Corrales Elementary 'Burns' with excitement on 'Gold' morning

Shrieks and shouts filled the air of the Corrales Elementary School playground as pilot John Pata lit the burners of his balloon, "Pata Gold."

He was there, along with remote-control balloon operators Jason and Stephanie Burns, for the annual Albuquerque Aloft event, which brings Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta pilots to elementary schools in the metro area before the event officially gets under way.

"The families get so involved," said kindergarten teacher Agnes Ornetas. "They watch the whole process, and the kids talk about it for days. As a teacher, I love this moment."

She said that's largely because it not only gives her extra time with her current students but also that it provides a chance for her to see her former students as alumni often return to see the balloons.

"People make an extra effort to come see this," she said. "Even parents who have graduated and gone, they come back."

That includes retired kindergarten teacher Kathy Lang, who continues to volunteer at the school. She was out on the playground Friday morning, interacting with the kids and taking their photos in front of the balloons.

"I love coming here every chance I get," she said. "The kids have been learning about this all week, the parts of the balloon and how they operate."

Some of those watching were fifth graders Alena Doo, Maisy Trujillo, Nina Ward and Maisie Bell.

"I just like hanging out with my friends and enjoying this," Doo said.

Bell enjoys the photo opportunities. "I really like taking pictures of the balloons and with my friends," she said.

Trujillo was enjoying the weather Friday morning, while Ward summed up the event when she described what she liked about it.

"The weather, being with my friends and seeing all the balloons go up," she said.

And while none of them have been in a balloon before, most of them would go up if given the chance — except for Bell. "I'm afraid of heights," she said when explaining her lack of desire for a balloon ride.

Pata, however, doesn't seem to share that fear. The pilot, also the fire inspector for Corrales Fire Department, said he went to his first Balloon Fiesta at 6 months of age. "I haven't missed one since," he said.

"I just grew up around balloons and loved it," he said, adding that he would beg his dad for a balloon but that he never wanted to buy one. When Pata was in middle school, he had a friend that showed him an ad for a remote-controlled ballon, much like what the Burnses were flying, and his dad agreed to get one.

PHOTOS: Corrales Elementary School 2024 Albuquerque Aloft

That was Pata's first balloon, which he still has. He has also flown commercial balloons, including for Pepsi, and is now a flight instructor. What he particularly enjoys about flying is the peacefulness of being up in the air.

"I tell people this is my stress reliever," Pata said. "It's amazing to be able to take this little aircraft into little spots and get it to do what I want with it. It's almost like I have complete control."

But he noted, that's not entirely true as weather and wind play a factor as well.

Jason Burns has also been around balloons most of his life, but he said with life changes, he and Stephanie have made the change to the to the remote-controlled balloons to keep active with the community with less commitment to the hobby.

Their operation is a family one. Their three children are the crew, while the balloon is homemade. Stephanie said she and her mother-in-law sewed the envelope for "Burns Bright," now at its second Fiesta.

"We wove the wicker of the basket as well, so the family built it," Jason said.

As the small balloon hovered over the field, a special guest got a ride. "Burny" the stuffed dog was situated in the basket with kids exclaiming over his presence. Some of the students even had some of their toy animals take a ride with Burny, Jason said. "It's just fun," he shrugged.

Over at Pata's ballon, the children continued to shriek with excitement every time the burners went off. He elected to remain tethered at the site in order to allow the students more time with the balloon.

Corrales Elementary is now his home location for Albuquerque Aloft as his son used to attend the school. Now, he's learning to fly, following in his father's footsteps, as his friends surrounded the basket as he lit the burners.

"This right here is all worth it," Pata said as the kids reacted to the effect.