Falcon Heene is known for his involvement in a widely publicized incident in October 2009, when he was reported to have floated away in a homemade helium balloon. His family, particularly his father Richard Heene, had built the balloon as part of a science project. The event captured national attention as authorities launched a search operation to locate him. Later, it was revealed that Falcon was never in the balloon and had been hiding in his family's garage. This revelation led to investigations into the Heene family's actions, and they faced legal consequences for what was deemed a hoax.