Feeling the love: Rally celebrates the crews that make hot air ballooning possible

This one is for the unsung heroes.

When it comes to the sport of hot air ballooning, pilots typically get the glory. What the uninitiated might not know, however, is that it takes a team to fly.

Take it from Blair Kaufman, president of the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (Quad A) and an avid balloonist for nearly 40 years.

“For every balloon, it takes probably four people minimum to really safely put the aircraft up in the air,” he said. “Some people have as many as 15 — or a special shape balloon might have 30 people that help out every time that balloon flies. We need to spread that appreciation around for those people who do come out on a frequent basis and help us to put the balloon up in the air.”

That is where the Friends and Lovers Balloon Rally comes in. Originally known as the Albuquerque Cloudbouncer Balloon Rally, the event was launched to spark interest in the 1975 World Hot Air Balloon Championships and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Today, it’s more about celebrating the sometimes underrecognized feats of the hot air balloon crew.

Feeling the love: Rally celebrates the crews that make hot air ballooning possible

Ann Piper Kaufman is Blair’s wife, but she’s also been his crew chief for their balloon, Heart’s Desire, for more than two decades. She’s exactly the type of person Friends and Lovers intends to honor.

“(Balloon) Fiesta is so wearing on the crew. You’re just running, running, going day and night. The crew gets really run down and is working really hard,” Ann Piper Kaufman said. “This event was set up specifically, and that’s why it’s called Friends and Lovers, to honor the people who work their tails off on your balloon all year. The events are mostly centered around doing nice things for the crew. Most (other) rallies do nice things for the pilot. This is kind of a flip.”

Quad A, which oversees the festivities, moved the rally from Albuquerque to Rio Rancho this year to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines. The FAA eventually granted Quad A a waiver, but the plan — at least for this year — is to remain in the City of Vision.

“We agreed with the FAA that everything needs to be done to make sure that we are safe in the air and for people on the ground,” Blair Kaufman said. “The FAA has come to us and said that we need to make sure that we have landowner permission for wherever we put out a target when we compete. ... It’s not something we’ve been familiar with over the years. It’s something I think they’re beginning to address because of the area becoming more and more populated. So they are trying to ensure the safety of the community.”

Outside of the venue change, the rally will offer the usual array of activities and attractions for balloon enthusiasts and their families, including flying events, crew contests and food trucks.

Debi Ostgulen, a veteran commercial hot air balloon pilot, will serve as Balloonmeistern for the event. This prestigious position — which comes from German origin — is responsible for overseeing all activities during the rally, something of a ballooning version of an emcee. Appointing a woman for this role is significant for Friends and Lovers because of its “commitment to female leadership and inclusion in aviation,” per a news release.

It is expected that approximately 50 hot air balloons will launch on each day of the rally.

“For many years, this (was) the second-biggest balloon rally in the country,” Ann Piper Kaufman said. “It may or may not be this year with the change in venue. But there were years when there were 160 balloons at this.”

Even if one isn’t a crew member or a pilot, it’s a sight to behold — and one that may help satiate the visual appetite until the Fiesta returns in October.

“I think we fill the sky with a lot of color,” Blair Kaufman said. “… Those people (who attend) can get a chance to get up close and talk to the pilots, talk to the crew people and get a better appreciation for what ballooning is all about.

“Our state aircraft is the hot air balloon … New Mexico is synonymous with ballooning,” he added. “And so those I think make it kind of imperative that we share that thrill of being around a balloon with as many people as we possibly can.”