Balloonist Hans Pauw from Cadier en Keer does not see himself as a hero because of an emergency landing he made on a football field in Stein on Tuesday evening.
“You may not believe it, but I consider this a normal landing. Safety comes first,” said Pauw on Wednesday after all the media attention.
Also read: Soccer match halted by landing hot air balloon
‘Not a moment of fear’
While the ladies of RKSV De Ster played a catch-up match against VV Sittard, a large shadow appeared on the field on Tuesday around 8:50 PM. He wanted to start a landing half an hour in advance, but that was not possible because of a sown field. “I checked out at the control tower and had to keep going. The gas ran out and I told my two passengers I would put it on the first field I would come across.”
No sooner said than done. In the eyes of the balloonist, this was a perfect landing. “You always have to take the changeable wind into account. Upstairs the wind is different than below. But the passengers were wildly enthusiastic. There was no moment of fear.”
Roll up your sleeves
The landing attracted a lot of attention. The balloon eventually landed without damage, but the duel had to be stopped briefly. “The referee came to me and asked how long it would take to clean up. I said: if you help, it will be done in no time,” says Pauw with a laugh. And that help came from all corners: the balloon went into a bag and the basket was carried from the field. “That lasted about 20 minutes, after which it could be played again.”
‘Had a drink afterwards’
All in all, Pauw calls it a great experience, but it is not new to him. “I’ve experienced something more often, but we drank a glass to it afterwards,” said the balloonist.
This is what the emergency landing on the football field looked like:
