The America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race was founded by the Balloon Fiesta in 1995 due to the vision and efforts of Mark Sullivan, former Balloon Fiesta President and recipient of the Montgolfier Diploma (one of ballooning's highest honors), who saw the need for America to be identified with the world's most prestigious ballooning sport.

The America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race is modeled after the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett, but it differs from the older event in allowing balloons from all countries, without limits on the number of entries from each. The team that travels the longest distance wins.

Below: These balloons used to run on helium, but now they run on hydrogen, so fewer balloons are entering the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race competition now-a-days.

Below: Note all the sandbags

Below: There were two really gigantic balloons here on this date. The Wells Fargo Stagecoach uses 160,000 cubic feet of air, weighs 1,445 pounds, has 20-25 crew members, plus the pilot. It is accompanied by two other balloons, each 105,400 cubic feet of air and 5-10 crew members plus the pilot. Below is the stagecoach next to a van that gives a sense of the size of the balloons.

Below: The other really gigantic balloon at this festival is The Creamland Cow named Airabelle. Airabelle is 80 feet tall, 120 feet long and weighs 910 pounds. She uses a crew of 16 plus the pilot. Airabelle was voted the People's Choice Favorite Special Shape Balloon five times. Below, you can see the black and white Airabelle laying flat on the ground waiting to be inflated. Look at how much space she took up.

Below: Airabelle is starting to be inflated.

Below: Karen Duquette (in yellow pants) standing by Airabelle as the balloon was almost up to full inflation.

Below: Airabelle glowing

Below: Jim and Betty: Weight 450 pounds each - inspired by Japanese cartoon characters, and they have traveled the world.

Below: As Sea Fantasy was being inflated, it caught the eyes of the two RV Gypsies, even from a distance away.

Below: One of Lee Duquette's favorite hot air balloons was the Stork. The stork baby has a four foot in diameter head and face. The baby even has toes on its feet! The balloon is built of a light polyester material and weighs 1,000 pounds. The stork is built on a 120,000 cubic foot balloon but then has another 70,000 cubic feet of appendages that make up the wings, head and legs.

Below: The Basketball hot air balloon from Brazil

Below: Spyderpig: size: 115,000 cubic feet

Below: The Little Bees: Joey and Lilly 98,000 cubic feet each

Below: Retro Bird

Below: Phantom of the Opera

Below: Simba (from Belgium)

Below; Cutie Dink was custom made in 1998 after the Japanese Happy Cat, the Maneki Nekao. It is named in memory of a one-eyed red tiger cat the pilot used to own. The two RV Gypsies never got to see this balloon inflated however.

Below: Karen Duquette got excited when she saw the dragon on the truck. However, the balloon was NOT shaped like a dragon, but it was colorful. Aerotonda uses 90,000 cubic feet of air. Karen was not able to get a picture of Aerotonda, because it was never inflated.

Below: At nighttime, the two RV Gypsies watched the balloons one by one inflate and light up into a brilliant glow! Then all the balloons fired their burners and lit up at the same time. (Of course they could not all be photographed at once however, because there were too many balloons).

It is perhaps the most spectacular single moment in all of Balloon Fiesta. The Balloon Glow is usually followed by New Mexico's most spectacular fireworks displays. But not on this date.

These photos do not do justice to this event. It was super amazing. There are no words and no photos that can really describe this. You must be there to appreciate it!

Please return to the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta MAIN MENU to see the other six portions of this experience: the twilight twinkle glow, the mass ascension, dawn patrol, flying competition, the museum, and the amazing campground that held thousands of RVs.

OR Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)