Special shape balloons arrive from China

Posted at: 10/07/2009 4:17 PM | Updated at: 10/07/2009 5:32 PM
By: Kayla Anderson, Eyewitness News 4; Matthew Kappus, KOB.com

Good news for those hoping for a glimpse of the special shapes stuck in China—all of the balloons are expected back in Albuquerque Wednesday.

"The World's Biggest Shopping Bag" balloon arrived in Albuquerque early this morning along with Nellie B. Elephant.

The last time the crew saw The World's Biggest Shopping Bag was on a rainy day in China about two months ago. The balloon was one of 13 special shapes stuck in China after they flew in a balloon festival in Inner Mongolia. The balloons became known as the Gooyang 13.

The balloonists finally went to Gov. Bill Richardson hoping he would use his negotiating skills to speed up the release. The governor wrote a letter to the Chinese ambassador.

Now, The World's Biggest Shopping Bad and the popular Darth Vader balloon have finally returned to New Mexico.

"We got it in the bag, so to speak. But we have a lot of equipment we need to check to make sure we can fly safely," said the balloon's pilot, Frank Wechester.

A delivery service is unloading the remaining eight balloons. Crews will spend Wednesday evening inspecting the balloons to make sure they are safe to fly in Thursday's Special Shapes Rodeo.

"We weren't certain if they were indoors or outdoors and we had difficulty getting accurate information. So it's a great relief to know that most importantly, it's dry," Wechester said.

Wednesday's Special Shapes Rodeo will be the U.S. debut for The World's Biggest Shopping Bag.

The pilot says it's not likely they will take their balloon to China in the future.

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