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| Hobby Club's Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF |
| 2023-02-17 |
| [Aviation Week] A small, globe-trotting balloon declared "missing in action" by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10. The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet. But the circumstantial evidence is at least intriguing. The club’s silver-coated, party-style, "pico balloon" reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area. There are suspicions among other prominent members of the small, pico-ballooning enthusiasts’ community, which combines ham radio and high-altitude ballooning into a single, relatively affordable hobby. "I tried contacting our military and the FBI—and just got the runaround—to try to enlighten them on what a lot of these things probably are. And they’re going to look not too intelligent to be shooting them down," says Ron Meadows, the founder of Scientific Balloon Solutions (SBS), a Silicon Valley company that makes purpose-built pico balloons for hobbyists, educators and scientists. The descriptions of all three unidentified objects shot down Feb. 10-12 match the shapes, altitudes and payloads of the small pico balloons, which can usually be purchased for $12-180 each, depending on the type. "I’m guessing probably they were pico balloons," said Tom Medlin, a retired FedEx engineer and co-host of the Amateur Radio Roundtable show. Medlin has three pico balloons in flight in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Aviation Week contacted a host of government agencies, including the FBI, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the National Security Council (NSC) and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for comment about the possibility of pico balloons. The NSC did not respond to repeated requests. The FBI and OSD did not acknowledge that harmless pico balloons are being considered as possible identities for the mystery objects shot down by the Air Force. NIBBB website found here. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #16 As I was flying through the air, I saw balloons that wasn't there. They wasn't there again today. How I wish they'd go away! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2023-02-17 21:02 |
| #15 Cue mighty Close Encounters Wurlit,er. |
| Posted by: Pancho Gluling7194 2023-02-17 16:31 |
| #14 Skies suddenly fill with balloons And presstitutes suffering swoons, "But the scariest thing," So our overlords sing, "Are those new white supremacist moons!" The Man Who Wasn't There? The View from The View? Laughter of the Spheres? |
| Posted by: Pancho Gluling7194 2023-02-17 16:29 |
| #13 #4 We're already dead. All that remains is the dirt we'll be planted in. Cheers! |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2023-02-17 15:31 |
| #12 Goggle sez an A10 Warthog has a top service altitude of 45,000 feet. Coulda used one of those and a short burst of 50 cal. |
| Posted by: JHH 2023-02-17 14:23 |
| #11 "You think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?" |
| Posted by: JHH 2023-02-17 14:18 |
| #10 "Jesus; think you could have found something bigger?" /Poncho |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2023-02-17 13:09 |
| #9 and that pilot is going to be a service legend. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-02-17 12:49 |
| #8 The first shot missed. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2023-02-17 12:17 |
| #7 The balloon hysteria is about war preparations |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-02-17 08:26 |
| #6 It's not just the CCP laughing at him. |
| Posted by: DooDahMan 2023-02-17 07:09 |
| #4 And this fellow has the football ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-02-17 06:55 |
| #3 Cruz responds after Biden allegedly authorized $200 million fighter jet to shoot down $12 science project |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-02-17 06:54 |
| #2 It's turning into The People Under The Stairs: "Did you get him?" "No, but I think I shot the dog." |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-02-17 06:00 |
| #1 Lawmakers mock Biden after UFO address: 'CCP is laughing at him' |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-02-17 05:51 |