The Franco-Prussian War ended rather abruptly when Napoleon III's balloon to observe the battle blew over the Prussian lines and the Emperor was subsequently captured.
Can I ask where you read that? My understanding is that Napoléon III's position at Sedan was encircled on 2nd September, Napoléon hoisted a surrender flag from his headquarters (the old fortress), and surrendered in person to Moltke and Bismarck. Not that he was captured because of a balloon. The war continued after his capture with the Siege of Paris. The French did fly balloons during the siege, but very few were captured.
Perhaps another entry for the "Mandela Effect"? Napoléon III was a captive after the Battle of Sedan, and the French did use balloons during the subsequent Siege of Paris, but whomsoever taught you this maybe mixed the two?
Additionally, there is a story of a Union General in the American Civil War whose balloon did blow over enemy lines and almost got captured, before piloting it back over friendly territory. I dunno.
Run/wakt to the side! I felt like watching an old action movie when someone is trying to run from a car or plane, and they move in the same direction as said vehicle.
My mom had a wicker basket with dried flowers in it. I accidentally caught it on fire when lit a sparkler off the stove in the kitchen and walked past the basket on my way outside. Saw smoke pouring out of the house and open the door to see what's going on and the wall is engulfed in fire. I grabbed the garden hose, turned it on and put the fire out. I got my butt spanked for that. Actually didn't do that much damage. I was home alone when it happened.
A friend of mine just did a hot air balloon ride and your post is pretty accurate. They had no idea where they were going to go or where or when they were going to land. The hot air balloon company in my town have agreements with various land owners to use their land as a landing spot to account for this unpredictability. A van also follows them around on the ground to get everyone back to the original meeting point and to relay information to the guy "driving" the balloon.
The way it was always relayed to me was that you don't land a balloon. You crash. It was pretty huge around where I grew up, and everybody I talked to about it just talked about how they just splat the basket down and how every landing is, well, exactly what the dude in the gif did. Granted this was all being told to child me, by adults who might have been exaggerating. Or maybe they were bad at hot air balloons? Honestly, it all just feels like there had to be a better way of landing.
I feel that, if an excess of forethought and good judgement was involved, they wouldn’t be flying a balloon with a blowtorch in a wicker basket. I’m just saying.
I mean, it didn't have to go in... if this was a human we'd all be calling them a moron. Does the deer get a pass because it's not sentient? If so, I would like to volunteer to be not sentient anymore...
Definitely? That's bold. Sentientinece / ie feeling is a bold claim for a deer, even. There's a difference between instinctual behavior that we associate with "feeling", but it doesn't mean that they're capable of more than basic reaction to cause and effect. Now... if we want to talk about dolphins, ravens or octopuses then that might change the consideration for Sentience.
the balloon went pretty fast. I can imagine the wind was too strong so the pilot decided to land and because of the speed he couldn't see what was over the side of the hill... not expecting it to be filled while already descending fast.
Okay, So we're up against multiple picnicers here. Some of them have lawnchairs. Can we get some stats on that? I'd say we have about a 33% chance here. O'Kay, we've faced worse. MMMHMMM! LETS DO THIS! MMMM LEEEROY HMM JENKINS!!!! Holy Shit, did he just fly a Hot Air Balloon in there?
nojustsayitdont
Bowling for Boomers.
Krashtestdummy
jebstat59365
What a basket case...
IsolatedAsshole
WeekendWarriorMark
That one lady, chill: “alright“ is my type of sarcasm :)
10cccccccccc
Ive got 99 problems and they all air balloons
FreshNews247
I thought it was fake for a second.
MyFinalForm
Y'all just sitting there like that basket doesn't weigh 200lbs coming at your face
burpwind
Some of them had so little self awareness, they just stood there and watched it.
nicilaskin
look at the age though , a lot of them looked like they are closer to 100 than 90
NATA5
I’ve never seen people move so slow with such a danger approaching.
riddmkidd
Mouth breathers I call em...
Baggsy13
So graceful!
beelzeb00bs
“I’m a balloon, I’m a balloon, suck my diiiick, I’m a balloon!”
reddles
DignamWhenAskedaQuestion
what did they grab ?
ageek3000
I don't think they grabbed anything, looks to me like they half fell out and the pilot pulled them back in.
GenStrike
A hat? IDK. I'm curious about this too. It's at the -0:11 mark and almost happens out of frame.
DignamWhenAskedaQuestion
i can hear one of them go " GRAB IT ! "
xuriV
a sandwich
iamgnat
When will Gruncle Stan learn? At least it wasn't on fire this time...
AlexanderElcazorro
What the Letter H!?
HonestCommentFarmer
The Franco-Prussian War ended rather abruptly when Napoleon III's balloon to observe the battle blew over the Prussian lines and the Emperor was subsequently captured.
theBonyEaredAssfish
Can I ask where you read that? My understanding is that Napoléon III's position at Sedan was encircled on 2nd September, Napoléon hoisted a surrender flag from his headquarters (the old fortress), and surrendered in person to Moltke and Bismarck. Not that he was captured because of a balloon. The war continued after his capture with the Siege of Paris. The French did fly balloons during the siege, but very few were captured.
HonestCommentFarmer
I learned this is primary school. ... Have I stumbled into an alternate reality? I remember being tested on this.
theBonyEaredAssfish
Perhaps another entry for the "Mandela Effect"? Napoléon III was a captive after the Battle of Sedan, and the French did use balloons during the subsequent Siege of Paris, but whomsoever taught you this maybe mixed the two?
HonestCommentFarmer
Additionally, there is a story of a Union General in the American Civil War whose balloon did blow over enemy lines and almost got captured, before piloting it back over friendly territory. I dunno.
kimst
Run/wakt to the side! I felt like watching an old action movie when someone is trying to run from a car or plane, and they move in the same direction as said vehicle.
bobgunrunnersmith
imgonnaralph
I love it! Every yr it's something.
mikeatike
Not freaky fast enough.
nojustsayitdont
That is a less than optimal situation.
Tassyr
Oooooooh, someone's having a very bad day.
imgonnaralph
I think, they only suffered minor injuries, but yeah that's probably not good for the balloon.
controlsthepresent
Who says balloons aren't an effective weapon of war?
rdmage11
Kirov, is that you?
Freak0zoid
Hi sokka
justplainvanilla
professionallazyperson
“WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU ABOUT YOUR CAR’S EXTENDED WARRANTY!”
Roqinn
My mom had a wicker basket with dried flowers in it. I accidentally caught it on fire when lit a sparkler off the stove in the kitchen and walked past the basket on my way outside. Saw smoke pouring out of the house and open the door to see what's going on and the wall is engulfed in fire. I grabbed the garden hose, turned it on and put the fire out. I got my butt spanked for that. Actually didn't do that much damage. I was home alone when it happened.
ACanadianLostInAustralia
A friend of mine just did a hot air balloon ride and your post is pretty accurate. They had no idea where they were going to go or where or when they were going to land. The hot air balloon company in my town have agreements with various land owners to use their land as a landing spot to account for this unpredictability. A van also follows them around on the ground to get everyone back to the original meeting point and to relay information to the guy "driving" the balloon.
Sageypie
The way it was always relayed to me was that you don't land a balloon. You crash. It was pretty huge around where I grew up, and everybody I talked to about it just talked about how they just splat the basket down and how every landing is, well, exactly what the dude in the gif did. Granted this was all being told to child me, by adults who might have been exaggerating. Or maybe they were bad at hot air balloons? Honestly, it all just feels like there had to be a better way of landing.
Rathan5
I feel that, if an excess of forethought and good judgement was involved, they wouldn’t be flying a balloon with a blowtorch in a wicker basket. I’m just saying.
FloodingWaters
Come'on man. It's the best flying technology the 1700's had to offer! What else do you want?
Hangman11
My idea would be an anchor-spear with barbs and a rope. You could then still have tension and pull yourself to the ground
somebody0out0there
Harpoon gun! Great idea!
GreetingsSirAndOrMaamIAmUsingThisFieldToIntroduceMyselfAscrsklr
This could never go wrong. It's foolproof.
Guttahtrash
ryansmVillain
So a deer comes into a bar
TheFastpaws
Venison tastes amazing.
JockoV
Amazing venison how sweet the taste that saved a wretch like me . .
Jaqdakloun
Oh dear
RedWingedBlackbirds
Poor thing
DaveSamsonite
I am sure it broke all its legs
TheRealCaveman
I mean, it didn't have to go in... if this was a human we'd all be calling them a moron. Does the deer get a pass because it's not sentient? If so, I would like to volunteer to be not sentient anymore...
somebody0out0there
*sapient. Deer are definitely sentient.
TheRealCaveman
Considering the way they manage to get hit by cars so often I think sentience is even a stretch.
TheRealCaveman
Definitely? That's bold. Sentientinece / ie feeling is a bold claim for a deer, even. There's a difference between instinctual behavior that we associate with "feeling", but it doesn't mean that they're capable of more than basic reaction to cause and effect. Now... if we want to talk about dolphins, ravens or octopuses then that might change the consideration for Sentience.
UseTheSource
the balloon went pretty fast. I can imagine the wind was too strong so the pilot decided to land and because of the speed he couldn't see what was over the side of the hill... not expecting it to be filled while already descending fast.
Ghlargh
"I've landed in this empty field many times.... Oh shit a festival!"
MicahtheMartian
I feel bad but I just laughed my balls off.
MuffinProof
Laughed so hard your balls were wet... Eyeballs
myrealnames
You just detached your balls! Of course you feel bad!
SteveTheEgg
Best horror movie ever, Balloon! Murder From Aove
SteveTheEgg
*above
CaptainMisanthropy
Same. Someone needs to put the Leroy Jenkins thing over it.
spittytrinkles
Okay, So we're up against multiple picnicers here. Some of them have lawnchairs. Can we get some stats on that? I'd say we have about a 33% chance here. O'Kay, we've faced worse. MMMHMMM! LETS DO THIS! MMMM LEEEROY HMM JENKINS!!!! Holy Shit, did he just fly a Hot Air Balloon in there?