Fort Collins boy in loose aircraft (6 yr old boy found hiding at home not in balloon)

Denver Post ^ | October 15, 2009 | Kieran Nicholson

[Arec Barrwin]

Rescuers are tracking and chasing a "homemade flying saucer" that is in flight with a 6-year-old, by himself, on board.

The incident started this morning in Fort Collins when the boy got into the balloon-like device, which was built by an adult, and it came loose from a tether, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.

The contraption could rise as high as 10,000 feet, the sheriff's office said.

The home-made flying saucer was last seen in flight over Weld County.

The sheriff's office is working the Federal Aviation Administration to determine how to best get the boy down.

The homemade airplane was tethered in Fort Collins when the boy got onboard and it floated away. (Lisa Ecklund via 9News)

The six-year-old boy was by himself on board the hommade aircraft. (Courtesy Lisa Ecklund, via 9News)

The craft could fly as high as 10,000 feet, according to the Weld County Sheriff's Office. (Lisa Ecklund via 9News)

[Palladin]

Loony-Tunes!

[savedbygrace]

You might be right, but I’m relying on the fact that the access door was securely closed during flight.

[mentor2k]

I don’t know if we saw the whole craft. Seems to me that all we saw was the gas shell land. Somethiing would have been below the dropped down portion of the ballon.

[ninergold3]

I haven’t allowed myself to get sucked into Farmville - yet.

[RobRoy]

It’s a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a 1 pound coconut.

Ah, It could be carried by an African swallow!

[fullchroma]

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTqpY-wprSE

[wbill]

1 kg per m^3.

I just looked it up.

Wish that I hadn't.

[AUJenn]

“Normal, well-adjusted people just don’t volunteer themselves to be a part of such freak shows.”

Heh. I have a relative who was on a well-known reality show a couple years ago. He still gets recognized in public. His life has never been the same since, in every way.

[JPII Be Not Afraid]

Funny you should mention that, my then 5 year old came up missing and we searched and searched the house. They were harvesting the corn from the field around us and all I could think was that he was out there. I went through the house screaming and crying to come out if he was in there, but he didn't. I called 911 and we had neighbors starting to search the field. I turned back to the house and there he was coming out. When asked where he was he said he was under the clothes in his brother's closet. I kept looking at that pile but never picked it up. When I asked why he didn't come out when I begged him to, he said he was afraid because I was so upset.

Boy, I sure hope he's in the closet under the clothes, just to scared to come out.

[green iguana]

Just looked it up - it’s 1.02 kilograms per cubic meter, or 2.2 pounds.

[AFPhys]

I believe you are right- you are the only one who believes this is a coverup for a murder. High marks for imagination, I suppose.

[Doogle]

..the more details that come forward, the louder my “hinky” meter growls

[Overtaxed]

African swallows are not migratory.

[Ramius]

Helium has to lift way more than one gram per cubic meter.

I think it's actually 1.1g per cubic meter, so my math up above was probably off by about 10%. But the difference in what it takes to lift even 30 lbs is orders of magnitude more than the volume of that balloon... it's not even close.

[kinghorse]

He’s skinny. I’d look behind/around the freezer and washing machine. Not saying I ever did this, no sir. Never stayed put until I saw shiny shoes and heard low voices near me - mom called the 5-0 :) ought oh. I guess I was a handful. My rear still stings from what my tough as nails Mississippi scots-german mom did to it. That’s a beating that’ll stay with a person. I think I was between 4 and 5. One of my oldest memories.

[Royal Wulff]

It’s more like 1kg (2.2 lbs) per cubic meter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighter_than_air

[Heartlander2]

Police are reviewing cell phone video.

[rintense]

My sister was on ‘Date my Mom’ on Mtv.

[SE Mom]

Nice looking family.

Completely bizarre story.

No new information since the announcement he wasn’t in the balloon.

That’s odd, isn’t it?

[DCBryan1]

Listen, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings 43 times every second, right?