Geelong hot air balloon makes emergency landing after unexpected winds blow it off course
A pink hot air balloon carrying twenty passengers dodged disaster by threading between trees for an emergency landing on Geelong's Queens Park Golf Course.
An early morning hot air balloon ride over Geelong ended abruptly on Friday, with unexpected winds forcing an emergency landing on a Highton golf course.
A group of about 20 people left for a sunrise flight in a Liberty Balloon Flights vessel about 6am.
According to one staff member, an unexpected wind direction pulled the balloon off course.
The crew were forced to find a place to land, and were able to miraculously avoid rows of trees along a fairway of the 14th tee at Queens Park Golf Course adjacent to the Barwon River.
Thankfully, no golfers were in sight on a chilly morning.
One passenger, a first time balloon rider, said while they weren’t scared, there was a fair bit of “excitement” among the group.
“They told us what they were going to do,” she said.
“Their faces certainly changed and they were speaking over the radio.”
While the patrons were only in the air for about 20 minutes, Friday morning provided crystal clear conditions and a beautiful sunrise.
According to a crew member landing on a golf course is unusual for Geelong, but can be common practice in Melbourne.
He described the incident as a “precautionary landing.”
Emergency services attended the scene, but the Liberty crew had it under control, fire trucks could be seen leaving Queens Park about 6.30am.
By 7am the crew and customers were packing up the pink balloon getting ready to take it away.
william.keech@news.com.au
Originally published as Geelong hot air balloon makes emergency landing after unexpected winds blow it off course
