
FIESTA 2022 Drone Crew

You will need to text me for each individual time slot you can attend. Please only sign up for the events that you can commit to. If I have insufficient crew for any of these timeslots I will be unable to fly specific missions.
I only have a limited budget so I am unfortunately only able to pay $15 per hr.
However, you will get to experience something completely unique that only a small handful of people have ever done. We basically get VIP access. I have one extra North Lot parking pass available per session to grant access to your friends and family. If you are working, and are given a one of the crew parking passes, anyone who fits in your vehicle can come. I just need to know the number of adults (above age 11). Please let me know: first come, first served.
There are flight maps and an operational brief below. Please keep this page confidential, you are the only people I trust seeing this info :)
Training flights will be conducted the week prior to the event at multiple convenient times to include all those who haven't crewed in the past.
I need at least 3 crew for all AM missions, and at least 2 for all PM missions:



Fiesta 2022 - UAS Operational Brief:
Flight Area #1:
West Arroyo. Flights directly over concrete with an East boundary of the field fence line. North and South boundaries at the pedestrian bridges.
Flight Area #2:
Directly above Sid Cutter, expanded to include the airspace above the Fiesta Office trailers
Flight Area #3:
Empty parking lot with a South boundary of the fence line along the arroyo
Flight Area #4:
Arroyo blocked on all sides, no foot traffic
Flight Area #5:
Steep native embankment, no foot traffic
Flight Area #6:
Fireworks columns
Flight Area #7:
Balloon Museum, approved by Museum Director
Flight Area #8:
NEW area. Roped off fireworks safety area to be flown during balloon glows, ending before fireworks
Flight Area #9:
NEW area. Special sponsor balloon capture sorties. Specific permission requests for each mission. Radio authorization required. Team will form a roped off 60ft x 60ft square being held by UAS personnel. UAS team will form the flight area and prevent visitors from entering the area and inform RPIC immediately of any issues. This will create a 30ft distance from the crowd for take off and landing. "Bubble" will be positioned and directed according to AIBF zebra instructions. Flight duration will not exceed 15min, and remain below 200ft. Bubbles will be positioned to be upwind of balloons taking off and designed to be carried out without interfering with balloon launches.
Flight Area #10:
NEW area. Splash n Dash capture. Flight area includes several potential ground control areas to be chosen according to winds/balloon directions. While the flight area is extensive, sorties will be conducted within VLOS. At no time will UAS fly beyond 750ft and extra care will be taken to avoid flying in between multiple balloons and their flight paths. Ops will be conducted very conservatively and will likely stay within a 400ft radius of ground control.
UAS Personnel - Operational Guidelines:
All UAS personnel will be briefed and trained according to the outline below. Multiple VO will be implemented whenever possible to create a redundancy of tasks.
VO responsibilities:
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Constant visual site of UAS while airborne. Situational awareness of direction of flight path, speed, and location of UAS and all balloon traffic. Constant communication with RPIC regarding see and avoid well in advance of any issues. All flights will be conducted in a conservative manner as to never be in a situation that requires abrupt maneuvers.
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Personal Conduct. Be courteous and respectful to all visitors. Obey and relay instructions from AIBF staff.
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Safety above all. UAS team is expected to adhere to all FAA and AIBF regulations and, through constant communication, commit to ensuring safe UAS operations for all involved.
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UAS team members will attend pre-event training and complete and pass the nighttime operations test with a 100% score.
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Make sure you are briefed on emergency protocol to land the drone. This is in case I pass out or have a stroke/aneurism/etc.
Crew Conduct:
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BE ON TIME.
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Should anything go wrong, like a crash, DO NOT speak to anyone accept me, Fiesta personnel, FAA, or law enforcement.
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Be respectful and courteous. There are 50,000 people on that field that are NOT paying attention to anything but the balloons. There are another 10,000 idiots that want to know what we are doing and will come ask questions mid flight. Kindly tell them that you cannot help them until we land. Do not get distracted, I am counting on you to keep this operation safe.
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Be sure to return your vest and parking pass to my vehicle if you are not working the next subsequent session. This will prevent having to track you down to retrieve these critical items.
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Bear with me, there are a lot of moving parts in this operation and a LOT on the line. I'm typically pretty easy going but at Fiesta I can get easily uptight if things go sideways. Try to only communicate with me outside of flight times. I will do my best to respond to any questions via phone or text, but try to avoid this during missions. This is a 150+ hour week for me and this event takes everything I have to pull off. I usually run out of steam by the last day, and typically do not fly on the last Sunday.
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Below is the info for how to enter the park and where to park. DO NOT drive your vehicle onto the field at anytime. I will have an ATV that can be utilized to transport people and equipment. Be sure your guests are aware of these details:
MAP DIRECTION LINK:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta ®
-BEST of FIESTA 2021-

Balloon Fiesta 2022
-Aerial Filming and Photography Services-
BALLOON HIGHLIGHTING
We can "hunt" your branded balloon and pick you out from the crowd.
Capitalize on the world's attention by posting to your social media during the event.
Samples of multiple day Highlight missions
Samples of multiple day Highlight missions
"BUBBLE" ASCENTION
NEW! Our drone team will come to your balloon and form a roped "bubble" in which we can safely fly from the field to capture your launch.

Sample video. Concept only.
ADD A 360° BALLOON RIDE
Give your audience a chance to get airborne!
The closest thing to actually taking a balloon ride is to take
one on your smartphone. We can attach a camera to your
basket that captures the entire scene in 360 degrees.
This technology allows the viewer to click and
scroll to adjust their viewpoint as the video plays.
Paste this link to your smartphone and use it
as your viewfinder "window" for a
completely unique experience!
360° Video
Click and scroll to adjust your point of view!
-Be sure to adjust the settings to HD for the best experience-

"ON THE FLY" DELIVERY
Our team can deliver video within 24 hours to fully capitalize on the social media attention that buzzes globally during Fiesta week. Millions of people from around the world tune in to share the joy that radiates from Albuquerque in October.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO FLYING WITH YOU
at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta ®
Please call the number below or email us from the contact page with any questions!
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