Posted on 10/17/2009 3:57:40 PM PDT by GVnana
Thomas spent several months earlier this year working on developing a reality science TV show to pitch to networks - the "show," Thomas says, that Falcon was referring to when he told CNN "We did it for the show."
Among the ideas that Heene, Thomas and two others came up with for their reality TV proposal — and one that he says most intrigued Heene — involved a weather balloon modified to look like a UFO which they would launch in an attempt to drum up media interest in both the Heene family and the series he was desperate to get on the air.
Still, Thomas never imagined that Heene would involve his six-year-old son in what he is certain was a "global media hoax" to further Richard Heene's own celebrity. Thomas' story of his time with Heene, based on an interview with Ryan Tate, follows below. It's a fascinating account and after he publicly offered to sell his story, we paid him for it.
-snip-
And then we delved into the area of UFOs. I was reading a book on witness reports of Roswell at the time, just out of curiousity — I've never concluded whether it really took place or was an elaborate hoax. And Richard said, "how much do you want to bet we could facilitate some sort of a media stunt that would be equally profound as Roswell, and we could do so with nothing more than a weather balloon and some controversy?" (See item 16 here.)
Can we attract UFO's with a homemade flying saucer? We will modify a weather balloon, so that it resembles a UFO and will electrically charge the skin of the craft (Biefield-Brown Effect). We will capture the footage on film, and will utilize the media as a means with which to make our presence known to the masses. This will not only provide us with incredible footage, but will also generate a tremendous amount of controversy among the public, as well as publicity within the mainstream media. This will be the most significant UFO-related news event to take place since the Roswell Crash of 1947, and the result will be a dramatic increase in local and national awareness about The Heene Family, our Reality Series, as well as the UFO Phenomenon in general.
I clearly remember Richard telling me that, if we accomplish this, it would be the most controversial and widespread UFO news story since Roswell in 1947. (See audio at top of post.)
I was puzzled about the altitude of it. My understanding now was that it wasn’t at 8,000, but more like 2,500 to 3,000 - I think the 8,000 was after adding in the 5,000+ that Denver already sits at.
At least that’s what someone told me.
Naming his son Falcon should have been a tip off on how moronic ole’ dad is.
Falcon was in on it from the start.....he told us so. He said, “I did it for the show.” Moreover it had to be a hoax. Think of the psychodynamic for Falcon to have conjured up this plan. He would have had to know about Neilson Ratings for Wife Swap and conclude he wanted it to be raised. He would then have to construct an elaborate ruse to fool all of the media in order to raise the public awareness of the show which would cause a national focus on the show. He would have had to decide to create a scenario to employ the FAA, local sherrif offices, all news networks as well as local news programing. And he would have had to sit silently in a cardboard box while police officers walked past him 3 times screaming his name, and yet he remained hidden (his dad said it was OK). The one thing the father/mother did not tell the kid was to confabulate extemporaneously while being in front of a cadre of reporters. Oops, the kid gave it all away.
The sheriff is sticking to his opinion that it was a real emergency. Guess he doesn’t want to admit he was punked.
The father provided a public service the same way that the ACORN videos did, as far as I'm concerned.
Off the trail a bit. Please deliver me from people that name their children, Falcon, Apple, BlueBell; etc. These names only reflect how stupid the parents that named them truly are.
The boy had to be a part of it, because the world doesn’t care about a lost balloon, even if it looks like a UFO. So there had to be somebody at “peril” and that somebody had to know to stay out of sight until it was over.
It had plenty of helium to lift the boy off at a density altitude of 5,500 ft, contrary to my initial take on that matter. Volume/lift calculations confirm repeatedly.
later
Too bad the local news didn’t have an infrared camera. That could have helped relax the national audience.
Heard on FoxNews last night that the kids parents thrive on publicity stunts and media attention. They live for the attention of the cameras.
At best. The alternative is Puking Boy
Remember Shostakovich’s assault in Patriot Games?
Please deliver me from people that name their children, Falcon, Apple, BlueBell; etc. These names only reflect how stupid the parents that named them truly are.
Just curious.....
Who came up with the name ‘freekitty’?
???
>> ???
In the movie Patriot Games, a nighttime satellite guided ground assault was executed against a terrorist camp. The scene depicted the targets using infrared imaging. The audio track backing the assault was the 3rd movement from Shostakovich’s 5th symphony.
I think it was known early on that the balloon was empty.
Just pure conjecture based on outdated Hollywood reference material.
If you look at that balloon he launched there was no way he could have thought his son was on it, there was no “cockpit”, there would have had to have been a huge tear in it for even a 6 year old to get inside it. It wouldn’t have flown, it would have taken a LOT more helium to get that airborne with a 6 year old in it.
It’s so obvious when you see him and his wife launch it, no way could he believe that his kid was in it. His kid is in that tiny little bottom part and he doesn’t notice any extra weight? No break in the seal of the little bottom part? No movement of sound from his kid hiding in the little portion? The guy is a total loon and there is no way he believed his kid was in there. He and his wife met at acting school, he was WAY, WAY, WAY, over the top in “Wife Swap”, either he was acting, or he’s insane. Maybe a little of both.
What about the name deport?
I once knew a family that named all their kids after birds — Lark, Robin, Raven and Wren. I thought it was cool. I guess I still like it.
I think you know what I mean.
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