Mysterious Balloons Floating Over Colorado Are a Growing Tradition

The United States military announced today, February 23, that it is tracking a high-altitude balloon flying over the western part of the country, even sending a NORAD aircraft to investigate the object.

Reports indicate that the balloon was flying at an altitude of over 40,000 feet and drifting east over Colorado. It was quickly determined not to be a security threat.

By the evening, it will have left Colorado and reached as far as Georgia.

You may have déjÁ  vu from last February, when a Chinese spy balloon flew over the United States for several days. Eventually, the United States military shot it down and recovered the pieces while China claimed it was a weather balloon that had severely drifted off course.

Even if this year’s balloon proves a legitimate threat, it still probably wouldn’t represent the most famous balloon story in the Colorado airspace. That title belongs to the Heene family, whose antics spurred the Balloon Boy meme.

Falcon Heene’s Nonexistent Colorado Balloon Journey

Back in October 2009, the entire nation became fixated on what would eventually become one of Colorado’s most famous hoaxes.

Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fort Collins called 911 saying they suspected their then-six-year-old son, Falcon Heene, was trapped inside a flying saucer in the form of a silver homemade helium balloon. The National Guard and police pursued the very-much-identified flying object until it landed near Denver International Airport. People on the internet exploded with attention, following the balloon’s progress and waiting with bated breath to see what would happen to Falcon.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Falcon wasn’t in the balloon at all. He was later found in the family’s attic. But it wasn’t just a case of mistaken whereabouts.

“You guys said that, um, we did this for the show,” Falcon said to his parents during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN that night, prompting suspicions that the whole thing had been made up for attention.

A few weeks later, Richard and Mayumi were charged over the hoax, earning ninety and twenty days in jail, respectively. Before then, the country’s attention on the scandal in the form of thousands of news stories and social media posts made Falcon famous – and he even puked on Today while being interviewed by Meredith Viera.

The Heene family was included in an episode of ABC’s Wife Swap in 2008 before becoming truly famous. They eventually moved to Florida after the balloon incident, but Governor Jared Polis pardoned Richard and Mayumi in Colorado in 2020. The parents maintain that they weren’t trying to create a hoax and truly suspected that Falcon could be in that balloon. Richard said he had not been able to find work as a contractor as easily after the major publicity from the event.

“You wrote to me that you regret that anything you did could have caused anyone harm or inconvenience,” Polis wrote in the clemency letter to the Heenes. “I believe you and trust that the legal and social consequences you have suffered in the intervening years will prevent you from ever repeating your past mistakes.”

But Balloon Boy as a concept lives on, with Coloradans referencing the meme whenever any balloonish happenings occur. The nation hasn’t moved past it, either, as Saturday Night Live featured the incident in a January 2023 bit starring former Aurora resident and current SNL cast member Bowen Yang.

Three cheers to the Heenes, who will always give unthreatening, quick-moving balloons that briefly grace Colorado’s skies a sense of nostalgia.