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No Plant City Balloon Emergency, But Some Thought So

Photo by ELIZABETH MAYFIELD

It was Elizabeth Mayfield’s first balloon ride, a birthday present from her friend Gary Frier, above. Veteran balloonist Bob Carlton landed it in a Plant City field this morning, prompting calls for emergency assistance from people in the area. There was no emergency; it was a normal landing, Carlton said.

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By KEVIN BRADY | TBO.com

Published: September 17, 2008

Updated: 09/17/2008 09:35 am

PLANT CITY - It may have looked like a crash landing, but it was just another touchdown for veteran balloonist Bob Carlton.

Alarmed callers notified authorities because they mistakenly thought a hot-air balloon had crashed into trees shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday in the 2100 block of North Gordon Street.

The balloon took off at 6:45 a.m. from a field behind Hillsborough Community College's Plant City campus near Interstate 4 and Park Road.

After about an hour in the air, Carlton was looking a place to land.

He spotted a large undeveloped tract off Gordon Street south of I-4 and headed down.

"We can control the altitude with a balloon, but not left and right," said Carlton, who has been piloting balloons since 1976. He owns Balloons & Beyond in Polk City.

He gives about 240 balloon rides a year, he said.

"We came in and landed safely in the corner of the lot between some trees. It might have looked to some folks nearby that we had landed in the trees, but we were fine."

Elizabeth Mayfield was taking her first balloon ride, a birthday present from her friend Gary Frier, who was also on board.

"I had a tingly feeling all the way through the ride, but maybe a little bit more when we landed," Mayfield said.

Plant City police officers and firefighters were called to the scene but left when they found out everyone was OK.

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