Sure, there are a lot of great-grandmothers living in Rio Rancho.

But how many of them do you know that fly hot-air balloons?

Here’s one you should get to know: Rebecca Curling, who has lived here since 1981 and is entered in 37th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this week. Maybe you saw Curling’s red, white and blue “American Pie” balloon drifting north Friday morning. For sure, you will see hundreds of colorful balloons flying over the Duke City all week as the most-photographed event in the world takes place.

Ironically, of three balloonists assigned to lift off from Sandia Vista Elementary, as part of the sixth annual “Albuquerque Aloft,” Curling, 56, was the only one who couldn’t find the school. It was ironic because the other two balloonists, among 23 flying away from the district’s 10 participating schools, said they had easily found it – and they were from Reno, Nev., and Santa Rosa, Calif.

It turns out the person she’d asked for directions had thought she’d said Vista Grande Elementary – and she and her crew-chief husband Hal were there on time. Sandia Vista, fortunately, is only a short drive from Vista Grande.

Curling, with some 400 hours of in-the-air experience, is a better pilot than she is a navigator, it seems. Her granddaughter, Amanda Kitsch, said she’s been flying with grandma since she was three months old and never experienced a hard landing.

“She’s a great pilot,” she said.

Nearby, Kitsch’s 18-monthol-d son, Sawyer, was apprehensive about hearing the propane burner