Hot air balloon visits Kirtland

Eliezer Pino, in the green shirt, joins the other children from Kirtland’s Child development Center on Gibson to watch as a hot air balloon is inflated at Hardin Field on Oct. 10. Peter Van Overwalle, owner of the Nelly-B hot air balloon, comes to Albuquerque each year for Balloon Fiesta and always makes a stop at the base to show off his balloon to the children. (Photo by Todd Berenger)

Hot air balloon visits Kirtland

Children from Kirtland’s Child development Center on Gibson to watch as a hot air balloon is inflated at Hardin Field on Oct. 10. Peter Van Overwalle, owner of the Nelly-B hot air balloon, comes to Albuquerque each year for Balloon Fiesta and always makes a stop at the base to show off his balloon to the children. (Photo by Todd Berenger)

Balloonists bring joy, wonder to children on base

Published Oct. 14, 2014
By Lee Ross
Nucleus editor

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- No one avoided talking about the giant, pink elephant at Hardin Field. In fact, it was the only thing the children from the Child Development Center on Gibson wanted to discuss.

Nelly-B, a special shape balloon, and its crew were on base Friday morning. Paige Stubbs, the assistant director for the Gibson CDC and volunteer member of the balloon crew, said it's a lot of work to get the balloon on base and inflated, but it's very rewarding.

"A lot of children don't get to go to Balloon Fiesta," she said. "This at least gets them up close and personal."

Vanessa Cruz, who came to see the balloon with her children, Berlin and Westly, said she'll take her family to see a night glow, when balloonists use the burners to make their balloons light up like fireflies.

Seeing this balloon was a good primer for that event, she said. Like a few other kids at the event, her children said they were a little worried the balloon would topple over on top of them.

"It's great to see the kids' faces and the shock and awe when they see such a big thing floating over them," she said.

Peter Van Overwalle, who owns the balloon, said he was glad he could bring it on base. He lives in Belgium, and he and his group of balloonists come back
to Albuquerque and bring the balloon to Kirtland year after year, for the same reason.

"We love it," he said. "I wouldn't give it up."

Molly Hayes, the flight chief for Kirtland's Airman and Family Services Program, was also on hand to see the balloon. Hayes said the elephant balloon is her daughter
Kenzie's favorite. Kenzie saw another special shape balloon on Friday, Hayes said.

"She said, 'You're lucky. You had the pink elephant,'" Hayes said.