Duncan and the Hot Air Balloon

"I know, Sir, my birthday flag. It just might be big enough!"

- Duncan

Duncan and the Hot Air Balloon is the eleventh episode of the twelfth series.

Plot
It’s the Thin Controller’s twins’ birthday and Duncan is excited to give them their annual birthday ride. While Duncan is getting ready, he is disappointed to learn from Mr. Percival that the twins will instead be having a ride in a hot air balloon which Duncan will be collecting from the Transfer Yards. When Duncan collects the balloon from Thomas, he is told to go slowly and carefully. He soon starts to go over some bumpy tracks which causes a rope to come loose and gives him an idea; if he jiggles the hot air balloon some more, then it will come loose and then he could take the children. He does so and the hot air balloon flies away.

Unfortunately, the hot air balloon lands on Duncan’s track. He tries to push it away which leads to one of the sand bags falling off, so he starts hitting it until they all come off and the balloon flies away again. Unfortunately, he soon finds it on a nearby bridge and tries to figure out what he should do when he wheeshes and the smoke from his funnel inflates the hot air balloon and it yet again flies away. Duncan soon approaches Mr. Percival about the balloon having flown away when it floats down near the weathervane on Mr. Percival's house which tears a hole in the balloon.

Duncan sees the error of his ways and owns up to Mr. Percival. Duncan collects the balloon repair man, who has little hope of repairing the balloon. However, Duncan has an idea; he suggests using his birthday flag to patch it, which the balloon repair man agrees with. Peter Sam soon collects Mr. Percival’s twins and they and the balloon repair man fly in the balloon, which makes Duncan really happy.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Duncan
 * Mr. Percival
 * The Balloon Repairman
 * Peter Sam
 * The Percival Twins
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Mrs. Percival

Locations

 * The Depot
 * Mr. Percival's House
 * The Transfer Yards
 * Stone Bridge over Narrow Gauge Runby
 * Mountain Village Station
 * Brendam Docks

Trivia

 * This episode marks the last of two things:
 * The last appearance of the hot air balloon.
 * Duncan's last starring and leading role until the eighteenth series episode, Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger.
 * The Red Balloon with the yellow flag was used on the cover for the 2009 reprint of James and the Red Balloon. The aforementioned episode has a plot similiar to this one. It is also shown on the 3 Lunchbox DVD Set

Goofs

 * The tracks through the narrow gauge shed do not have buffers.
 * In one scene, Peter Sam has Duncan's CGI face.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - The Birthday Ride

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * The Complete Series 12

US/CAN

 * Percy and the Bandstand
 * Friends and Family

DVD Boxsets

 * Adventure Pack

AUS

 * The Party Surprise
 * The Complete Series 12

DVD Boxsets

 * The Essential Collection

MYS

 * Saved You and Other Adventures
 * The Party Surprise and Other Adventures

FRA

 * A New Arrival

THA

 * The Party Surprise

KOR

 * Thomas the Little Engine and Friends Season 7 Vol. 2

TWN

 * Thomas Puts the Brakes

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 44

Duncan und der Heißluftballon Duncan y el Globo Aerostático דאנקן והכדור הפורח Damian i Balon Дункан и воздушный шар