This morning we knew a little more about the routine. Up just before 5:00am, onto a free shuttle bus for the 10 minute trip to the launch field, grab a seat in the hospitality tent, get some coffee and a snack and wait for the activity to start. This morning the weather gods smiled on the event and the wind was light. In waining darkness the Dawn Patrol launched (about 10 balloons that go up in advance of the mass launch to sample the flying conditions). With the Dawn patrol in the air serious action started, with many other balloons beginning the filling process, canopies inflating and their burners lighting the morning sky.

The filling of one of these balloons is quite an interesting process. To start with the balloon fabric is laid out neatly on the field, then an engine driven propellor is used to drive cold air into the canopy until the canopy is inflated but still lying along the ground. When the crew is ready to raise the canopy into an upright position the pilot fires the propane burner and directs hot air into the already inflated canopy. The hot air quickly pulls the canopy into the upright position. This last stage seems like a delicate step as the pilot must transition from standing beside the passenger basket that is lying on the ground to being inside the upright basket while all the time controlling a hot air burner that is producing a 10-12ft stream of burning gas.

Over the course of an hour or two, hundreds of balloons launched, and although to our untrained eye it at first looked like chaos a closer look revealed a little bit of order. No balloon may launch without a go signal from one of the many officials dressed in black and white uniform.

We wandered among the balloons and large crowd trying to get as many photos as possible. Although there was some cloud the morning provided periods of bright sunlight which really displayed the color of the balloons.

The evening session was, like last night, a Glow event. But was preceded by the launch of the competitors in the Americas Challenge. This is a competition for gas balloons (as distinct from hot air balloons). This year due to a shortage of helium gas the 5 competing balloons were filled with hydrogen - a very dangerous gas. The aim of this competition is to fly the farthest distance. As of 10:00am Tuesday all 5 competitors where still in the air headed towards the east coast of the US.

As evening approached the pilots got their balloons ready for the Glow. We walked among the hundreds of balloons feverishly taking photos trying to capture the scenes, the chaos of balloon crews trying to inflate their charges, and spectators milling around. It was another fabulous display of light. Late in the session the flaming of the balloon burners was a little more coordinated as the entire field of balloons tried to pose for an arial photograph (professional photographer in a helicopter) - we hope we can buy a copy at some point.

The conclusion of the evenings display was a lengthy fireworks display; the climax was a wall of color and smoke running down the western boundary of the balloon field.

What a fabulous day!