Students at George F. Johnson elementary had their heads in the clouds today, learning about the magic of hot air balloons.

To Albuquerque now, where under a desert sky, hundreds of pilots ready themselves to be lighter than air. At dawn, they'll lift off in hot air balloons, painting the October sky in a wash of color.

Directionally, you never know where a balloon is going to go because the wind controls it. A balloon operator can send a balloon higher or lower, but not steer it in specific directions. So before ...