Pilots prepare for ‘camping out in the sky’ as they compete in Gordon Bennett gas balloon race

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s been 15 years since the world’s elite gas balloon pilots have gathered in the United States for a race with roots that stretch back more than a century. The pilots will be launching for this year’s Gordon Bennett competition during an international balloon fiesta that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to the heart of New Mexico each fall.