Where is Falcon Heene Now? Update on the Balloon Boy

Netflix’s ‘Trainwreck: Balloon Boy’ is a documentary that lives up to its title in every way conceivable as it follows the infamous reported balloon boy hoax from every angle. It comprises not just archival footage but also exclusive interviews with those close to the matter, including the so-called balloon boy himself, Falcon Heene. Falcon was just 6 years old when a search for him went national as his parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, believed he was in their homemade flying saucer in the sky, but he was actually just at home.

Falcon Heene Is No Longer Really Affected by the Events of 2009

On October 15, 2009, Falcon Heene’s parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, raised the alarms about him possibly having been missing for almost half an hour after their homemade flying saucer got untethered and flew up. According to reports, his then 10-year-old elder brother, Bradford, had been responsible for keeping an eye on him, and upon noticing he wasn’t there, he immediately told his parents Falcon was in the balloon. After all, he had been climbing around its basket just minutes before and had been scolded by his father. That’s when Richard and Mayumi contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the police, and a news channel in the hopes of getting eyes on the balloon. It did come down around 90 minutes later, but it was empty.

An hour after that, Falcon suddenly appeared at home, claiming he had actually been in the garage’s attic the entire time. He claimed he had been playing there after getting shouted at, worried he was in trouble, and then he fell asleep. But then, things took a drastic turn when he was on national television. When asked if he had heard his parents call his name and why he hadn’t replied, he answered, “Um. You guys said… that, um… we did this for the show.” Falcon’s statement led to suspicion about the entire ordeal being a hoax, and in the end, his parents did plead guilty to criminal charges related to the matter.

Nevertheless, it’s imperative to note that while they pleaded guilty, they have always maintained their innocence. In the end, in August 2010, the family moved to Bradenton, Florida, before moving to a homestead in Gainesville, where Richard and Mayumi homeschooled their three boys, Bradford, Ryo, and Falcon. They wanted to ensure they faced no negativity, and it worked. That’s why Falcon has been so removed from the matter that he has since asserted he doesn’t remember what he was thinking at the time.

Falcon Heene Has Followed in His Father’s Footsteps

Having grown up listening to the music his parents adored, Falcon developed a passion for heavy metal at a relatively young age, and luckily for him, his brothers were on the same boat. As per reports, Bradford, Ryo, and Falcon were quite young when they gravitated toward their father’s favorite genre of music, which ultimately resulted in them soon playing covers of bands like Slipknot and Iron Maiden. Therefore, the teenagers then established their own heavy metal band called The Heene Boyz, with Bradford as the lead guitarist, Ryo being a natural on the drums, and Falcon as the lead singer and frontman with his unwavering confidence.

The Heene Boyz have released a few original songs, including “Balloon Boy No Hoax,” as well as performed several gigs for an audience ranging from 50 to 2000, but they haven’t been active in a while. This is because the brothers have since found their real calling by following in their father’s official blue-collar work footsteps. They used to help Richard out whenever he had a flip or renovation project to work on as a contractor, resulting in them developing an interest in the same. They learned the craft and skill on the job, but their passion for it came from within, so they have continued down this path and have been active in construction ever since they graduated from homeschool.

However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Bradford, Ryo, and Falcon realized there was a market for tiny homes that was largely untapped and decided to venture into it all by themselves. They are carrying their father’s construction legacy but making it all their own through their own business, Craftsman Tiny Homes, which is based out of Gainesville. They specialize in building high-quality custom tiny homes that are tailored to their clients’ specific needs, and they even have four models to choose from. They are a small local business, but they see the potential and are dedicated to their vision of making tiny homes mainstream. That’s why they even have a strong presence on social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, which now-22-year-old Falcon seems to primarily run.

Falcon Heene Loves His Work and Enjoys His Downtime Too

While it’s true that Falcon is utterly dedicated to the business he runs with his brothers and their vision, it’s evident that he enjoys his downtime just as much. Many might think that it would include spending quality time away from those he works with, but he and his brother share such an incredible bond that they actually seem to love doing everything together. From fishing to night outs to family meals, they do it all. In other words, the Heene family is a really tight-knit group, and they genuinely appreciate, care for, love, and respect one another. That’s how they have been able to maintain such a personal as well as professional relationship over so many years.

While Falcon is quite active on the Craftsman Tiny Homes social media pages, he relishes running his personal account. He often shares his humor in the form of comedy sketches across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, all the while making it clear that while he may be a professional young man, he doesn’t take life too seriously. He is also an amateur artist who often spends his free time tracing different outlines and then letting his creativity flow to fill them in. Moreover, the running enthusiast and animal lover is also a dog dad. He has a Belgian Malinois named Tupac, who is his pride and joy, and with whom he loves creating fun memories whenever possible.

Read More: Mayumi and Richard Heene: Where Are the Balloon Boy’s Parents Now?

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