Shaped Balloons being held by Chinese

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A shipping dispute one pilot calls extortion in China may keep some much-loved special-shape balloons from flying in this year's Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

That's because the Chinese government hasn't given them back to their owners.

Several balloon owners packed up their gear and headed to China a few weeks ago for an event in Mongolia. The owners came back but their balloons didn't.

Now there is a fight with the Chinese to get the fancy flyers back.

“We are crossing our fingers and our legs, and we are hoping for the best,” said Frank Wechter, a pilot for 35 years and owns the world's largest shopping bag balloon.

But this year he may be grounded because his balloon and 12 others never made it back from a balloon festival in Inner Mongolia.

“We were treated hospitably but when it came time to get our equipment back the Chinese have not followed through,” he said.

Among the special shapes still in China are Darth Vader, the Clown balloon, the Pink Elephant, Mr. Sunboy, the Snowman, and Golf and Soccer Ball balloons.

Gov. Bill Richardson got involved speaking with the Chinese ambassador, but getting the fancy fliers back has gone nowhere until recently.

“The organizer here in the U.S. has wire--for lack of a better term extortion money--to the shipping company in China with an oral agreement stating that our balloons are going to be on an airplane to come back to Albuquerque in about two days time,” Wechter said.

Once the balloons arrive in Los Angeles they will spend three days in U.S. Customs and then driven to New Mexico on a truck.

Even if they make it in time, Wechter said they still may not be able to fly.

“We are unsure of the conditions of how they were stored in China," he said.

The Balloon Fiesta kicks off Oct. 3 with a morning mass ascension.