Today hot air ballooning is popular world wide. The first hot air balloon flight took place in France in 1783.  The Montgolfier brothers are credited with the first demonstrated flight.  Later in that same year the first balloon with passengers went up -- a sheep, a rooster and a duck flew for 8 minutes in the balloon.  A few months after this successful flight the first human to fly in a hot air balloon, not tethered to the ground, took place. 

Centuries later, Albuquerque became known as the hot air balloon capital of the world.  In 1972 the first Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta took place.  It was grown from 13 balloons to nearly 600 balloons that participate now.  Several years ago, even more than 600 balloons launched during the fiesta.  The balloon fiesta park is 360 acres with 100 acres of grass for launching and concessions.  One reason Albuquerque is home to the event and so many balloons is a phenomenon called the Albuquerque Box -- a combination of geographic landscape and weather allowing pilots to control their flight and sometimes retrace their journey.

Most mornings in Albuquerque, weather permitting, you will see balloons flying overhead.

Two organizations with more information on hot air ballooning --

• Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (AAAA)
• Balloon Federation of America (BFA)
  

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Fun information about attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta:

• Most mornings start with Dawn Patrol -- weather permitting balloons launch while it is still dark.  Their burners light up the morning sky.  Dawn patrol balloons stay aloft until the sun rises and they can land safely.
• Five evenings (the first Sat. & Sun., Thurs. and the second Fri. & Sat.) the fiesta hosts balloon glows.  During these events the balloons inflate, but stay tethered to the ground. The sky is lighted when the pilots fire their burners.  Glows can be magical events.
• The picture at the top of the page shows what the pilots call "splash and dash." You won't see this from the balloon launch field, but it is a favorite activity of many pilots.  When they fly over the Rio Grande they try to touch the bottom of the basket on the surface of the water.  I was in another balloon when I recorded the image above. 
  

Dawn Patrol at the 2013 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.