Hot Heir

I was one of several key stunt pilots involved in this film and the hard work paid off in a great 3D film. This is definitely a lost classic that should be viewed by anyone who loves balloons.

This film was made by EO Studios out of Shelby, NC and filmed at Donaldson Center airport in Greenville, SC. It is an abandoned cold war military base and had plenty of room for our flying and stunts. We also had two runways to work with for the aircraft and helicopters.

My father, Duane C. Clark was the key pilot for this productions and found the Donaldson Center site for the movie as well as organized the first Freedom Weekend Aloft to gather the 100+ balloons needed for the filming.

My dad, John Thompson, was a balloonist in the first Freedom Weekend Aloft in Greenville, and for many years after. He recently told me a story about how he and his crew were filmed and had a scene in this film.

I grew up listening to his stories about ballooning, traveling and doing stunts, having crash landings, how he took my mom on a hot air balloon ride for their first date, and how much of an impact ballooning had on his life.

I've been searching for ways to find this film and haven't been able to come up with anything, but I'd love to be able to watch it with him since he's turning 70 this year. If anyone has information on this film, I'd love to know more about it.

This film was a great effort by director Worth Keeter,and 3-D lenses inventor Chris Condon.Lighting the sets for front and rear focus clarity was extremely well done.Time consuming the extra effort made this Stereovision 3-D film look as if you were flying in the balloon's. A tremendous technological effort. I must say that Playing[Heir Pennington]in my first 3-D film was a learning and rewarding experience. Curtis Credel.