BY MATT SCHOOLEY

If you happen to see a large object landing softly on the ground in your backyard, don’t panic.

It may just be Ben Cochran and his guests dropping in for a visit.

Cochran and his wife, Carla, take patrons on hot air balloon flights around the Hopkinton and Contoocook area every weekend, and upon landing, the pilot, crew and passengers get the chance to make some new friends and even share a toast.

The Serenity Seeker takes off, weather permitting, at either sunrise or sunset to give the passengers a unique view of New Hampshire. However, what comes up must come down, and that’s where the friendly neighbors come in.

“We’re always trespassing when we land. Every flight we end up trespassing somewhere, so without good landowner relations it wouldn’t be possible to do this,” said Ben Cochran. “We meet so many people in landowners and passengers; it’s such an added bonus to a great experience. We are very fortunate to have landowners who let us land.”

When the Serenity Seeker touches down in an unknowing homeowner’s property, the Cochrans take part in a tradition that has been taking place since the 1700s in France.

As the curious owner comes out of his or her house, Cochran has a bottle of champagne prepared to offer as a sign of thanks.

Ben Cochran assisted in a balloon launch in 1984 and was hooked from there on. Ben’s wife sees her husband’s business and hobby as a healthy obsession.

“It’s a stress reliever for him, and really it’s like an addiction,” said Carla Cochran. “He gets anxious when he hasn’t flown in awhile.”

When told of his wife’s thoughts, Ben laughs, but certainly doesn’t dispute the accusation.

“I suppose that’s true. It’s just something that I absolutely love. Every time I can get a flight in, it sets me up for a week of feeling pretty good,” said Cochran. “The main thing is the ability to get away from it all a little bit.”

The balloon floats through the air and gives a feeling different than flying in an airplane for passengers.

“It’s an experience like none other,” said Carla Cochran. “You get to be up there and be part of the wind, floating gently with no turbulence. You also get to fly close to the ground and see things that you never could otherwise.”

Ben Cochran said he has only had to land a flight due to a frightened passenger two times since he earned his commercial license in 1991. Some battle anxiety, but most overcome those feelings after only a few minutes.

“Most often, we run into people who have a question about the height. A lot of people express that fear,” he said. “In a balloon it’s a completely different sensation, and most everybody after five minutes of flight releases their grip on the side of the basket and enjoys it. There’s something very comforting about it.”

The experience of running a hot air balloon business has also brought the couple closer together over the years, according to Ben Cochran.

“She’s been so great in being the crew chief from day one, and she got her private license to fly the balloon,” he said. “She wanted to understand what I was going through while flying, and to understand the workings of a balloon, which really made her that much better of a crew chief.”

Carla Cochran said she married into the hobby of hot air balloon flying, but she now has embraced it, and she and her husband are going to continue to take off in the Serenity Seeker and come back down a few hours later – maybe in your backyard.