When students arrived at Valley Christian Academy in Santa Maria on Wednesday morning, they were met with a massive surprise: a hot air balloon parked outside of their classrooms.
The aircraft was brought to the school by its owner and pilot, Mike King, who is a grandparent of one of the students.
King usually flies the hot air balloon— which he named "Upsy Daisy"— in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but occasionally travels with it around the West Coast.
He shared the science and history behind hot air balloons with groups of eager students on Wednesday.
"The hot air inside the balloon displaces the cold air around it. Cold air is heavier, the air inside the balloon is lighter, and we lift," King explained.
Senior reporter Shannon MacNeil talked with Valley Christian Academy principal Joshua Howard, who said the surprise was a great learning opportunity for students.
"It's really neat when you have these experiences that you don't always see all the time. And you see kind of this awe and wonder," Howard said.
A Smokey Bear mascot also made an appearance at the event to enhance the education and fun.
