Launch was originally scheduled for the evening of October  7, 2006. Don Day, a meteorologist who worked with Cayton  on numerous world record hot air flights as well as other  gas flights, was located at the launch field in Albuquerque,  New Mexico. In conference with Cayton and Knapp, Day  determined that the weather would be a significant factor  in the launch and in any subsequent flight track across the  United States. The initial track for the planned launch date  would have put the team on a northeasterly track towards  Canada; but, low freezing levels and thunderstorms east  of the Sandia Mountains forced race officials to delay the  planned launch. The next launch window, Tuesday, October  10, showed a potential track east, paralleling Interstate 40. As launch position had been previously drawn by lot, the  Cayton-Knapp team was the fifth balloon to launch. Early on  the evening of the 10th, Cayton handed two bags of ballast  to the balloonmeister, Stefan Handl, and they were in the air.  The race was on! Knapp remembers many “good luck” calls  from the crowd; the chase crew mounted their vehicle and  departed the launch field not knowing they would have a role  in one of the most controversial events in years Cayton-Knapp tracked more easterly than the balloons that  had previously launched and stayed well north of highway  I-40 as they crossed the Sandia Mountains. Their altitude  was well above 10,000 feet the first night and averaged  30 miles per hour (mph) with the temperature in the low  30’s. Cayton and Knapp spent most of the night colder than  expected and shivering to keep warm. They established radio  contact with Lubbock, Texas Approach at 0630 Wednesday  morning and shortly after experienced the magic of a sunrise  from the air. During the 3-day weather delay, Cayton had reason to  reevaluate some strategic issues regarding the flight. One  concern was the fact that both he and Knapp were fairly large  men; he felt that this might place them at some disadvantage  over teams with smaller pilots. Smaller pilots are able to carry  more ballast, and thus can extend their flight time. Also,  while disappointed with the no-fly situation at the Gordon  Bennett, he realized that this might provide an advantage, as  he would not be attempting a second duration flight while  still fatigued from the Gordon Bennett. Cayton believed that  these two issues balanced out, and continued with Knapp to  prepare for the launch. Most of Wednesday was spent flying over Texas, averaging  36 mph. Another team, that of Phil McNutt and Brian Critelli,  flew 90 degrees directly below them passing to the north  just before they reached the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.  [Figure 11-13]  Cayton-Knapp could see other balloons in  the distance, but it was unusual to see another team’s balloon  so close in flight. Dallas Approach directed them to fly over  the Class B airspace above 11,000 feet; at that altitude, they  started tracking a more southerly direction. Tuesday, October 10, arrived clear and cold; the cold front  and low-pressure system that had delayed the initial launch  had passed through the Albuquerque area and was now  ahead of them. A massive cold front would push through  Canada into the central United States and move to the Gulf  of Mexico during the second day of flight. The plan was to  stay between the two systems to remain competitive and safe.  With crew chief Ken Draughn and help from competitors  Peter Cuneo and Bert Padelt, the inflation went smoothly.  [Figure 11-12] Wednesday evening found the team over northern Louisiana.  Most of the night was spent above 2,500 feet flying less  than 12 mph. The strategy was to stay behind the weather  system ahead and to position themselves for Thursday’s  flight. Cayton and Knapp fell behind several teams during  the night, but that served to let them know they were where  they needed to be. $_{Figure 11-13.}$  Dallas, Texas, from 11,000 feet, as seen from the  Cayton-Knapp balloon in flight. $_{Figure 11-12.}$  Inflation of the America’s Challenge balloons,  Albuquerque, NM, October 2006. 11-13