SOCORRO, New Mexico (STPNS) -- A high flying couple from Pennsylvania will be bringing three special-shape balloons to the Socorro Balloon Rally representing things uniquely American.

Barry and Teri DiLibero will be gracing the skies over Socorro with their American flag balloon, space shuttle balloon and lighthouse balloon.

The three shapes, especially the flag, have been crowd pleasers at balloon rallies across the country for the past six years.

The couple has been ballooning since 1991 after Barry got his first balloon ride. He caught the flying bug and by the next weekend he was flying his own balloon.



Soon after, he formed his ballooning company, Aapex Sunrides, to provide balloon rides and activities to the general public.

Barry and Teri run the balloon company together and generally have a good time with whatever they do. Barry has several business interests and Teri has a screen printing company in Chester County, Pa.

The idea for an American flag balloon first came to them in 2000, but construction didn?t commence until 2001. After Sept. 11, he started serious planning for the balloon. The balloon, called America One, made its first flight in May 2002.

?We live in the geographic center of the terrorist attacks, between New York City, Washington, and the field in Pennsylvania. Planes were coming down all around us ? literally,? Barry said. ?We did some checking around, found a manufacturer to build the balloon, and a week later the design for the balloon was being drawn up.?

It was an expensive endeavor, but the DiLiberos weren?t thinking about money.

?It?s not the time and the money. It?s doing something right for America.? Barry said.

He said the balloon weighs 550 pounds.

This will be the third year the DiLiberos will be flying at the Socorro Balloon Rally.

?We?re good friends with Mike Shrum and love doing the Socorro Rally,? Barry said. ?Mike will be flying our space shuttle balloon, The Patriot. Normally I?m the one that flies the flag.?

The DiLiberos attend ballooning events across the country and the American Flag is a crowd pleaser.

As a bonus, Barry and Teri also hand out pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution to visitors to the balloon.

?I think everybody should own one,? Barry said. ?For 230 years, the Constitution been taken for granted. Our founding fathers lived through the tyranny of being an owned entity.

?We like to give them out because somebody may pick it up one day and read it. Look into the history of what our founding fathers intended for our country. As time passes, the further we?re getting away from that,? he said.

The DiLibero?s other two balloons, the Patriot space shuttle and the only flying lighthouse in the world, are also very popular.

?The space shuttle balloon was being built at the time Columbia blew up,? he said. ?I had a tribute to Challenger on it and had to go back and replace the placard to add Columbia.?

?As for the lighthouse balloon, we needed a lighter balloon. We wanted to do something that had universal appeal,? Mike said.

He said most people live within 200 miles of either one of the coasts.

?Lighthouses have incredible Americana appeal,? he said. ?We designed it and gave the manufacturer the details. There?s usually a lot of consulting between us and the balloon maker.?

Barry said although he flies in balloon festivals all over the country, the Socorro rally is special.

?I can?t tell you how many times I get a thrill when I fly over the Socorro area, and see looks of amazement when people come out of their houses and look up,? he said.

He encourages the public to come and see the balloons up close.

?This is something people can enjoy in their own town. It?s magical,? Barry said. ?The looks I see on people faces when we do this event are unbelievable.?

He said everyone is welcome to come out and touch and feel the balloons and talk with the pilots and crew.

?This is part of why we do this,? he said. ?To meet people.?

?I?ve seen people park along the street and watch from the street,? he said. ?We want the public to come over and see what we?re doing, talk to us.?