what precautions do the meteorologists take when launching their radiosondes?

Don't tell me what to do with my sky.

"I think in the 25 years that I've been flying I've seen two weather balloons that passed on one side of the aircraft or the other," he said.

Well I see you've covered all the options of every balloon launched at the same time a plane is in the sky, other than the billion-to-one chance of collision.

Better than Lego Man: Sending a Sushi Roll into Space (new window)

Why does it stay on the plate? Well, the business it's a promo for IS "Sticky Rice". That being their tie-in.

If we all "own" the sky/air/whatevs and can't expect any privacy in/from it, then no, they can't tell me I can't launch a balloon.

I'm gonna go ahead and call massive bullshiat on this. I'm not an expert. I have no basis for my argument. But bullshiat none the less.

But I'm a farker and as you can see from this thread, we are experts on everything from nuclear power to launching aircraft. I'll do what I want.

"Try not to copy us," Ho said. "Pursue other creative interests and do your own thing and follow the rules."

Not to sound like a jerk, but do these guys think they're the first amateurs to lift a camera into near space? Because that's kind of what it sounds like. "Ok, we did this. No one else can do it now. Get your own thing to do."

"We got very lucky that nothing happened because there is always the possibility that something could go wrong," Ho said.

"Try not to copy us," Ho said. "Pursue other creative interests and do your own thing and follow the rules."

Classic. Like, sure...it's safe for us to do it. We're highly skilled teenagers. But you people at home shouldn't do it. It's not safe for amateurs.

Plus, the "try not to copy us", like they invented the freaking hot air balloon or something. Tons of people have done this before these two nimrods. You can buy all the parts off of eBay for $200-$300. Like they're the freaking Wright Brothers for farks sake. Blow it out your @ss, geeks.

The news story is utter nonsense. Hundreds of weather balloons are launched each day from universities, researchers, high schools, and private individuals for experiments. Most of these are from unknown launch sites. Never has a weather balloon caused a commerical aircraft to crash.

mjg: Get off my sky

You can't like, OWN the sky man.

Oh yeah? What if I launch a full ass into space, subby?

Yeah, well when they keep their shiat outta my airspace, and from falling on other peoples houses, then we can talk.

dukwbutter: "We got very lucky that nothing happened because there is always the possibility that something could go wrong," Ho said.

"Try not to copy us," Ho said. "Pursue other creative interests and do your own thing and follow the rules."

Classic. Like, sure...it's safe for us to do it. We're highly skilled teenagers. But you people at home shouldn't do it. It's not safe for amateurs.

Plus, the "try not to copy us", like they invented the freaking hot air balloon or something. Tons of people have done this before these two nimrods. You can buy all the parts off of eBay for $200-$300. Like they're the freaking Wright Brothers for farks sake. Blow it out your @ss, geeks.

I suspect they're more speaking to the cooter and cletus crowd.

Sorry Newt

OddPanda: If we all "own" the sky/air/whatevs and can't expect any privacy in/from it, then no, they can't tell me I can't launch a balloon.

Don't ever let "them" tell you which side of the road to drive on, either.

FREEDUMB!!

Is it my imagination or did they really just publicly admit "Hey, you can take down an airliner with $200 worth of equipment and a properly timed release!"

The DHS is gonna love having to deal with this...

I'm going to try a Captain Kirk move, and have the shock wave behind a 747 launch my lawn chair into space.
I'll have a BB gun, so I'll also be in violation of the TSA.

gopher321: I was considering launching my cat into space with some helium balloons to see the effect of airlessness on small furry animals, until I read that warning.

I wonder what would happen if you tied a gerbil to a bunch of helium balloons and just let it go?

Maybe planes will just have to start watching out for balloons. Since when to planes own the sky? They're just going to have to share.

Take my love
Take my land
Take me to where I can not stand.

I don't care
I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me

Alright math nerds - we could calculate the odds of any balloon striking a airplane. I read a guess at 1 Billion to one, but I am guessing that is too high.

First, find out the surface area of a theoretical plain ( not plane) that exists at an average flying altitude. It will be larger than the surface area of the Earth.

Divide that by the sum of the underside surface areas of all aircraft in the air at any given time. This will be hard to figure out, but some folks have already taken stabs at the number aircraft in the air at a certain time.

You will then have the percentage of our sky that is currently occupied by aircraft. That number will basically be your odds at hitting a aircraft with your balloon.

Things such as flight paths, and areas with greater population density will mess with our numbers. To compensate for this, try to not release a balloon under the landing, or takeoff zone of an airport.

Or, we could listen to the sexperts

There are rules about how such craft must be designed, they're specifically designed to make sure that in the event of a collision that the plane will survive it, and also to minimize the chance of a collision.

What they should have done is told people to read up on the regs about balloons before launching such stuff. Given the number of cameras these guys used I'm guessing they broke the rules. (The rules are a lot less strict for sufficiently small packages.)

Tainted1: I suspect they're more speaking to the cooter and cletus crowd.

Doesn't matter who the fark they're speaking to. It's condescending gibberish from a couple of kids. Absolutely deplorable for them to say that no one else should try it. Like they own the farking skies and, now that they've done it, no one else is allowed to experiment with hot air balloons, because they'd just be copying these dumb Canucks. This is the height of arrogance. Condescending dribble by a couple of stupid kids. Get the freaking cameras and mics away from these two idiots already. Your 15 minutes is over. Crawl back into your moms' basement.

"Try not to copy us," Ho said. "Pursue other creative interests and do your own thing and follow the rules."

What? These guys even admitted that they got the idea from copying someone else. They're only getting media coverage because they're teenagers and they're not even the first kids to pull this off either.

They bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash!



/obligatory

"Getting awful crowded in my sky." - Malcolm Reynolds

You can't take the sky from me.

So they can take the sky away from me?

ABQGOD: What? These guys even admitted that they got the idea from copying someone else. They're only getting media coverage because they're teenagers and they're not even the first kids to pull this off either.

This is the definition of "chutzpah". The height of arrogance. Now that we've done it, the world can stop experimenting. Nothing to see here. We invented the hot air balloon. We own the skies. Please return to your duties as assigned...

Now I'm going to do it just to spite these little whiny urchins.

MaudlinMutantMollusk: Hey subtard...

Know what the plural of "aircraft" is?

/apparently not

One Bad Apple: mjg: Get off my sky

You can't like, OWN the sky man.

"I don't care, I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me." (new window)

/obligatory?

Yup, just like trucks crash all the time after running into a fly.