A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FLEW THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE.

Narrative

1 HR PRIOR TO MY COMMERCIAL PAX FLT ON SUN/OCT/94 I CALLED ABQ FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING REGARDING CONDITIONS FORECAST AND CURRENT FOR THE TIME PERIOD OF MY FLT. I QUESTIONED THE BRIEFER ABOUT AIRSPACE RESTRS AND NOTAMS IN REGARDS TO THE ABQ INTL BALLOON FESTIVAL. I HAD CONCERNS THAT MY FLT DRIFT MAY BRING ME INTO CLOSE VICINITY OF THE EVENT. I WAS ADVISED BY THE BRIEFER THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM ISSUED FOR THAT TIME PERIOD FOR THE FESTIVAL LOCATION. THIS AIRSPACE RESTR WAS FOR A 2 MI RADIUS FROM THE CTR OF THE FESTIVAL FIELD AND UP TO 8500 FT MSL. I ADVISED THE BRIEFER THAT I WAS NOT A FESTIVAL PARTICIPANT AND WAS LAUNCHING OFF OF THE FESTIVAL GNDS. I ASKED THE BRIEFER IF THIS NOTAM AFFECTED MY OP AND IF MY ENTERING THE AFFECTED AIRSPACE WAS RESTR. I MADE IT CLR TO THE BRIEFER AGAIN THAT I WAS NOT A PARTICIPANT IN THE FESTIVAL AND WANTED TO BE SURE I COULD FLY THROUGH THE AFFECTED AIRSPACE. THE BRIEFER'S REPLY WAS THAT; SINCE I WAS FLYING A BALLOON; THIS NOTAM DID NOT APPLY TO ME. MY FLT PATH; OR I SHOULD SAY DRIFT; TOOK ME 1/2 MI UPWIND OF THE FESTIVAL FIELD. AT NO TIME DID I DRIFT DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD OR DOWNWIND OF THE FIELD. MY FLT DRIFT IN NO WAY RESTR ANY BALLOON OPS AT THE FESTIVAL. I WAS ADVISED OVER PVT GND TO AIR RADIO THAT MY LOCATION IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE FESTIVAL WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE ISSUED NOTAM. I AM NOT AWARE WHO HAD TOLD THIS TO ME; BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS FESTIVAL PERSONNEL. ABQ INTL BALLOON FESTIVAL IS THE LARGEST BALLOON EVENT IN THE WORLD. IN ADDITION TO THE 600 PLUS BALLOONS PARTICIPATING IN THE FESTIVAL; THERE ARE MANY OTHER PLTS LIKE MYSELF WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE AND ARE CARRYING PAX OFF THE FIELD FOR MANY; MANY COMMERCIAL RIDE OPERATORS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE NOTAM AFFECTED MY OP OR NOT. ACCORDING TO WHAT THE FSS BRIEFER TOLD ME; IT DID NOT. I THINK THAT THE FSS BRIEFERS SHOULD BECOME AWARE THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS SUCH AS MYSELF; AND; PERHAPS THE NOTAM WHICH AFFECTS THE FESTIVAL SHOULD BE CLR AS FAR AS OTHER BALLOONS ARE CONCERNED WHICH ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENT.