Hot air balloon hovers near Deerfoot Trail in video that sparked debate over safety

A video posted to social media Tuesday captured a Sundance Balloons hot-air balloon hovering just above Deerfoot Trail, sparking concern among viewers about whether the aircraft came dangerously close to Calgary's busiest freeway.

The video, shot from a northbound vehicle on Deerfoot, showed the balloon floating overhead as dozens of cars passed beneath it. Passengers in the balloon's basket could be seen waving at vehicles below.

Sebastian Msuya, operations manager for Ontario-based Sundance Balloons, said the flight took off early Tuesday morning — likely between 6 and 7 a.m. — from either South or North Glenmore Park. The company's flights and landings are always on the south side of the city due to legal obligations to maintain distance from the airport.

Msuya explained that the pilot didn't intend to land so close to a major freeway but opted to do so after wind conditions changed. "The wind dropped off, so we didn't go as far as we wanted, and then the pilot just did everything right, safe, and made the decision (to land in) a big grassy field," Msuya said. "It just so happens the approach to that big grassy field took us over Deerfoot."

There were 10 passengers in the balloon's basket.

Msuya attributed part of the alarm to perspective distortion — an optical illusion that makes the balloon appear closer to ground than it actually was. He compared it to viral videos of planes flying low over beaches as they approach runways.

"We get a ton of calls with people saying, 'Oh, this balloon came close to these power lines, or almost hit this tree, or hit this house,' " Msuya said. "It's like a huge perspective curve there, especially with the size of balloons, because it really surprises people when they actually are close to a balloon, because they're way bigger than you think."

The video generated chatter on social media and caught the attention of Virgin 98.5 FM's morning show hosts, who speculated whether the footage was real or AI-generated.

"It looks like it's Deerfoot approaching Glenmore Trail, and it's this hot air balloon that is drifting across the lane," said co-host Danaye Maier. "People are slamming on their brakes as it looks like this is going to land in the middle of the lane."

A Calgary police spokesperson said CPS was made aware of the incident but did not receive any calls or complaints.

Sundance Balloons, founded in 1985, operates commercial hot-air balloon rides in multiple cities across Alberta and Ontario, flying more than 30,000 passengers annually.