The story behind the man floating above Melbourne Thursday morning

Ross and John’s switchboard lit up this morning with reports of a giant hot air balloon shaped like a man’s head wearing a hat flying over Melbourne.

Good question.

We worked out it’s Vincent van Gogh.

But why?

“It’s a flying piece of artwork created from the original self-portrait that he painted one year before he actually cut his ear off,” the pilot Paul Gibbs from GoldRush Ballooning from King Valley told Ross and John.

“We got him out just to provide a bit of extra interest (in the upcoming King Valley Balloon Festival on the Queen’s Birthday weekend) and some spectacular shots.”

Did they what! Click PLAY to see some spectacular footage taken from another balloon
Keep scrolling for more photos.

We’ve discovered why there’s a massive head floating over Melbourne this morning https://t.co/gE6cZkY7De pic.twitter.com/zmx8nmE4bH

— 3AW Breakfast (@RossAndJohn) May 22, 2019

Mr Gibbs said the unique balloon cost about $400,000 to make.

Well this hot air balloon just scared the absolute crap out of me #Melbourne pic.twitter.com/Azgb7KPtQ8

— Jimmy Traffic (@JimmyTraffic) May 22, 2019