Does anyone know if this is typical? We’ve been wanting to take the kids to see this but I’m not so sure if there’s going to be carnage everywhere.
It’s atypical, but some try to fly when the winds pick up, or they pick up after they are airborne. That and the lessening of available landing sites due to rapid urbanization is making the ABQ event more dangerous. Those of us who have been around a while remember when open space was all over the area.
The most spectacular non-fatal crash was into the high (70 story, 670 ft.) 50,000-watt KKOB radio tower in 2004. The balloon had two children (14 and 10 years) who climbed from the balloon to the tower without lifelines and then started down the ladder, again without lifelines. They were met by a utility company journeyman lineman who volunteered to go up and safely escort them down. He met them after climbing 30 stories on the exposed ladder. Talk about brave ...
http://www.abqjournal.com/balloon/239084metro10-11-04.htm