>> HI, I'M ERIC FORD FOR MADE HERE.

DIRECTORS MALCOLM QUINN SILVER VAN METER AND E.R.

WANG FROM THETFORD, VERMONT, INTRODUCE US TO BRIAN BOLAND IN THE BALLOONIST.

THE BALLOONIST PAINTS A PORTRAIT OF A BELOVED AND ECCENTRIC HOT-AIR BALLOONIST AND FOLK ARTIST FROM THETFORD, VERMONT, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2021.

THIS TP * FILM WAS SUPPORTED BY THE MADE HERE FUND.

YOU CAN WATCH THIS AND OTHER FILMS STREAMING ON VERMONTPBS.ORG.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

>> WE HAVE TO GO TO IRELAND EVERY YEAR IN THE FALL MYSELF AND A BUNCH OF BUDDIES AND BRING A MAROON.

THEY HAD THE IRISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.

THE EVENTS WERE LIKE WE HAD TO TPHRAOEUBG LIKE TEN MILES APPEARED WHOEVER LANDED COLLEAGUESEST TO A PUB YOU SORT OF STOPPED EATING AND WERE JUST DRINKING THIS GUINESS.

BY ABOUT DAY 5, YOU WERE JUST GOING TO THE CRAPPER ALL THE TIME.

YOU KNOW?

[LAUGHTER] THE BLACK BEER THAT CAME IN WAS WHAT CAME OUT.

WE HAD A LANDING, IT WAS AT THIS FARM.

ONE OF MY BUDDIES HAD TO CRAP SO BAD HE WENT OVER BEHIND THE SHED AND LIKE THREE COWS CAME UP AND STOOD NEXT TO HIM.

HERE'S STEVE AND HERE'S THE THREE COWS, AND ALL AT ONCE THE FOUR SOME LET IT GO.

[LAUGHTER] THE COW IS COWS WHEN THEY CRAP IT'S ALL LIQUID, YOU KNOW.

HE GOES I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL MAKE THE LAST FIVE DAYS THEN HE REMEMBERED HEARING IF YOU EAT BANANAS IT FIRMS YOU UP AGAIN, SO ON THE WAY BACK WE STOPPED AT THE FIRST EQUIVALENT OF A GENERAL STORE, WIPED OUT THEIR BANANA SUPPLY AND THAT BECAME THE THEME THE REST OF THE TRIP.

THEN AFTER THAT TRIP I STARTED PUTTING BANANA HOLDERS IN ALL MY BASKETS AND IT WAS ONE SEW N INTO THE SIDE, A POCKET THAT'S BANANA SHAPED THEN A BALLOONIST FOUND ONE OF THESE HARD CASE BANANA HOLDERS AND MAILED IT TO ME.

[LAUGHTER] ♪ RIVERS JUMPED THEIR BANKS.

I'M MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD OUR HOME ♪ ♪ ROOTS DOWN ON AN OLD POST ♪ >> YOU'RE AT POST MILLS AIRPORT.

MY NAME IS BRIAN BOLAND.

I'M A HOT AIR BALLOONIST AND NOT ONLY FROM THE CAPACITY OF FLYING THEM BUT I DESIGN AND BUILD THEM AS WELL.

THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE BUILT 165 OF THEM AND I ALSO IF YOU SO CHOOSE YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF MY STUFF.

I'M A STUFF GUY.

I COLLECT THINGS AND I MAKE THINGS.

SO THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

I RUN AN AIRPORT.

SORT OF HELPS PAY THE TAXES.

BUT THE BALLOONING IS MY LOVE AND MY LIVELIHOOD.

MY BALLOONING STARTED IN 1970, AND I WAS AT PRATT INSTITUTE.

I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO EVER GO -- THAT'S THE FIRST INFLATION IN BROOKLYN AIR.

I FELT I WHIPPED IT OFF IN MY TWO WEEKS.

I HAD NEVER SEW N NOT GUILTY IN MY LIFE.

IT TOOK MY NINE INTENSE MONTHS TO BUILD IT.

IT'S A FASCINATING PUSH TO BE UP THERE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HIGH IN THE AIR FOR A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD TO OPEN UP.

IF I GO A FEW DAYS WITHOUT A FLIGHT I GET LIKE ALL TIED UP IN MY UNDERWEAR, IT IS LIKE, AHH, AND EVEN SOME THAT KNOW ME, OH, MY GOSH, HE MUST HAVE GONE ALMOST A WEEK WITHOUT A FLIGHT.

I GET UP IN A BALLOON, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE.

THIS WINTER I HAVE BEEN FLYING BY MYSELF IN A TINY ONE-PERSON MAROON.

IT'S LIKE MY BEST PLACE GOING AND THINKING.

I'M UP THERE, MY MIND WANDERS AND I'M THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT PROJECT.

MY FLYING AS I SAID AN AWFUL LOT OF THINGS I FIND HERE THAT ARE DOWN HERE ARE FOUND DURING THE MAROON FLIGHT.

IF WE WERE GOING SOMEPLACE IN A VEHICLE, THE THREE OF US, I WOULD PROBABLY TEND TO HAVE YOU GUYS DO THE DRIVING AND I WOULD SIT TO THE SIDE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW ALL THE TIME.

OH, STOP, BACK UP!

I JUST SAW SOMETHING.

A SIGN SAID FREE!

HERE AND HERE AND THERE, THIS IS MY FAN CLUB.

WHEN I WAS A KID, ALL THE YEARS GROWING UP EVERY DAY WE HAD SPAM.

THERE'S OVER 3,000 WAYS OF PREPARING IT.

I COULD ONLY EAT IT -- MOM USED TO DO IT, OUT OF THE CAN, BAKED AND CRISPY ON THE OUTSIDE.

ON THE BACK OF THE CAN THERE WAS AN 800 NUMBER SO WE CALLED IT.

WE GET THIS GAL ON THE PHONE.

I SAID WE HAVE THE COLORS OF YOUR SPAM LOGO IN THE MAROON IN OUR INVENTORY.

THERE SHOULD BE A SPAM BALLOON.

SHE SAID, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.

SHE SAID, LET ME TURN YOU ON TO MARKETING AND SHE DOES WITH ONE PHONE CALL.

THIS GUY SAYS, SOUNDS GREAT.

HERE'S THE DEAL.

YOU'LL SEND ME A GRANT FOR LIKE $10,000.

I'M GOING TO BUILD THIS.

I'LL OWN IT.

EACH TIME IT FLIES SPAM GETS A LITTLE PUBLICITY.

IT MAYING FARRYL LOCAL BUT I DO GO TO MEETS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THERE WE ARE.

FOR ME I HAVE BEEN FLYING SO LONG THAT I DON'T HAVE TO OVER-FOCUS ON MAKING THE THING WORK, AND I CAN BE THIS INCREDIBLE SPECTATOR UP THERE SEEING AN OLD FIRE TRUCK FROM 1917 SITTING IN A FIELD.

THEN I'LL GO A DAY OFF AND GO KNOCK ON THE GUY'S DOOR AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I SAW THAT OLD FIRE TRUCK WAY IN THE BACK ALONG THE TREE LINE.

HE GOES, THAT'S STILL THERE?

I'M LIKE, YEAH.

HE GOES, DO YOU WANT IT?

>> I GOT, I GOT THIS MUSEUM, IT WOULD LOOK NEAT IN THERE.

HE SAYS, GO GET IT, YOU KNOW.

I DON'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO OFFER THE GUY SOME MONEY FOR IT.

GET IT OUT OF HERE.

THAT'S OLD STUFF THAT REALLY LOOKS OLD.

I DON'T GO AND RESTORE VEHICLES.

I LIKE OLD THINGS THAT REALLY LOOK THEIR AGE.

EACH ONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAS A FUNNY STORY.

THIS ONE I GOT OUT OF A DIVORCE.

ISADORE DUNCAN, A FAMOUS MODERN DANCER IN THE 1920'S, SHE REALLY OUT THERE, AVANT-GARDE, MODERN DANCER, SHE HAD ONE OF THESE AND GOT HER A SCARF CAUGHT IN THE REAR WHEEL AND IT STRANGLED HER.

KILLED HER THIS RED ONE, THAT'S FROM SECOND WORLD WAR, GERMAN BMW, BUT THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE COLOR BACK THEN.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE LIKE THIS.

WOULD YOU LIKE A BEER?

[LAUGHTER] TOO BAD.

ALL CONSUMED.

THIS VEHICLE HERE WAS A PROP PUT TOGETHER FOR A SILENT MOVIE, CALLED WAY DOWN EAST WITH LILIAN GISH.

WHAT IT SHOOTS IS STUFFED ANIMALS.

THE GUY UP TOP IS ROTATING THE CANNON, APPEARED THERE'S A FRONT YARD WITH SOME LITTLE KIDS IN IT JUMPING UP AND DOWN AS THE TANK IS COMING BY.

FIRE AWAY!

>> HOW MANY OF THOSE LITTLE HOUSES AND HUTS DO YOU HAVE?

>> I BELIEVE THERE'S 51.

THE FIRST ONE WAS THE CLUBHOUSE WAY AT THE END.

THAT COULD BE ALMOST 20 YEARS.

SOME ARE TREEHOUSES, SOME ARE HUTS.

SOME ARE LITTLE FORTS.

SOME ARE JUST DESTINATIONS LIKE THE PIANO HUT OVER THERE.

SOMETIMES I'LL JUST HEAR PIANO MUSIC OUT OF NOWHERE.

LIKE WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM?

I PRETEND I'M TEN YEARS OLD AGAIN WHEN I COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR IT.

AND THEN THE MATERIALS THAT ARE USED STILL HAVE TO BE FREE.

STUFF YOU'VE FOUND.

I BUILD THEM WITH WHAT WOULD BE LIKE A TEN-YEAR-OLD'S BUDGET, WHICH IS NO MONEY.

THERE'S ONE IN THE WOODS THERE CALLED THE LIGHTNING HOUSE.

IT WAS THIS HUGE PINE TREE THAT WAS LIKE 120 FEET TALL AND A LIGHTNING BOLT HIT IT.

MY BUDDY WAS GOING TO START CUTTING IT UP.

I SAID DON'T, THAT'S THE BASIS FOR A MULTI-LEVEL TREEHOUSE AND WE'LL CALL AT THE LIGHTNING HOUSE.

I REMEMBER THE DATE.

IT WAS "MARCH" 6, A NUMBER OF WINTERS AGO.

I WAS IN NEW ZEALAND.

THEY GOT THIS ONE FINAL SNOWSTORM UP HERE IN VERMONT.

THE ROOF CAVED IN.

ALL THE SCRAP WOOD GOT PILED UP OVER HERE IN PILES.

AND I REMEMBER IT SAT, THE PILE SAT HERE FOR A YEAR.

SOME GUY PULLS INTO THE PARKING LOT AND HE SAYS, SO, WHEN YOU GOING TO LIGHT THE BURN PILE?

I LOOKED AND JUST IT CLICKED.

I SAID, THAT'S NOT A BURN PILE.

THOSE ARE DINOSAUR BONES.

I SAID WE'RE GONNA BUILD A HUGE DINOSAUR OUT OF THAT.

SO THE RULES WERE WE WORK FROM THE SCRAP MATERIAL.

YOU COULDN'T CUT ANY BOARDS.

NOTHING COULD BE ABSOLUTELY VERTICAL, WHICH IS THE TERM PLUM, AND NOTHING COULD BE PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL.

THERE'S THIS ICE CREAM COMPANY, BEN & JERRY'S.

THEY SHOULD MAKE AN ICE CREAM CALLED VERMONT-A-SAURUS.

THE STATE SENT THEIR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER OUT AND SAID YOU CAN'T EVER HAVE PEOPLE INTO HERE UNLESS YOU CAN FIND AN ENGINEER, A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, THAT WILL WRITE UP A DOCUMENT AND SAY IT'S SAFE.

I'M LIKE, THAT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

[LAUGHTER] SOME LOCAL REDNECK GUY ON THE HILL CAME BY WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF BIRD NESTS HE FOUND IN HIS BARN AND HE PRAISED THEM IN PLACES AND HE SAYS, NOW THE AUTHORITIES CAN'T MAKE YOU TEAR THIS DOWN BECAUSE THESE ARE RARE BIRDS THAT LIVE HERE.

[LAUGHTER] BUT THE BIRDS DID MOVE IN.

AT TIMES WE'LL BE STANDING HERE YOU'LL SEE A BIRD ZIP IN HERE AND VANISH.

THERE ARE PROBABLY ALL KINDS OF LITTLE BIRDS THAT STARTED A LIFE IN HERE.

IMAGINE COMING OUT OF AN EGG, MY GOSH, WHERE AM I!

I'M IN THE BELLI OF A VERMONT-A-SAURUS.

FIVE MORE HAVE BEEN BUILT.

THERE'S WENT OEBL THROUGH CALLED THE MOBILE-SAURUS.

THE NEXT ONE IS THE ACTUALLY GOT A REAL DINOSAUR NAME, WHICH IS A STEGYA SAUER US.

IN LITTLE ONE, WHICH IS NOW CALLED THE BABY-SAURUS.

THE ONE OVER THAT WAY THAT USED TO BE IN A SENSE THE BABY DINOSAUR IS NOW A LITTLE BIGGER THAN THIS ONE SO THAT ONE LOST ITS NAME.

I GOTTA THINK OF A NAME FOR THAT ONE.

[AUDIO NOT UNDERSTANDABLE] >> NOT REALLY BUT SHE HELPS WHEN IT COMES TO STUFF LIKE ON THE COMPUTER.

I TELL PEOPLE THE FIRST DATE THAT WE WENT ON I HAD AN OLD RICKETY PICNIC TABLE THAT CAME WITH THE AIRPORT.

IT WAS ROTTEN AND EVERYTHING.

I PUT A PROPANE TANK ON TOP OF THE TABLE.

LOOKED LIKE A STUFFED PIG.

I LACED THE CABLE IN AIRCRAFT CABLE, HAOBLGD IT TO A MAROON.

AND WE WENT FLYING OFF IN THIS ROTTEN PICNIC TABLE.

I HAD HER SIT STRADDLING THE CROSS MEMBER, WHICH THERE WAS SOME STRENGTH THERE.

I WAS AT THE OTHER END STRADDLING THAT ONE.

THAT PICNIC TABLE STILL EXISTS.

IT'S IN THE MUSEUM OVER THERE SOMEWHERE.

PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND THEY GO, WHAT IS THIS THING HERE FOR?

I SAY THAT'S THE FLYING PICNIC TABLE.

LAST OF THE SNOW.

MY PREDICTION IS WEDNESDAY IT WILL BE GONE.

THERE WAS THOSE TWO AND A LITTLE SLIVER ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE HANGAR THERE.

YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE EVERYTHING, IT WILL EVENTUALLY COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATE AND CRUMBLE.

>> VERMONTERS AND BEYOND ARE MOURNING THE LOSS OF A LONG TIME RECORD SETTING BALLOONIST.

YESTERDAY 72-YEAR-OLD BRIAN BOLAND TOOK FOUR PEOPLE FOR A HOT-AIR BALLOON RIDE WHEN HE BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE GEAR AND FELL.

NO PASSENGERS WERE HURT >> THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, MR. BOLAND.

>> GOOD MORNING.

WELL DONE.

THIS IS A CELEBRATION TO YOU.

SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CELEBRATION OF YOUR LIFE.

WHAT WE ALL HAVE GOT WE HAVE ALL GOT BANANAS AND WE WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO RAISE THEIR BANANAS AND SAY, BRIAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN YOUR LIFE AND LONG LIVE THE BANANA IN THE BASKET.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] ♪ WHAT A SUNDAY, MY BOY ♪ ♪ THROUGH THE TEN NIGHTS TOIL ♪ ♪ IT'S STILL ON THE EARTH AND ABOVE IT ALL ♪ ♪ STRIDE AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE KINGS AND QUEENS ON MOUNTAIN TOPS ♪ ♪ THE OCEAN SEA, SEE WHAT WAVES WHEN THE WATER STOPS ♪ ♪ THERE YOU GO ♪ ♪ WHAT WILL BE YOUR VOICE ♪ WHEN YOU HAVE A SEA LIKE A LION'S ROAR ♪ ♪ QUIET AS THE MOON ♪ ♪ FAR AWAY NOT HEARD ANY MORE ♪ ♪ HEAR ME WHEN I CALL ♪ ♪ FROM THE GROUND PLOW WITH A MEGAPHONE ♪ ♪ YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE ♪ ♪ DOWN BELOW ♪ ♪ SEND MY LOVE TO YOU ♪ ♪ COLD OUTSIDE TONIGHT AND THE STARS ARE IN THE SKY ♪ ♪ STARRY LIGHT ♪ ♪ SOMEDAY, MY BOY, WANDERED TO FAR, COME BACK AGAIN ♪ ♪ WISHING TO BE SMALL ON MY LAP LIKE I DID BACK THEN ♪ ♪ I TUCK YOU IN WITH LOVE AND JOY ♪ ♪ TONIGHT YOU'RE STILL MY LITTLE BOY ♪ ♪ DOWN THERE I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU ♪ >> VERMONT PUBLIC, PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FILMMAKERS TO BRING YOU STORIES MADE HERE.

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