Mon, Jan 14, 2013
Journalist Had Launched The Camera Package On A Weather Balloon
When a dozen international journalists visited CNN in June, one of the cable network's reporters thought it would be an interesting story for them to get photographs and other recordings from the edge of space ... a prospect that has become easier with the advent of small digital cameras and GPS tracking devices.
Chris Ericson writes in a CNN blog that he assembled about $1,000 worth of equipment for a flight beneath a weather balloon, which was launched after having gotten the proper permission from the FAA and other authorities, from the National Weather Service station at Peachtree City, GA. While the initial ascent went as planned, the balloon and it payload, which had been nicknamed "Yeager," apparently were caught in some strong upper-level winds and broke apart, rendering the parachute recovery system pretty much useless. The payload fell from about FL650, landing somewhere in central Georgia ... and an extensive search failed to turn up the missing gear.
Fast forward to December. The phone that was included in the package was found by a man named Justin Garrett in his back yard. When he turned it on, it sent a message to its owner that it had been found about 35 miles south of Atlanta. Using that as a starting point, and after realizing that they had not put proper coordinates into Google Earth on their initial search in June, team members Mark Sudduth and Kery Mallory searched again, and eventually found the cameras, and the video, intact, on December 15. The cameras even still worked.
The footage and the story were forwarded on to the international journalists, who had long since gone home, and who likely got a better story than they had hoped for in the first place.
(Similar balloon pictured in file photo)
More News
Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]
“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]
Also: 1800th E-Jet, Uncle Sam Sues For Landing Gear, Embraer Ag Plane, Textron Parts A friend of the family reported that Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard Glenn Rutan flew west on Friday, M>[...]
Also: Virgin Galactic, B-29 Doc to Allentown, Erickson Fire-Fighters Bought, FAA Reauthorization After dealing with a big letdown after the unexpected decision by Skyreach to disco>[...]
"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]