A man in New Mexico channeled Carl Fredricksen from the Pixar classic Up, attaching 94 huge helium balloons to a gondola to sail across the desert.
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However, this pilot has a bit more experience than Up's hero, who got his entire house to soar using thousands of balloons in the beloved 2009 Disney film. Jonathan Trappe used what AZFamily called a "gas cluster balloon" during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico on Oct. 3.
The setup involved 94 giant helium balloons strung from a gondola, letting Trappe sail across the desert from New Mexico to Arizona.
"So since we last spoke, we got the helium off those trucks and got it staged on the field. We were here at 1:30 this morning, Saturday morning, first day at Fiesta, doing the inflation. And the inflation went very well. It was great. You can see all 94 cells are already inflated," Trappe told local outlet KOB 4 before he took flight.
According to AZFamily, Trappe's choice of 94 balloons wasn't haphazard. The outlet reports that it pays homage to Dr. Jean Piccard, who scored the first gas-cluster flight on record back in 1937. Dr. Piccard used 95 balloons. So... Trappe was either a bit off or didn't want to eclipse the legend.
Winds Kept 'Up' Style Voyage Grounded Before Pilot Set Sail Across the Desert
Wind kept Trappe grounded until about 9 am that morning.
"We usually love that wind. As you probably know, that is the Albuquerque box, that drainage wind on the surface and then coming out of the north, sending you south, and then a wind out of the south, sending you back north. That is the Albuquerque box," Trappe explained to KOB 4.
The pilot eventually spent plenty of time sailing across New Mexico that Saturday before touching down near State Route 260 and Woolford Road in Show Low, Arizona, in the early evening. According to KOB 4, it took three days for Trappe to plan the balloon voyage.
That said, not all of the pilots participating in the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta had such an easy go of it. According to KOAT, at least one air balloon rig was grounded after hitting power lines. The outlet reported 6 other similar incidents. However, no one was injured.
Meanwhile, this is far from Trappe's first balloon adventure. Per AZFamily, he's world-famous for his unique style of air sailing, taking high-profile folks like YouTube star MrBeast and illusionist David Blaine on voyages.
