“When someone’s birthday almost means your death”: Paraglider documents mid-air dogfight with Mylar balloon

TikToker Michael (@thenullhypothesis) recently faced a mid-air hazard in the form of a Mylar birthday balloon that required quick thinking to keep him from crashing.

What happened in the air

“Shortly after takeoff I spotted something drifting across the sky,” Michael told the Daily Dot. At first I thought it was another pilot, then maybe a big bird but I got closer, it turned out to be a rogue n°6 birthday balloon.”

Michael admitted the incident was partly his fault.

“Naturally I couldn’t resist a bit of fun,” he said. “I swooped around it a few times, managed a kick, a cheeky tap with my hand, and even had it drift right through the lines above my head.”

“Eventually though, as it floated towards controlled airspace, I decided to try and catch it properly with my feet. That’s when things got interesting. The tether tangled in my risers, leaving me 500 meters up with a balloon stuck in my lines.”

In a follow-up video, he showed himself reaching for the balloon repeatedly, which only made the encounter riskier, until finally it latched onto his paraglider.

@thenullhypothesis Bumped into a birthday balloon as I flew into the Sunset… #Paramotor #RealFairy #Paragliding #flying #ppg ♬ Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

“For a while it just stayed stuck but harmless, but when it slipped behind me I realised it was edging dangerously close to my propeller and I was worried it could get sucked in, dragging my wing with it,” he told the Daily Dot.

“That was my cue to head home, carefully nursing just enough throttle into the wind to make it back to the airfield.”

That close call could have caused an accident. Luckily, Michael kept a cool head and made his way carefully to a safe altitude. He cut the engine before landing, further reducing the risk. In a text overlay of the original video, he wrote, “POV: You almost get taken out by a Birthday Balloon.”

“Luckily, I landed safe and sound, balloon in tow,” he said. “It now lives in my living room, and I’ve even painted a little balloon kill marker on the side of my paramotor as a tongue-in-cheek trophy.”

He later poked fun at himself when one commenter teased, “sooooooo if aint that consequences of my own behaviour??” His reply was short and sweet, saying, “Absolutely 😅.”

Still, the situation raised concerns about what happens when balloons are released into the sky. Michael reassured a worried commenter who thought they were responsible for the airborne obstacle.

“Based on the wind and altitude, I think it had only been in the air for 20min and came from somewhere between Biggleswade, Sandy and Gamlingay,” he explained. That location ruled out the commenter, who lived over 100 miles away.

He told the Daily Dot that he actually has tried to find the source of the balloon “by posting in local Facebook groups, but no luck.”

“What’s been fascinating is the response online: I’ve had dozens of people around the world claim it might be theirs, which really highlights what a blight these balloons must be,” he said.

“Countless farmers in the videos comments have shared stories of livestock being killed after eating balloons, so while my experience was funny and surreal, it also shows the hidden impact of these things drifting away.”

@thenullhypothesis Replying to @RichardReigns The odds were what I made them! #Paramotor #ppg #NumberJacks #Flying #birthdayballoons ♬ El Gigante De Hierro – Grupo Soñador

The close call and the safe landing

Many TikTokers in the comments admitted they would never attempt to use a paraglider after watching the video. Other people shared a commonly held sentiment that Mylar balloons should be banned due to their environmental impact.

The video was reposted on the r/TikTokCringe subreddit, where people talked about finding Mylar balloons in the strangest places.

Other flyers shared that, from what they could tell, Michael was safe the entire time and at no risk of crashing.

Why balloons are an environmental hazard

According to NOAA, “Balloons are a type of marine debris that many people don’t think about. Often used for celebrations or to commemorate special events, balloons are frequently intentionally or accidentally released into the environment.” The agency noted that once airborne, balloons eventually fall, often becoming hazards for wildlife, power lines, or even, in this TikToker’s case, unsuspecting paragliders.

NOAA’s research shows just how widespread balloon debris is. Volunteers found nearly 5,000 pieces of balloon litter in Virginia over five years, with nearly 1,000 pieces discovered in just a few hours at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Some beaches documented up to 40 balloons per mile.

Because of these risks, NOAA encourages alternatives like paper streamers or fabric flags instead of Mylar balloons. They also stress the importance of never releasing balloons into the air.

@thenullhypothesis did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.