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Magic Moments
> 2016
> Hot Air Balloon Crash: Part One
Episode 7472
Written
by Paul Gartside, Directed
by Gary Conway, Produced
by Natalie Lynch
Channel Eleven: 11/10/16, Channel 5: 11/10/16
Mark informs Ned that Jacka Hills has been released on bail... Elly receives a letter from Ned telling her that he is leaving and will be changing his
number so she can't contact him... Susan warns Elly that she won't want to be hungover for the balloon flight tomorrow... Brad and Toadie find Jacka Hills
lurking inside no. 32 and chase him outside... Piper surprises Lauren with the idea of a balloon ride... Jacka sabotages the gas canisters on the hot air
balloon...
Preparations are underway at Patterson Hills for the hot air balloon flight as Piper, Paige, Elly and Lauren arrive at the site. Lauren feels refreshed and
tells the group that she is glad she stopped drinking champagne when she did, although Elly is feeling a little bit worse for wear. She tells them that she
will be okay once they are up amongst the clouds. Grateful for her help in dreaming up and organising the balloon flight, Lauren gives Piper a hug, telling
her and Paige that this is a moment she will never forget. As they continue to embrace there is a close up of the gas canisters and controls, whilst out in
the woods Jacka Hills hides amongst the undergrowth. He watches intently as preparations for the hot air balloon flight continue.
 ..
Paige and Piper are busily filling in consent forms as Lauren finishes a phone call with Brad, telling him that she will see him at the landing site. As she
ends the call she mentions to Piper and Paige that Jacka has still not been caught, but they shouldn't let this dampen their spirits. The balloon operator
Mike collects the consent forms as Lauren enquiries as to whether anyone will be taking Steph's slot on the flight, as she's unable to make it. Elly is
surprised that Steph couldn't join them, telling the group that they have all been through various traumas so she should have been able to come with them.
To lighten the mood Paige jokily berates Mike for including a question about her weight on the consent form as the girls get excited once again for their
impending flight.
At no. 30, somebody is furiously knocking at the door. Steph goes to answer and it's Regan, desperate for information on Ned who is not answering any of
her calls. She needs to get hold of him to warn him about how much danger he is in with Jacka, but Steph informs her that Ned is already aware of this and
has left town. Regan stuns Steph with the news that Jacka's mum's house burnt down last night and cautions her that Jacka has always been violent and when
backed into a corner invariably lashes out. She goes on to tell Steph that Jacka's anger is rooted in his conviction that she is back together with Ned even
though Ned is in love with Elly. This gives Regan a brainwave. She tells Steph that if Elly can convince Jacka that she and Ned are no longer together, and
that Ned is no longer a threat, this will stop Jacka from becoming violent. She asks Steph where Elly is and Steph tells her that she is in Paterson Hills,
about to take a hot air balloon flight. With this news Regan rushes off as Steph vainly tries to stop her.
 ..
Over at no. 26, Paul is helping Jimmy with his drone which is ready to be tested. Jimmy mentions that his mum doesn't want him to use the drone to film in
people's backyards, but Paul assures him that they will just be using it to film the balloon landing. Just then Jack arrives looking for Amy. Jimmy tells him
that his mum had to leave early for a meeting, however this is quickly forgotten as Jack becomes excited when he sees what he and Paul are working on. After
seeing the setup whereby images from Jimmy's drone can be viewed on a laptop, Jack becomes even more interested and decides to stay. This leaves Paul feeling
put out at the sudden interruption.
Back at no. 30, Mark arrives and confirms to Steph that Regan was right about the house fire and the fact that the house is owned by Maxine Cowper, Jacka's
mum. He assures her that the arson squad are investigating the cause of the fire. Steph then mentions Regan's 'crazy' idea to use Elly to try and warn
Jacka off, but Mark tells her that Regan is not a threat. He also tries to assuage Steph's worry about Jacka being on the loose, reassuring her that Paige,
Piper, Lauren and Elly will soon be in the sky in the hot air balloon and unless Jacka has wings he won't be able to get to them. He tries to warn Steph
off from getting involved herself, telling her that the police have the matter in hand.
 ..
At Patterson Hills, Jacka continues to watch the hot air balloon, his eyes glistening malevolently. As he moves position to avoid being spotted, a car
pulls up at the site and Regan jumps out. She runs over to the hot air balloon as the girls get inside, excited and slightly apprehensive about their flight.
The balloon operator Mike assumes that Regan is the extra passenger on the manifest after Steph dropped out and allows her to board the balloon. Regan
introduces herself to Lauren and the others but doesn't divulge her name, instead asking them to refer to her as 'nervous flyer'. As she puts her hood up
and crouches down in the balloon to avoid being spotted, she glances over at a hungover Elly and contemplates an appropriate time to ask her about Jacka and
Ned. With the group now safely ensconced in the balloon's basket Mike asks them if they are ready to go and they all excitedly cheer as he powers up the
balloon. The hot air balloon becomes airborne and floats majestically into the sky as they all whoop and cheer, taking in the scenic views before them.
At Harold's, Brad tells Ben and Karl that the girls will be up in the air by now. Ben manages to track them on his phone using his tracker app, and both
he and Brad follow the path of the flight. Ben asks Karl if he has downloaded the tracker app on his phone, but Karl tells him he is still feeling a bit
worse for wear after last night's events, asking them to keep him updated instead.
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As the balloon soars through the sky, Paige asks the 'nervous flyer' if she is feeling okay. Regan gives her the thumbs up but once again glances over at
Elly, whose eyes are closed as she tries to sleep off the effects of her hangover.
Back at Harold's, Mark arrives, informing Brad that Steph received a visit from Regan who is worried about Jacka. Brad asks Mark if she knows something
about Jacka's whereabouts, but Mark tells him that he doesn't think so. He is, however, concerned about the residents' welfare and wants to keep an eye
on everyone until Jacka is safely behind bars. Brad is appreciative of Mark's efforts and tells him that at least Jacka can't get at the girls when they
are up in the air.
 ..
At Patterson Hills, Jacka has emerged from the undergrowth and continues to monitor the progress of the hot air balloon as it crosses his path.
Aboard the balloon, Lauren and Paige comment about how small everything looks on the ground from their vantage point. As they continue to take in the
views Elly suddenly emerges from her hungover state, telling the group that she is feeling much better. She takes out her phone and asks the group to pose
for a selfie. As they smile for the camera, Lauren suggests that they should get a picture with all of them, including the 'nervous flyer'. She goes over
to ask Regan to join them for a photo, and reluctantly she comes over, taking her hood off in the process. Elly instantly recognises her as Jacka's wife
and Ned's ex-girlfriend and asks her what she is doing on their hot air balloon. Regan tells Elly that she needs to speak to her urgently and this was the
only way she would get her to listen. Before the conversation can continue the burners on the hot air balloon suddenly go out, leaving Mike feeling slightly
perturbed.
 ..
Mike tells them not to worry, he just needs to change the fuel cylinders. As he does this Regan informs Elly that she needs to speak to her about Jacka - she
tells Elly that for Jacka to back off he needs to believe that she and Ned are no longer an item, and only Elly can convince him of this. Elly is adamant
that she will not be going anywhere near Jacka but Regan offers to come with her to help, suggesting that they could set a trap for the police to find him.
Despite her pleas Elly refuses to help, and Lauren tells Regan that she needs to back off. To make matters worse Mike informs the group that despite having
changed the cylinder the fuel is still not feeding through to the burners. He tells them to keep calm as he tries the backup cylinder.
Over at no. 26, Jimmy is trying out his drone. He's managed to get it to take off and is monitoring the images from the drone on his laptop. He tells Jack
and Paul that they should get some images of the hot air balloon in a few minutes.
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On the balloon, Mike is still trying to relight the burners by changing over the cylinders; he tries to give the group a reassuring smile but they look
worried. Lauren tries to reassure the girls but Paige in particular looks concerned - she tells Lauren that she is thinking about Jack and how they ended
things; she feels like she needs to apologise to him. Paige practices what she is going to say to Jack on Lauren, and Piper secretly records her apology on
her phone. She begins:
"Okay, Jack, I thought I was wearing the nun costume because I was mad at religion but really, I was just mad at myself. Six months ago, I met you and on
that very same day my whole life got turned upside down. You saved my life, but I lost my brother. I lost my grandfather. And the only way I could cope with
that was by helping you and I fell in love with you. And I convinced myself that you could love me back, but I couldn't, and I had no one to blame but myself.
Not you, not the church, but me and I'm so sorry."
As she finishes, Mike goes to relight the cylinder, feeling confident that he has fixed the problem having switched the cylinders. Despite this the burner
still refuses to light and Mike is baffled; he suggests to the group that the canister must be damaged as he desperately tries to find a way to fix things.
The group starts to panic that the balloon is going to crash as Piper sends her recorded message of Paige to Jack.
Back at no. 26, Jimmy is confused as he can't see the balloon on the camera, telling Jack and Paul that it should be there. Jack suggests to Jimmy that
his calculations could be off as he checks his phone.
 ..
At Harold's, Ben is also confused, telling Brad, Karl and Mark that the balloon is heading off course. Brad goes to check Ben's phone and looks worried as
the balloon veers away from its assigned route, drifting away from the city.
On the balloon, Mike is becoming increasingly concerned as he learns that something is stopping the fuel from getting through to the burners. He warns the
group that they won't make it to their landing site without power and begins to jettison the fuel cannisters from the balloon, as a means of reducing the
weight of the craft and to control their descent. The group becomes increasingly panicked as Mike orders them to assume the brace position on the floor of
the craft. Paige suggests they could jump from the balloon but Lauren orders her to stop thinking like that and follow Mike's instructions. Elly, Piper and
Regan follow suit, bracing themselves for impact.
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At no. 26, Jimmy continues to try and find the balloon on his laptop as Jack receives a message from Paige. He goes into the kitchen to listen to her
message.
The group are in full panic mode on the balloon as they continue to drift aimlessly. Whilst Lauren, Elly, Piper and Regan cling on to ropes within the
craft, Paige suddenly gets to her feet and steps on to the edge of the craft in preparation to jump. Lauren desperately calls out to Paige, telling her to
stay with them, but Paige ignores this request and leaps out of the craft, plummeting downwards towards a lake.
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Back at no. 26, Jack finishes listening to Paige's message. He becomes alarmed as he hears the girls' concerns about the possibility of the balloon crash
landing due to a lack of fuel. He informs Jimmy and Paul of the situation before rushing out of the house, grabbing the keys to Amy's ute along the way.
The hot air balloon is now precariously low as Mike orders the passengers to brace for impact. Piper, Elly, Lauren and Regan hold on tight as the balloon
crashes into some trees. As it finally comes to rest within dense foliage a rope suddenly snaps within the craft and the basket crashes to the ground.
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At Harold's, Brad receives a phone call from Jack telling him that the balloon has crashed. Brad agrees to meet him at the site where they've gone down,
using an app on Ben's laptop to pin the location.
Jack continues to drive towards the site.
 ..
At no. 26, a worried Jimmy asks Paul if they are going to be too late to help the girls, but Paul assures him that there will be people frantically rushing
to the crash site to help. Jimmy then notices that there is no longer an image on his laptop from the drone, and wonders what has happened to it. He and Paul
go outside to see if they can locate it, but their efforts are fruitless. Paul offers to go and look for it himself and heads out the door, telling a
worried Jimmy not to panic.
Jack is driving through a forested area as he continues to head towards the crash site.
 ..
Amongst the trees and foliage are the remains of the destroyed hot air balloon, ripped apart by the force of the impact. Piper and Elly lie unconscious
on the ground as a car arrives, it's Brad, Ben, Karl and Mark. They rush out of the car as Karl tells them to check for breathing and pulses, warning them
not to move anyone until the ambulances have arrived. Piper has regained consciousness and frantically tells Brad that he needs to check on Lauren, who is
lying unconscious against a tree. As Brad rushes over, Lauren starts to make some groaning noises. Brad tells her to stay with him as he shouts over to Karl
for help.
Over at no. 30, Steph is making a cup of tea as Jacka sneaks in; he asks Steph where Ned is, angrily telling her that Ned stole Regan from under his nose
and she is now back together with him. Steph argues that this is not the case, assuring Jacka that Ned is in love with Elly, not Regan. A disturbed Jacka
tells Steph that he loves Regan and he doesn't want anyone to stand in their way. Steph understands this but pleads with Jacka to turn himself in to the
police, using her friendship with him to try and make him see sense. Jacka doesn't listen but wickedly tells Steph that she made the right choice to give
the balloon ride a miss. He quickly departs as a frantic Steph begs him to wait, concerned about his insinuations regarding the hot air balloon flight. As
he disappears out the door, Steph picks up her phone and starts to make a call, grabbing her bike helmet in the process.
 ..
Steph is fully clad in her biker's outfit as she rides out of Ramsay Street.
Meanwhile, Paul is walking the streets on the hunt for Jimmy's drone, as Steph continues to race along the road on her bike at dangerous speeds.
 ..
At the crash site, Elly is lying on the ground, in pain and distraught at what has just occurred; Mark tries to get her to calm down by telling her to
take deep breaths. As he tends to her, Karl rushes over to Lauren who is barely conscious. He asks her if she is in pain and Lauren screams out as Karl
touches her leg. Before he can administer any further treatment Ben calls over to Karl, telling him that there is a lady in a bad way. As he heads over
Jack arrives in Amy's ute; he runs over to Piper and asks her what has happened to Paige. Piper confirms to Jack that Paige jumped out of the balloon
before they crashed and points him in the direction of her potential landing site. She tells Jack that Paige was wearing a red scarf as he races off to
find her.
Regan is lying on the ground as Karl goes to tend to her; he starts to ask Regan some questions, but she struggles to respond, telling him that she is
in pain from a head wound. She starts to have a seizure and Karl quickly realizes that her slurred speech and drowsiness are signs that she could have a
subdural haematoma, as blood is swelling up on the outside of her brain, building pressure. He gravely concludes that she may not have much time and needs
surgical drainage. He implores Ben to go to Amy's ute and get a first aid kit, plastic tubing and a power drill.
 ..
Still racing along the road at precarious speeds, Steph's bike starts to skid.
Jack is rushing through the forest calling out Paige's name. He passes one of the gas canisters jettisoned from the hot air balloon earlier as he continues
his search.
 ..
On Power Road, Steph has come off her bike. She is lying on the ground as passers-by rush over to help her. Jimmy's drone lies metres away from her prone
body on the other side of the road.
 ..
Jack ends up in a clearing and walks towards a lake, still crying out for Paige to answer him. He notices Paige's red scarf washed up on the shore and
picks it up, before continuing his futile cries.
Featured Regular Characters: Lauren Turner,
Brad Willis, Piper Willis, Elly Conway, Paige Smith, Paul Robinson, Steph Scully, Jimmy Williams, Mark Brennan, Jack Callahan,
Karl Kennedy, Ben Kirk
Guest Cast: Brad McMurray as Jacka Hills,
Sabeena Manalis as Regan Davis,
Lyall Brooks as Mike Niven,
Sharelle Starr as Steph Stunt Double
Trivia Notes
• The hot air balloon company is called Luxe Ballooning Australia
Summary
by Michael
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