EPISODE · Jul 14, 2025 · 8 MIN
The ‘Balloon Boy’ incident captivated the nation. A new documentary revisits the story
from In The NOCO · host KUNC
In October 2009, Colorado and the nation held its breath as we waited to learn the fate of a 6-year-old who was thought to be stuck inside a silver balloon floating across Northern Colorado. The Heene family was living in Fort Collins in 2009 when they made a giant helium filled balloon shaped like a saucer. They called police one afternoon to say they’d lost control of the balloon and that it had floated thousands of feet into the sky with their youngest son, Falcon, inside. Police and reporters scrambled to respond. But the story broadcast on people’s TV screens quickly changed. First, it turned out Falcon had been at home in the attic the whole time. Then, people began questioning whether the whole thing had been a hoax. The story – and its strange aftermath – is the subject of “Balloon Boy,” a new documentary episode of Netflix’s series Trainwreck. It comes out Tuesday. We talked to the director of the documentary – Gillian Pachter about why she wanted to revisit this story. If you like documentaries, check out In The NoCo’s recent conversations about films that explored a solar housing project championed by former President Jimmy Carter and an athlete who used extreme running to work through his mental health struggles. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
What this episode covers
In October 2009, Colorado and the nation held its breath as we waited to learn the fate of a 6-year-old who was thought to be stuck inside a silver balloon floating across Northern Colorado. The Heene family was living in Fort Collins in 2009 when they made a giant helium filled balloon shaped like a saucer. They called police one afternoon to say they’d lost control of the balloon and that it had floated thousands of feet into the sky with their youngest son, Falcon, inside. Police and reporters scrambled to respond. But the story broadcast on people’s TV screens quickly changed. First, it turned out Falcon had been at home in the attic the whole time. Then, people began questioning whether the whole thing had been a hoax. The story – and its strange aftermath – is the subject of “Balloon Boy,” a new documentary episode of Netflix’s series Trainwreck. It comes out Tuesday. We talked to the director of the documentary – Gillian Pachter about why she wanted to revisit this story. If you like documentaries, check out In The NoCo’s recent conversations about films that explored a solar housing project championed by former President Jimmy Carter and an athlete who used extreme running to work through his mental health struggles. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.orgQuestions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!Host and Producer: Erin O'TooleProducer: Ariel LaveryExecutive Producer: Brad TurnerTheme music by Robbie ReverbAdditional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
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The ‘Balloon Boy’ incident captivated the nation. A new documentary revisits the story
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