Jordan Long, who splits his time between Boston and Post Mills, Vt., inflates a hot air balloon at the Post Mills Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Long, who learned to make hot air balloons under the guidance of Brian Boland, designed and sewed the balloon himself over the course of two years and was inflating it fully for the first time to find any imperfections in need of improvement. Boland, an eccentric balloon enthusiast, artist and collector, who was a mentor to numerous pilots and creatives, died in a balloon accident in July 2021. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Valley News — Alex Driehaus