If you see a balloon flying over your head in the coming days, don’t call the Air Force, or NASA, or Fox News. And for Pete’s sake, don’t shoot at it.

What Alabama residents and those in many other states have and will likely continue to see over the next few days are not spy balloons, but participants in an annual long-distance balloon race — the Gorden Bennett Gas Balloon Race, which began with participants launching in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday.

“The balloons that you’ll see flying across the United States as part of the Gordon Bennett race are FAA-registered aircraft and steered by some of the most talented pilots from around the world,” said Sam Parks, Executive Director, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. “We’re thrilled to host this event and see just how far these pilots can travel.”

Some reported seeing a balloon flying over parts of Alabama, including Hoover, according to social media posts:

The hydrogen-filled balloons are distinguishable from the spy balloons which were spotted over the U.S. earlier this year as they are much smaller in size, typically white/yellow in color and will have flags draped from either the gondola or the balloon envelope. Each balloon carries a two-person team inside the gondola.

The balloons in the competition fly great distances, with the typical flight path taking them as far as Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Vermont and even into Canada. There is no set flight path — the competition is simply about how far each balloon can fly before having to land.

The 17 teams competing represent nine countries, including the U.S., Austria, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Of those teams, several have already finished their flights and landed.

Competition tracking, which is available to the public, shows three teams were already in Alabama air space, with several others over Mississippi and making their way east.

The competition is not without hazard. Monday, a team from Poland contacted a power line near Crandall, Texas, sending both pilots to Parkland Hospital in Dallas for treatment.

They were both reported in stable condition as of Tuesday morning.