'Magical' Hot Air Balloon Festival Returns to US
There were no clouds above the New Mexico desert at the start of October; instead the sky was filled with hot air balloons.
Propane burners roared and balloons of different colors and sizes rose up together at the start of the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
The nine-day celebration of hot air balloons attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall.
It's not often that people can get up close as giant balloons like these are unpacked and inflated.
Hundreds took to the skies at once, from traditional globe-shaped balloons to cartoonish figures. There was even a balloon in the shape of the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu.
One spectator, Paul Kluzak from Arizona, described the sight of all the balloons as "magical."
He's a balloon fan — he came this year with a giant hat in the shape of a hot air balloon. "Seeing them all at once is just really, really cool," he said.
One question that many people have about hot air balloons is whether they're safe.
Hot air balloon accidents do happen, but earlier this year Bruce Byberg from the Balloon Federation of America told the BBC that aviation is the safest mode of transport, and balloons are the safest mode of aviation.
In the US, pilots have to be certified before they can fly balloons. However, the rules may not be the same in other countries, and experts say that it's a good idea to do some research about the company you're flying with before you go up in the air.
