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At the age of 6, Falcon Heene became the center of National news. On October 15, 2009, the Heene family from Fort Collins, Colorado, released a homemade gas balloon into the air. Shortly afterward, a frantic Richard Heene reached out to the authorities with claims that his youngest son, Falcon, had sneaked inside the helium-filled saucer-shaped balloon. This resulted in a mad dash to follow the balloon, which had reached 7,000 feet in the air. However, once the invention landed, it was discovered that the 6-year-old boy, who had gained the attention of millions of concerned Americans, wasn’t inside the balloon. When Falcon eventually showed up, he revealed that he had been hiding in the house’s attic this entire time.
Afterward, in a LIVE interview gone wrong, the Falcon said something along the lines of hiding because his parents, Richard and Mayumi, said they “did this for the show.” Consequently, suspicions arose, and the entire debacle was labeled as the Balloon Boy hoax. The Netflix documentary ‘Trainwreck: Balloon Boy’ investigates the specifics of this case, allowing the Heene family a platform to share their own version of the truth. In the end, Richard and Mayumi received felony and misdemeanor charges, respectively. Even so, in the aftermath, the family continues to assert their innocence in the incident. As for Falcon, the young boy, who has negligible recollection of the event, has moved on with his life.
Falcon Heene Currently Resides in Florida With His Family
Around a month after the incident wherein the Heene family allegedly feared for their child’s life, Richard Heene pled guilty to the charges of attempting to influence a public servant. After his plea on November 13, 2009, he faced a prison sentence of 90 days. On the other hand, his wife, Mayumi Heene, facing a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities, received a sentence of 20 days. Since then, the couple has maintained that Mayumi, a then-Japanese citizen’s possible deportation, was one of the instrumental factors in their agreement to the plea deal. Once the couple’s sentences were served, they immediately searched for a new start away from their sensationalized home in Fort Collins. Thus, the Heene family moved to Florida. Today, they continue to live together as a happy family in the city of Archer, Alachua County.
While Richard and Mayumi continued to face complications due to the events of the Balloon Boy Hoax, Falcon got the opportunity to put the life-changing event behind him for good. Since he was only six at the time, the now 22-year-old barely remembers enough about the events of the chaotic day for it to have a real effect on his everyday life. Still, he’s astonished that at such a young age he was able to “affect the state of the country.” Nonetheless, in Florida, surrounded by his loving family, which includes three dogs, Zinc, Tupac, and Hodge, Falcon continues to live his life without carrying around the weight of the past. Furthermore, in 2020, Richard and Mayumi also received some good news when Jared Polis, the Governor of Colorado, gave the couple an official pardon relieving some of the legal consequences of their previous charges.
Falcon Heene and His Brothers Build Tiny Houses
Despite the complexities of their past, the Heene family has only continued to grow closer, showcasing their lifelong love and commitment toward each other. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Richard, Mayumi, and their kids continue to helm a family business together today. As such, Falcon, along with his brothers, is the owner of Craftsman Tiny Homes, a Florida-based company that specializes in custom-building tiny homes. The business started out with the family taking on remodeling and house-flipping jobs. Eventually, it turned into a focused endeavor of craftsmanship-centered tiny homes. Some of the hallmark designs Craftsman Tiny Homes provides include Nordic, Lookout, Bunk builds, and more.
Falcon and his brothers, Bradford and Ryo, remain at the center of the brand, handling the business’ social media presence across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and more. Likewise, the youngest Heene brother also frequently updates his own personal following with behind-the-scenes peeks into their projects. His posts provide unique home tours and insights into the building process behind tiny homes. They also serve as a means to inform his followers about any time-sensitive offers. Recently, Craftsman Tiny Homes has also started building homes out of shipping containers, entitling these builds The Unibox. As such, it seems that Falcon and his brothers have taken after their inventor father and found a niche passion of their own!
Falcon Heene is an Art and Music Lover
In his youth, Falcon Heene, much like his brothers, Bradford and Ryo, was homeschooled by his parents. Somewhere along this journey, he discovered a knack for artistic expression through sketches and drawings. Over the years, the young man has continued to foster this interest and continues to pursue his artistic talents. Similarly, the Heene brothers also nurtured a passion for music at a young age and even attempted to form a band together in 2013. They dubbed their rock metal band, known as the Heene Boyz, as the World’s Youngest Metal Band. Thus, at the age of 18, Falcon went on to become a lead vocalist and bassist. The brothers went on to release a debut single titled “Balloon Boy, No Hoax,” an obvious reference to Falcon’s illustrious childhood, and also put out multiple albums. They also toured Florida for months and scored features on popular new channels, talk shows, websites, blogs, and more.
Today, although Falcon and his brothers have momentarily hung up their musical dreams, they continue to remain passionate about the art form. In fact, they routinely enjoy “emo nights” at clubs, partying nights away with their close friends and fellow music lovers. Apart from tiny homes and music, the brothers share many other interests, including fishing and duck hunting trips, and making comedy sketches and skits online. In his personal life, Falcon also enjoys motocross dirtbiking, Calisthenics, and spending time with his family and various pets at home. From his beloved dogs to the chickens and rabbits around the Heene house, and even the bugs and reptiles that roam around the Floridian flora, the young builder seems to have an endless fascination for all creatures.
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