Balloon Crash Changes Pilot's View On Life
UPDATED: 8:13 am MDT October 18,
2004
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A man whose hot-air balloon hit a radio tower in Albuquerque Oct. 10 says the event changed the way he looks at his life.
Video cameras taped Bill Chapel, 69, and two boys as they climbed down the tower, which is nearly twice as tall as the tallest building in downtown Albuquerque. Rescue crews told Action 7 News at the time that it was amazing everyone survived the balloon mishap.The Smokey Bear balloon that Chapel and the children were in did not fare as well.
"Smokey squalled like a massed cat," Chapel said. "I'll never forget the sound when he hit the tower -- a scream. Honest to God, it was like a dying animal."Chapel said although it was terrifying, he stayed calm and got the boys out and onto the tower. Then he got out, too."I heard the helicopters flying around our house, because the pole is very close to our home, and I knew there had been an accident," said Chapel's wife, Joan. "I just knew it."Joan Chapel said the phone rang. A friend told her to turn on the TV. Bill was in trouble.
"I knew it was Smokey, and I started crying, and I thought 'Oh my Lord, I hope he's safe. I just hope he's safe,'" she said.Chapel watched as her husband and the children made the long climb down a structure taller than the Washington Monument. The dramatic ordeal received international attention. It also changed Bill Chapel."Things like my dog and my wife and other things matter a lot more than perhaps they might have earlier," he said.Chapel, a retired forest service firefighter, said he would continue flying. He used to travel around the country with his beloved balloon and educate people about the dangers of wildfires. His next goal is to get another Smokey. "We have decided to bring Smokey out of the ashes one more time, and we're going to have a Smokey 2," Chapel said.Chapel, who is part of a nonprofit group that educates people about preventing human-caused wildfires, said a new Smokey hot-air balloon would cost about $100,000. The group is trying to raise money for it.To learn more about the organization and its efforts, visit www.smokeybearballoon.com.
Video cameras taped Bill Chapel, 69, and two boys as they climbed down the tower, which is nearly twice as tall as the tallest building in downtown Albuquerque. Rescue crews told Action 7 News at the time that it was amazing everyone survived the balloon mishap.The Smokey Bear balloon that Chapel and the children were in did not fare as well.|
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"I knew it was Smokey, and I started crying, and I thought 'Oh my Lord, I hope he's safe. I just hope he's safe,'" she said.Chapel watched as her husband and the children made the long climb down a structure taller than the Washington Monument. The dramatic ordeal received international attention. It also changed Bill Chapel."Things like my dog and my wife and other things matter a lot more than perhaps they might have earlier," he said.Chapel, a retired forest service firefighter, said he would continue flying. He used to travel around the country with his beloved balloon and educate people about the dangers of wildfires. His next goal is to get another Smokey. "We have decided to bring Smokey out of the ashes one more time, and we're going to have a Smokey 2," Chapel said.Chapel, who is part of a nonprofit group that educates people about preventing human-caused wildfires, said a new Smokey hot-air balloon would cost about $100,000. The group is trying to raise money for it.To learn more about the organization and its efforts, visit www.smokeybearballoon.com. Copyright 2004 by TheNewMexicoChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
