SIMPLE TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY. THE FATHER OF BALLOON IS SID CUTTER. HIS AND IMAGE DISPLAYED A BRONZE STATUE AT FIESTA PARK SHOWS CUTTER ON THE EDGE OF A BASKET, HIS DOGS TAGGING ALONG FOR THE FLIGHT. WE SPOKE WITH HIS GRANDSON IN 2015 WHEN THE STATUE WAS REVEALED. WHEN THE MAYOR OF ALBUQUERQUE APPROACHED US WITH THIS IDEA OF A STATUE, WE WERE JUST AWESTRUCK. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING WAS SO AWESOME THAT WE COULDN’T EVEN EVER THINK OF COULD HAPPEN. CUTTER LAUNCHED IN 1972, 13 BALLOONS LIFTED OFF THE TORNADO CENTER. WE TALKED WITH IN 1981 AND HE KNEW THIS GROWING INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THANK YOU. FIND THAT IT’S GOING TO TURN OUT TO BE THE WORLD’S LARGEST AIR SHOW WHERE THE OLD TIME WING WALKERS AND THING WILL GO ON UP THROUGH INTO THE AFTERNOON INSTEAD OF JUST QUITTING RIGHT AFTER THE BALLOONS FINISH IN 2011 AFTER CUTTER’S DEATH. WE MET PEOPLE FROM MINNESOTA WHO WERE AT THAT FIRST FIESTA IN SAW IT GROW THROUGH THE YEARS. IT WAS GREAT FUN. IT WAS A GREAT OF PEOPLE. WE JUST WE ALL HAD JUST SO MUCH WITH EACH OTHER OUT HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE IT WAS SO WONDERFUL. AND HOSTING THE ALBUQUERQUE IDEAS TURNED INTO WHAT SHOULD CUT A RUSTIC BEACH. WHAT CUTTER DID WAS PHENOMENAL AND HE MADE THE SPORT. CUTTER WAS DESCRIBED AS A GRACIOUS MAN, LOVED BALLOONING AND THE TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY THAT PILOTS THE FLOATING AIRCRAFT. HE LEARNED HOW TO FLY SITTING HIS DADDY’S LAP. CUTTER’S WIFE, JEWEL, DESCRIBING HER LATE HUSBAND’S LIFE AND HOW HE TURNED ALBUQUERQUE INTO THE HOT AIR BALLOON CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. HE WAS SORT OF A PACE SETTER. IT’S GROWN INTO THIS INCREDIBLE, MAGICAL, MASSIVE VACATION. NOT EASY TO GET HERE. ONE TIME I SAID SAID THIS KIND OF HARD WORK. AND HE SAID, BUT LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE MAKING HAPPY. THAT’S FIESTA MEANT TO HIM. WAS THE HAPPINESS IT BROUGHT LIFE. AND TO AND TO THE CITY. WHAT A LEGACY. THANK YOU, SID CUTTER. IN 1983, SID CUTTER WAS INDUCTED INTO BALLOON FIESTA HALL OF FAME AND SINCE BEEN INDUCTED TO OTHERS. THAT’S RIGHT. HE ALSO HOLDS SEVERAL BALLOONING TITLES. AND CHECK THIS OUT. IN 2000 TO THE OLYMPIC TORCH MADE ITS WAY TO ALBUQUERQUE. CUTTER HAD THE HONOR OF CARRYING IT FROM THE WORLD BALLOON AS PART O