Hot air balloon with Wells Fargo.

In November of 2002 my dance partner friend, Bill Baker and I got a ride in Wells Fargo Hot Air Balloon during the annual balloon festival in Yuma AZ.  It was an awesome ride hundreds of feet high and for miles we went.  We were being shutter bugs while they set up and we were asked if we would like to ride in the recovery truck to follow the balloon and pick it up when it landed.  "Absolutely" was our immediate answer!  While following the balloon and chatting together they discovered that Bill and I were recovering from cancer surgery.  Out of the blue the team head asked if we would like to "hop", "sure" we said, "what is hop?".  We would hop in when other passengers hopped out.  Wow, of course we would love that!  Here are photos from balloon set up to landing.

The flight team unloading the passenger basket.

Mounting the propane burner.

Using fans and the burner to fill the balloon.

Looking inside from the burner end as it fills.

Looking in from the vent flaps on the top toward the burner end.

Up she goes.

The touch down for the "hop" exchange.

Bill and I are in now and starting to ascend.  That is our shadow from my shot as we ascended. 

Another Wells Fargo Balloon in the distance.

I shot this as we ascended higher than this balloon, wow.

Our shadow on the well manicured farm land.

The pick up team in the van following us as we begin to descend.

On of the team members watching us come down.  The tarp was laid for protection of the balloon once it lands and is deflated so it can be folded and loaded into the truck.

The pilot let me pull the deflate rope the opens the top flaps that help release the air.

The team and riders help finish the deflate and lay out.

Back at the teams home base we get ready to enjoy a post flight celebration.  We were also taken to breakfast after this.  What a great group of people these were.  

I caught the flying cork from the champagne bottle.  Three men competed also and I hit the ground with a thud from their efforts, to no avail on their part  :( 

We also had to drink from our cup using our mouth only and at the same time we got a champagne shower.  I'm getting a helping hand up.  It was great fun!

Pilot under my arm, team crew on the left and back and Bill Baker with flower shirt.  My dear friend and awesome dance partner passed away a couple years later because his cancer spread.

USA, no other way!

Evening "glow" show.  It was spectacular!