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Renowned Vermont hot air balloon
pilot falls to death after getting
caught under basket: 'Creative genius'

Original Article

Posted By: NorthernDog, 7/17/2021 9:28:32 AM

A hot air balloon pilot died this week after he became trapped underneath the balloon's basket and fell to his death, the Vermont State Police said. Longtime pilot Brian Boland, 72, had left Post Mills Airport in Vermont with four passengers when the balloon started to descend rapidly and touched down in a field. The basket tipped and one of the passengers fell out but wasn’t hurt, police said. Boland then became tangled in gear affixed to the balloon and got stuck underneath the basket as it went back up. He fell from an unknown height and landed in a

Comments:

These hot air balloons are getting more dangerous than COVID. May he rest in peace.

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Reply 1 - Posted by: Rumblehog 7/17/2021 10:28:43 AM (No. 848623)
Alternate headline: 'Creative genius' killed by his own invention
1 person likes this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: Toby Ten Bears 7/17/2021 10:36:28 AM (No. 848633)
Genius is the new stupid.
1 person likes this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: red1066 7/17/2021 10:46:02 AM (No. 848642)
Hot air balloons use to fly over my house every year and land in the field across the road. These balloons would quietly glide over my home some less than 100 above the house, and I could talk with the pilot and passengers as they went by.
6 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: 4Liberty2020 7/17/2021 11:09:18 AM (No. 848661)
RIP Brian Boland of VT. Reading the posts with the article are so sad, not wanting to do or continue to do what you love because of age. I'm 77 now and I have been skydiving twice, starting on my 70th birthday and at 72, and hopefully will do it again, my husband didn't want to try it, but I convinced him to do it, just once. Also have done gliders, helicopters, biplanes, and most other types of aircraft in my 60's and 70's. The skydiving was a great feeling ( but it goes too fast to enjoy the scenery), but hot air ballooning was an amazing experience. It was so quiet, floating above the NH countryside, watching several deer drinking from a stream above their heads, flying with the birds around you , looking at the trees from the top of them is absolutely beautiful. One can live in a nutshell, but for me, I want to experience life to the fullest.
6 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: garyhope 7/17/2021 11:46:14 AM (No. 848691)
There's a reason that I've never been up in a hot air balloon. You have no control over them. You're at the mercy of a propane tank and wind currents. I think that they're stupid and dangerous. Apparently Mr. Boland wasn't quite enough of a "creative genius" to wear a parachute and not die.
1 person likes this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: hershey 7/17/2021 1:05:36 PM (No. 848755)
Oh gee, another COVID death....
2 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: rocket-j-squirrel 7/17/2021 1:27:49 PM (No. 848765)
I went on one of those "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" rides and determined that "controlled descent into terrain" es no bueno.
3 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: enemyofthestate 7/17/2021 7:56:55 PM (No. 849113)
Renowned Vermont hot air balloon? Are we talking about Sanders?
2 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: ladydawgfan 7/17/2021 8:16:27 PM (No. 849139)
I want to be #4 when I grow up!!! Reminds me of a quote I heard: "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" -- Mame Dennis - "Auntie Mame"
0 people like this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: mifla 7/18/2021 5:35:05 AM (No. 849321)
I place riding in a hot air balloon in the same category as jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.
0 people like this.

Reply 11 - Posted by: tootall 7/18/2021 7:42:20 AM (No. 849397)
Not to sound like sour puss, but.......... It seems to me that if one needs to engage in 'high-risk' activities to experience emotions, that you might possibly need to do some inner emotional work. If these activities are the way you 'feel' you might be missing out on other important aspects of your life. Or not! I'm just sayin' Discuss amongst yourselves!
1 person likes this.

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