NEWS BALLOON FIESTA JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AWAY. AND WE ARE COUNTING DOWN TO THE FIRST MASS ASCENSION FOR TONIGHT. CELEBRATE NEW MEXICO TODD KURTZ TALKS WITH A GROUP OF VOLUNTEER THAT WILL ADD A LITTLE FLAIR TO THE OPENING CEREMONY. WELL, OUR EYES ARE ALWAYS UP IN THE SKY WHEN IT COMES BALLOON FIESTA TIME. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT ONLY HOT AIR BALLOONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE TAKING FLIGHT, THAT’S MEMBERS OF THE CHILE FLIGHT TEAM BASED OUT OF ALBUQUERQUE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THEM DOING A LITTLE TRAINING, DOUBLE EAGLE AIRPORT. THE TEAM HAS DONE FORMATION FLYOVERS FOR OPENING CEREMONY AT BALLOON FIESTA SINCE 2018. VERY SKILLED LOOK, THEY’RE JUST FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. WE REHEARSE AT MULTIPLE TIMES AND STILL DO AND STILL DO WE WON’T DO IT WITHOUT A REHEARSAL. AND BUT IT DOES REQUIRE A 3:00 WAKE UP. WE SAT DOWN WITH FIVE OF THE NINE TEAM MEMBERS AS THEY GEAR UP FOR THE FIESTA FLIGHT. ALL LOCAL GUYS, WE ACTUALLY APPROACHED BALLOON FIESTA, ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD LIKE A FLY BY WITH SIX OR SEVEN AIRCRAFT TYPE FORMATION WITH SMOKE, TIME TO ARRIVE OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. RIGHT ON THE LAST NOTE IN THE NATIONAL, THE TEAM HAS DONE MORE THAN 550 FORMATION FLIGHTS OVER TEN YEARS. THE LEADER IS THE IS WHAT YOU’RE FLYING OFF OF YOU’RE CONCENTRATING THE LEADER IN MAINTAINING POSITION OFF HIM. THEY ALL FLY SINGLE PROPELLER AIRCRAFT VERY COOL. THREE OF THEM ARE RETIRED MILITARY OFFICERS. SO NOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF TEAM YOU’LL SEE UP THERE I’M STOGIE SPANKY LONG BOW VIKING BOOP DOO PICK THEM YOURSELF SO YOU’RE YES YES BUT I WON’T GO INTO DETAIL OCCASIONALLY WHEN SOMEBODY IS A LITTLE BIT HESITANT TO PICK A CALL. SO WE HAVE THREATENED THAT. WE WILL PICK ONE FOR THEM. NICE GROUP OF GUYS HELPING TO MAKE BALLOON FIESTA EVEN MORE SPECIAL. I’M TODD KURTZ. I’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. OUT ON THE ROAD OR IN THE SKY AS WE KEEP CELEBRATING NEW MEXICO, THE CHILE FLIGHT TEAM WILL DO FLY OVERS BOTH SATURDAY MORNINGS FOR THIS FIESTA. IN MAY 2020. THEY DID A FLYOVER ABOVE NOB HILL TO HONOR THE FRONTLINE WORKERS DURING THE PANDEMIC. THEY EVEN DREW A HEA