Thanks, Stalkerofnalts for pointing out this video. I heard Falcon Heene answer CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, but couldn’t make it out. When you replay the clip, it’s clear... “you guys said we do this for a show” (or something close to that).
Did Falcon just out his parents? Will someone will be interviewing the kid off camera without his parents? I mean I don’t think you can fake the grief I saw on the parents face, but it was as if Richard Heene wanted to say something else.
I assumed he was about to breakdown and admit he was partially responsible. You know… for losing his temper, and having an unsupervised balloon he thought big enough to take his kid off into the sky. That kind of thing.
But mostly it was “the kid likes to hide,” or “he’s always lagging behind,” or “my silly wife doesn’t know how to teather…. I’ll teather her ass when the last of the CNN crew goes home.” You know- that kinda thing.
The CNN interview left me firmly convinced, by virtue of the authenticity of the parents emotions, that it was far from a hoax. But what does “fly Falcoln fly” say? It was a show? Could this simply be a flashback to Wifeswap? Camera crews and all… he’s 6, right?
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmmm…the stalkerofnalts YouTube account seems to be inactive.
I don’t think it the same guy as @StalkerOfNalts on Twitter.
Heene is a crazy liar and wolf blew it
you can see the fear in the childrens face and see the liar mentality in the face of both parents who should be made to pay for all the costs. the wife and the kids are scared of the wacko–is he done???
I find it surprising that father wouldn’t realize that it wouldn’t be able to hold something as heavy as a little boy. I mean he built the darn thing, didn’t he? You’d think he’d have some clue as to its lifting capacity.
If you watch the video of the balloon in the air it’s hard to tell how big it since there is nothing to compare it to. But once I saw its size after it touched down, I would have been extremely surprised if Falcon had been in there. There is no way a half deflated balloon of that size could drift effortlessly in the air like that if it had someone inside.
I’m crunching some numbers on the buoyancy of helium and the volume of the balloon. I’ll get back to you guys with an estimate of its lifting capacity.
@3 Good point, Dr. Olson. I feel manipulated.
I’m still thankful for Nalts and his videos, though.
OK, here’s some math.
MSNBC give the dimensions of the balloon as approximately 20 feet wide and 5 feet high by my estimation of the dimensions is more more like 18 feet wide and 6 feet high. Approximating its shape as an oblate spheroid (a squashed ball shape) with major axes radius r = 9 ft and minor axis radius h = 3 ft, we get the volume is
4/3 π r^2 h, which is approximately 1018 cubic feet.
From the buoyancy equations, we get one cubic foot of helium provides about 0.063 pounds of lifting force.
Hence when the balloon is fully inflated it can provide a maximum of
1018*0.016 = 64 pounds of lifting force.
I’m pretty sure the weight of the balloon plus the weight of the boy was significantly more than 64 lbs especially after the balloon was deflated quite a bit.
Any geeks out there want to provide insight into the aerodynamics and such?
Keep in mind that this is just a very rough estimate of what I think is the maximum amount that thing could lift fully inflated with helium (and don’t forget about the weight of the contraption itself).
Nalts, let us know if you watch these guys on Wife Swap. Do they seem to be the attention seeking type?
It seems unlikely that they would stage something like this, but some things do seem a little fishy. The dad was rambling so awkwardly after Falcon said that. I don’t really know what to believe.
Next time he makes a balloon he should put a toilet in it.
Check out the followup to this video too. If this part didn’t convince you part 2 will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxtFXtiUbbw
Here’s ANOTHER exciting story that never happened:
http://www.twithear.com/playaudio.php?H3Vl1,NyY1YgrRiscHYRffEICuN8DiGjfWbnLcIO4nztQ3ucnTETgw//bl01
Papa Laser’s reaction to his son’s statement indicates it was bullshit. He ignored it rather than ask more info, or “what does that mean?”
@6 You didn’t take in to consideration the Anti-Gravity belt the kid was wearing you also forgot to or carry the 5 on the Liar part of the equation.
In regards to your dream that you came to my house and my kids ran you off:
that would never happen, Kevin. My kids REFUSE to get anywhere NEAR this house of REDNECK HORRORS I’m living in. They won’t even stay in the same town. Or region of Texas.
i think tht in deed thy did do it 4 a show and i mean i saw one clip online of their family and the kid was puking i mean dont u thibk tht would stop recording
I think that after two series of ‘Wife Swap’ these kids have been around the ‘production scene’ enough to know what is up. I wouldn’t put it past the ‘kids’ to have concocted the event themselves. After all, they would just be parroting what they saw their parents do (did in the past) regarding reality TV.
The actions of their parents certainly would have given the green light in an ‘example’ sort of way. The “…it was a show…” line that Falcon speaks could be something to do with what his older brother told him. I come from a family of 5 brothers (and 4 sisters). I know what is possible when kids are left to dream and scheme.
My two cents.
We are ALL publicity hounds (and flashers, too):
http://www.twithear.com/playaudio.php?p.4IJFjWTHIa0Gyoiw3HCvEICuN8DiGjTxbblulJtWlzoLEfwNL3KA//bl01
I am SOOOOO over balloon boy. I’ve made every last joke I can think of, and I am ready to move on. Hoax or not hoax, I’m done.
Although I do think we should follow Conan O’Brien’s advice and kick his ass, for good measure.
Tell me more about emerging trends and changes in pharmaceutical marketing.
A little sumpin sumpin for Nutcheese:
http://tinyurl.com/yzn8etr
poop
It seems the authorities are looking into it further now and criminal charges will most likely be filed against Richard Heene.
Balloon Boy is trending on Twitter again and practically every media company is covering the story.
These are pretty good summaries of recent developments:
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/10/17/balloon-boy-charges-are-imminent-twitter-reacts-with-joy-mostly/
http://news.aol.com/article/parents-of-balloon-boy-falcon-heene-will/719681
I think the police are having a press conference tomorrow morning.
^ This nonstory has really ballooned into a brouhaha of media frenzy, hasn’t it? (I’m too lazy tonight to look up the spelling of ‘brewhawhaw’)
Just read this, a ex-business partner of the father speaks out giving details about why this is a hoax.
http://gawker.com/5383858/exclusive-i-helped-richard-heene-plan-a-balloon-hoax
Watching a News conference going on right now on CNN. Sheriff officially saying it was a hoax now. According to CO law they aren’t allowed to say they got a confession or if they administered a polygraph but that’s what they were planning on doing, and as a result charges are being filed now.
What should they be charged with, defrauding the idiot media?
(click)
@24 “[The Sheriff] said the charges he wants to see filed against the parents include conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, false reporting to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant — at least some of which could be preosecuted as felonies, and could carry a wide range of serious penalties including prison time.”
http://www.knx1070.com/-Balloon-Boy–Incident-Called-a-Hoax–Parents-Will/5462698
I think most of that is crap intended to get the press off of his back. Also to get a plea to one of the minor charges
I think what this proves without a doubt is that the American People are Hey! Look Over There! ->
@27
Where? Where? No! Look over here! No there! No here! Up! No, down!
Sorta like chickens. You ever watch a chicken’s head bob around? Up, down, backwards. Bawk bawk bawk bawk bawk.
We’re a bunch of chickenheads.
Speaking of chickenheads, where is the guy that runs this blog anyway?
@29
He’s like Capt John in Erskine Caldwell’s “Tobacco Road.” He don’t come around no more. Found out it was cheaper not to plow. Sold all the plow equipment and the mules and moved to Augusta.
Uh-oh. I’ll bet he went to see Where the Wild Things Are.
@28 chickens are smarter, we’re all a bunch of surfs now, nothing but surfs and I’m feeling pretty pissed off at google you tube right now so don’t expect stars on thars