Ray Bair reflects on 45 years of flying in Albuquerque

Longtime pilot Ray Bair is concluding 45 years of flying hot air balloons in Albuquerque. His final flights mark the end of decades spent instructing pilots and serving on the event board. Bair is 85 years old. He has flown in approximately 40 balloon events across the city.

He moved from Washington to New Mexico 50 years ago. He arrived to join Sandia Laboratories for a graduate program at the University of New Mexico.

“And our plan was to spend two years down here. Carol also did some graduate work at UNM. And somehow we just never got away,” Bair recalled.

Bair attended the festival in the late 1970s. He earned his balloon pilot license by the early 1980s. He and his wife bought their first balloon with six other people. They soon replaced it with a dedicated model named Kaleidoscope. They now own the sixth version of that balloon.

Bair flew his first festival in 1983. He worked as a ground school teacher and a flight instructor. He served on the FAA safety team. He also served as an Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta board member.

“I liken ballooning to a friendly disease. It gets you a little at a time,” said Bair.

Bair expressed concern for the future of the sport. Landing sites are disappearing because of urban development in Albuquerque. Equipment has also risen in cost. These factors create higher barriers for incoming pilots.

His wife, Carol Bair, managed the pilot hospitality area at the Sid Cutter Pavilion for about 20 years. She fed roughly 100 pilots every morning during events. Both of their sons and their granddaughter became pilots.

“I spent 25 years as an FAA designated pilot examiner – that’s the examiner that takes potential pilots out, evaluates their book learning, and evaluates their flying skills,” said Bair.

Bair conducted more than 500 evaluation flights during his career. Many former students still fly throughout the region. He plans to give his current balloon to his granddaughter at the end of the event.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta hosts hot air balloon pilots and flight crews each autumn. The gathering features morning mass ascensions and specialized balloon competitions. Flight operations depend entirely on local wind and weather conditions.

Bair hopes to fly as many days as weather permits. He plans to watch future flights from the sidelines.