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Here ya go. This is more fun than the law allows.

thats sweet looks like fun i want to be in the cow ballon. lol was that the chikfila ballon?
Danny

Just the best,very,very nice.I enjoyed each one.Thanks,Gary.

That is awesome I have never seen any different kinds besides the basic balloon looking ones. I like the cow other fun balloons. thanks for sharing. where is that located?

Awesome pictures.... Loved the Cow!

I have witnessed Skippy`s Smilie "sport balloon" in person, when I visitied Florida this past April. He built it himself, and it is highly manoverable, zippin` up and down and all over the sky....

Nice pics skip, thanks for sharin

Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing.

No strings attached !! Very cool Skip

Skip, have you had the opportunity to pilot any of the other balloons? I'm curious how much more difficult, if any, it would be to manuver one of those funky shaped balloons, say for instance, the bumble bees or the cow.

I'd have to say, this is my favorite right here. Having never seen a balloon in flight after dark, I can only imagine it's got to be pretty cool.

The cow is "Airabelle". She belongs to Creamland Dairy. The envelope alone weighs 910 lbs. The envelope is the fabric part of the balloon. She's very popular with the crowds.
This event is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It's held in October. It started in 1972 and has grown from the original 13 balloons to more than 850. I currently own one of the original 13. (Not the Smilie).
As Darren said, the Smilie is a home built. I and several friends pooled our skills and built the entire system. Since it is a home built it falls into the "Experimental" category of VFR aircraft.
Hey James, Sorry we couldn't meet up. That week is also our anniversary. Lets celebrate together next year.
On a more serious note, the accident was a tragedy. This is two years in a row that there has been a death. Both were powerline strikes. In our on going training and safety seminars the hazards of powerlines are a never ending topic of discussion. You just don't go near them. PERIOD!! We all know the end result.
I have not flown any of the special shapes. They do fly a bit different. The real reason I stay clear of them is the amount of work that's involved. The largest special shape is the Energizer Bunny. The envelope weighs 1600 lbs. It has a crew of 12. By comparison, my little Smilie envelope weighs only 140 lbs. and my crew is Cherie.
An interesting story about the Eagle. This is the second one. During the first inflation of the first one, in a field of very dry grass, the grass was ignited and the flame got out of control and the Eagle went up in flames. The owner said, "Oh Well, lets build another one." That's probably a $100,000 balloon.
Thanks for the responses. There's more pics at BalloonFiesta.com.

Skip,Do you have to do continuous training for the FAA or are there any FAA rules that apply to ballons??.What you have to do to fly one??.

Gary, all aircraft are regulated somewhat by the FAA. In order to obtain a balloon license you must take training in a balloon, pass a written exam, pass a check ride with a designated FAA examiner. It's done in steps. Student license, private license and then a commercial license. The balloon is also required to be inspected once a year or every 100 hours by an A&P licensed inspector. Balloons are also required to be registered with the FAA and they must carry an airworthiness certificate. A log book is also required. The log book contains all flight time, all maintenence records and the annual inspection. Once you pass the initial FAA training and obtain your license you're good to go. We have an annual safety seminar here in central Florida. You are not required by the FAA to attend but it is a real good idea. It's good to keep up with all of the new info available and to brush up on all of the old stuff. You can never be too safe.

Wow! Great pics! I like the arial shots that show a lot of balloons in one photo. What a blast that must have been. I like the ones on the ground to, taken as they were filling, with the Tacoma in between them. You really get a sense of their size that way. Brilliant colors, fun shapes. Thanks for posting them. That must have been a great time.

Smiliesafari wrote:Gary, all aircraft are regulated somewhat by the FAA. In order to obtain a balloon license you must take training in a balloon, pass a written exam, pass a check ride with a designated FAA examiner. It's done in steps. Student license, private license and then a commercial license. The balloon is also required to be inspected once a year or every 100 hours by an A&P licensed inspector. Balloons are also required to be registered with the FAA and they must carry an airworthiness certificate. A log book is also required. The log book contains all flight time, all maintenence records and the annual inspection. Once you pass the initial FAA training and obtain your license you're good to go. We have an annual safety seminar here in central Florida. You are not required by the FAA to attend but it is a real good idea. It's good to keep up with all of the new info available and to brush up on all of the old stuff. You can never be too safe.

Thanks for the info.Honestly the closest I have ever come to seeing one is like at a fair and thoses where tied down.Those colors are just outstanding.