This Air Force officer gave New Mexico both a tramway and a record-breaking balloon legacy

Ben Abruzzo’s Atlantic Crossing and Balloon Fiesta Legacy

Ben Abruzzo turned the skies into his playground after settling in Albuquerque in 1954.

The former Air Force officer first built the Sandia Peak Tramway in 1966, but his true love was hot air balloons.

In 1972, he helped start the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta with just 13 balloons in a mall parking lot.

After a failed try in 1977, Abruzzo and his team flew the Double Eagle II across the Atlantic in 1978, then topped it by crossing the Pacific in 1981.

His story lives on at the Anderson-Abruzzo Balloon Museum, where you can see the actual gondola that made history.

Air Force Officer Starts World-Famous Balloon Festival

Abruzzo helped start the first Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in 1972.

Only 13 hot air balloons took off from the Coronado Center Mall parking lot as locals watched them float across the New Mexico sky.

This simple promo event quickly caught on with pilots and viewers alike. Under Abruzzo’s guidance, the festival grew each year.

Now, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta hosts over 600 balloons yearly and brings hundreds of thousands of visitors from everywhere.

First Atlantic Try Ends Just Short of Success

Abruzzo and his friend Maxie Anderson tried to do what many had failed at before: cross the Atlantic Ocean by balloon.

In September 1977, they took off in Double Eagle I with high hopes. They fought through bitter cold and rough weather for 65 hours as they drifted east.

Their journey ended sadly when they had to drop their balloon just three miles from Iceland’s coast. Abruzzo got severe frostbite during the trip.

Three Men and a Balloon Try Again for History

Abruzzo and Anderson learned from their first try. They packed better gear and radios based on what went wrong before.

On August 11, 1978, they launched Double Eagle II from Maine, adding a third pilot, Larry Newman, to their team.

The helium balloon rose into the sky as the three men began their risky trip across 3,120 miles of open Atlantic.

For nearly six days, they lived in a tight gondola hanging below their huge balloon.

French Wheat Field Becomes Historic Landing Spot

After 137 hours in the air, Double Eagle II landed in a wheat field near the small town of Miserey, France on August 17, 1978.

Local farmers saw the balloon coming down and ran to meet the tired but happy Americans. News of what they did spread fast around the world.

This marked the first time anyone had crossed the Atlantic Ocean by balloon after more than 100 years of tries.

Hometown Throws Big Party for Balloon Heroes

President Jimmy Carter personally called to say well done.

When Abruzzo came back to Albuquerque on August 26, 1978, about 15,000 fans packed the airport and lined the streets to welcome him home.

The city held a parade for their local hero and his teammates. Their feat brought pride to New Mexico and made Albuquerque famous for ballooning.

In 1979, Congress gave the crew the Congressional Gold Medal.

New Challenge Calls After Atlantic Success

After crossing the Atlantic, Abruzzo wanted an even bigger test: the Pacific Ocean.

This route had more problems than the Atlantic, with longer distances and trickier weather to deal with.

Abruzzo built a new team, bringing back Larry Newman and adding Ron Clark and Japanese restaurant owner Rocky Aoki, who helped pay for the trip.

They built a new balloon, Double Eagle V, made just for the longer journey and different weather they would face over the Pacific.

Four Brave Men Launch from Japanese Coast

On November 10, 1981, Double Eagle V took off from Nagashima, Japan with Abruzzo as captain. The four-man crew faced a scary journey of over 5,000 miles across the world’s biggest ocean.

They took enough supplies for a long flight, knowing they might be up for days. The balloon caught good winds that pushed them east toward North America.

Weather stations and ships tracked them as they floated high above the Pacific.

California Forest Becomes Surprise Landing Zone

After 84 hours in the air and traveling 5,768 miles, Double Eagle V reached the California coast on November 12, 1981.

The crew fought to control their landing as they neared land.

The balloon crash-landed in the remote Mendocino National Forest, a rough ending but one that made history. All four men walked away unhurt.

They had finished the first-ever balloon crossing of the Pacific Ocean and set a new record for the longest balloon flight ever.

Tragic Plane Crash Claims Ballooning Pioneer

On February 11, 1985, Abruzzo took off in his personal Cessna 421 plane from Albuquerque’s airport.

His wife Pat and four friends joined him for what should have been a fun trip to Aspen, Colorado for skiing.

Shortly after takeoff, something went wrong with the plane. The Cessna crashed near Albuquerque, killing all six people aboard.

The ballooning community lost one of its greatest pioneers that day. News of his death shocked people around the world who had followed his amazing adventures.

Balloon Festival Keep Abruzzo’s Spirit Alive

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta that Abruzzo helped create continues to grow each year, attracting pilots and spectators from around the globe.

The gondola from Double Eagle II found a permanent home at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Through these living memorials, Ben Abruzzo’s adventurous spirit and contributions to aviation history live on.

Visiting Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum located at 9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE Albuquerque now stands as a testament to Ben Abruzzo’s ballooning history with the first Atlantic crossing in 1978 and Pacific crossing in 1981.

He also started the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in 1972. Visitors can see artifacts from the historic flights and learn about the science and history of ballooning.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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