons that will fly one streamer or many. I am sure a number of pilots will have Scott’s name written on a number of white streamers.”

Appelman grew Rainbow Ryders from one balloon in the garage of his home in Albuquerque to a fleet of over 40 balloons across four states, operating over 3,200 flights per year and flying nearly 40,000 people.

Under his leadership, Rainbow Ryders became the first official ride operator for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in 1999, the world’s largest ballooning event, as well as the official ride operator for Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off, the largest ballooning event in the state of Colorado.

Throughout his life, Appelman was more than a businessman — he was a husband, a father, a mentor and a champion of the hot air ballooning industry.

He played a key role in making Albuquerque the ballooning capital of the world, and was the originator and organizer of Balloon Fiesta’s balloon glow from 1987-1992, as well as a co-originator of Balloon Fiesta’s Special Shape Rodeo.

Appelman logged more than 5,400 pilot-in-command flight hours, 800 tether hours, and was also a special shape balloon pilot.

Known to give back to the community, Appelman sat on board of directors of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF), chairman of the board for the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, board of directors of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, president of the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Foundation Board of Directors, and sat on the board of directors for Experience Scottsdale.

Kirson says one of Appelman’s proudest achievements was flying the Dos Equis balloon as the Dos Equis Ambassador of Adventure, World’s Most Interesting Balloon Pilot.

“Scott was known for his generosity, sense of humor and deep connection to his community,” Kirson says. “While building a business, he was building a family. By doing that, he was creating a community at the same time.”

Kirson says Appelman never forgot where he came from.

“His legacy is Rainbow Ryders,” Kirson says. “He started it as a small company and it’s the biggest hot air ride balloon company. His impact on the ballooning community and everything he’s done will never be forgotten. It’s a huge loss for us professionally and personally. Our team at Rainbow Ryders is a big family.”

In recent years, Kirson says Appelman began stepping back from day-to-day operations and created a leadership team.

He admits that the team at Rainbow Ryders is still processing the loss of Appelman.

“It’s weird not to have him around or hear from him,” Kirson says. “We’ve been so busy between our events that we’ve been distracted. Each day, we can feel the void. It won’t ever be replaced.”