A recent report published by the UK Airpox Board, a body that specializes in improving safety in British airspace, said there was a high risk of a collision between a US Boeing F-15 military aircraft and a balloon. This is the first pronouncement on the incident that occurred on November 5th 2020 off the coast of East Riding, Yorkshire. 

On that occasion, the military pilot, the report reconstructs, had suddenly seen a large balloon in the aircraft's Head Up Display (HUD) while flying at an altitude of 21,000 feet, forcing him to make a sudden turn. According to British experts, the pilot faced a situation where safety had fallen far below normal. Therefore the Airpox Board assigned this type of incident a risk rating of "B" on an A-E scale.