94-Balloon Cluster Inspired By ‘Up’ Takes Shape At New Mexico Fiesta

A giant cluster of colorful helium balloons inspired by the movie “Up” filled the sky during the opening morning of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Footage posted by the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation shows red, blue, yellow and white balloons gathered above the launch field as crew members hold the lines below. A crowd watches from behind a rope line, with hot-air balloons and RVs visible in the background.

Pilot Jonathan Trappe brought the 94-cell helium cluster, known as the Fiesta Cluster, to the event. The unusual craft has no burner and no predetermined landing spot.

The crew arrived on the field at about 1:30 a.m. and inflated all 94 cells in roughly an hour and a half. Winds coming from Santa Fe delayed the launch as the giant assembly was held on the field.

Trappe eventually lifted off shortly before 9 a.m., with his flight later carrying him into Arizona.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta opened on October 3 and runs through October 11. The morning also featured a drone show, a green flag signaling the start of the day’s events and the first mass ascension shortly after 7 a.m.