Hot Air Balloons Still The Best Part Of Temecula's Vibe: What Happened In Recent Landing

TEMECULA, CA — A hot air balloon pilot, at the whim of an extreme lack of wind, made a judgment call and landed in a Temecula backyard before he completely ran out of fuel over the weekend. The incident caused a flutter across the globe as news agencies reported on the strange way to wake up.

Sometimes, what goes up must come down, as in the case of the well-known area balloon known as Luna.

At 7:30 a.m., Sunday, a hot air balloon owned by Southern California's

Magical Adventure Balloon Rides stalled due to a lack of wind, owner Denni Barrett told Patch. The pilot was left with a decision that has become a topic of worldwide discussion.

Barrett, who spoke with us about the incident and what led to the balloon stall.

Balloons use propane-fueled heat to rise or descend, but have no precise control over side-to-side movement.

"All of our directional control horizontally is dependent on the wind," Barrett said. "On that particular morning, the balloon was caught over a neighborhood when the winds went calm. It didn't matter if the balloon was 300 feet or 3000 feet; there was no real movement to get the balloon to an open field or park."

Ian Gregor of the FAA agrees.

"Balloons don’t have steering mechanisms and can be subject to wind conditions, so an unplanned landing is not necessarily a violation of the regulations," Gregor said.

After the pilot had hovered for about 30 minutes at different altitudes in an attempt to catch a breeze, they, as a precaution, knew they would run out of fuel and decided to make a safe landing at that spot in the backyard belonging to Temecula residents Hunter and Jenna Perrin.

By this time, residents outside were watching the spectacle, attempting to help the pace car and direct traffic in the Paseo Del Sol neighborhood

After the landing, the Perrins raced to their backyard to video and talk to their 13 unexpected visitors.

Though it is startling to find a nine-story hot-air balloon with a basket full of people suddenly in their yard, they gave the pilot permission to be there, after the landing, Barrett said.

"There was no danger ot the property on the ground or to the safety of the people inside the balloon basket," Barrett said. "The homeowners were very accommodating and gave their permission once the balloon landed."

FAA regulations do not specify where balloons must take off and land, but they must be operated safely so they don’t pose a hazard to people or property on the surface. "Hot air balloon flights follow the same regulations as other types of aircraft, and pilots must ensure they have enough fuel to complete the trip safely," Gregor said.

Incidents like what happened over the weekend are rare, but possible.

Barrett has been a balloon pilot for 33 years, he told Patch, and he has only seen a phenomenon like this once before, at the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival over Lake Skinner.

This type of situation is very, very rare," he said. "This is the first time that I’ve had that situation occur over town. That unique weather phenomenon typically can occur over large bodies of water."

Longtime Temecula hot air ballooning couple Cherise and Rusty Manning of A Grape Escape Hot Air Balloons agreed with that assessment.

Cherise Manning described ballooning in the area and agreed with Barrett as to "going with the wind."

"We land in vineyards and open areas all the time, but residential backyards — that’s not common," she said. "Ballooning always has a little unpredictability because we go where the wind takes us, but experienced pilots work really hard to avoid situations like that. That’s where experience and knowing the local conditions really come into play."

How did they get the balloon out of the yard? We're glad you asked.

Once the guests disembarked the basket, the Magical Adventure crew used ropes (drop lines) to manually taxi the balloon from the backyard to the street for deflation and "pack up," according to Barrett.

"That is just more proof that there was no wind, he said. "The balloon is the size of a nine-story building, and if there were any wind, four crew members on the ground would not be able to move it."

How about hot air balloon safety?

We asked both Magical Adventure Balloon Rides and Grape Escape owners a bit more about hot air balloon safety in the Temecula skies.

All balloonists agree: before you climb into a hot-air balloon basket, look for experienced operators.

"You want someone who knows this valley, knows the wind patterns, and has been doing this for a long time," Cherise said. "Also, pay attention to how the company talks about safety. Are they willing to cancel if the weather isn’t right? That’s actually a good sign. And then, just overall professionalism. Look for good equipment, clear communication, and make sure passengers understand what to expect. At the end of the day, ballooning is very safe when it’s done right, but it really comes down to the decisions being made by the pilot that day."

Finally, the Perrin family waved goodbye to the balloon, but not without their lives changing a bit for the better.

Yes, the typical balloon ride's goal is to stay in wine country, flying over the grapevines and fields, according to Barrett.

"Where people's backyards are bigger," he laughed.

When asked about all of the media attention, he had this to say.

"It's been a whirlwind of a week since that happened," Barrett said. "I think this story went viral because it’s a feel-good incident in a time when most of the news is dreadful to watch."

Rumor has it that the Perrin family offered the basket of passengers breakfast, and that they have now posted an official "Hot air balloon landing" sign proudly displayed at their home.

How to catch a hot air balloon ride?

If you want to give hot air ballooning a try in Temecula, follow Magical Adventure Balloon Rides.

Also, look for A Grape Escape and look for a May 31st promotion for local residents. "Use the Promo Code VTVLOCAL1 to save 10% off our Regular Shared Flight."

Related:

'Hanky Panky' In The Sky: Mile High Balloon Rides Across California