FARK.com: (7340054) A serious contender for Father of the Year

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		A serious contender for Father of the Year (youtube.com)		34
		More: Cool

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6847 clicks; posted to Video » on 21 Sep 2012 at 11:45 AM | Favorite | share:

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juddcc		2012-09-21 11:50:34 AM

God, my dad sucked.

Unoriginal_Username		2012-09-21 11:54:28 AM

That was pretty cool. I wonder if you would need to get clearance for something like that.

/would hate to have it come down and bean someone in the head

SmackLT		2012-09-21 11:54:46 AM

Stanley's reactions don't seem quite right. More realistic:

"Hey, what's this gadget you're attaching me to?"
"Ooh, a balloon!"
"Oh, flying. How neat!"
"Wheeee"
"I can see for miles"
"Hey, this seems like it's getting a bit high up here. Am I supposed to be this far up?"
"Guys? I'm getting a little scared. I can't even see you anymore"
"Oh god, the air's getting...thinner...hard to breathe" *passes out*

=Balloon pops=

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU GGGHHHHHHHH !"
*deep breath*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUG HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !"

=Lands in cornfield=

"Oh god, I think I've broken my spine and some of my wheels. I'm in unimaginable pain"
"Oh my god, I hope I die soon. Everything is broken."

=Sees boy=

"Oh thank god, please call an ambulance"
"No, no--don't touch me, I need immediate medical assistance here"
"No, don't pick me up, DON'T PICK ME UP, AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGHHHHHHHHH GOD THAT HURTS!!!"

Krieghund		2012-09-21 11:55:55 AM

I'm glad my dad didn't pull any crap like that with my toys.

nyseattitude		2012-09-21 11:56:58 AM

Yah, it's all cute and fun until the falling toy train blows through the windshield of packed minivan killing the mother driving it and causing a massive roll over and killing some of the kids inside.

^{_{/no, i'm not bitter about my childhood
//or run on sentences}}

snark puppet		2012-09-21 12:02:20 PM

....or gets sucked into the engine of a commercial airliner, causing it to.....

talkertopc		2012-09-21 12:02:54 PM

That was cool but I'm wondering if it is legal for anyone to do something like that or if it require permits/authorizations.

There are 3 things that concern me:

1- Does it cause a risk to planes.

2- Does it cause a risk to people on whom it might fall. (Directly or imagine if something like that falls on your windshield while driving at a good speed)

3- Does it cause a risk of damage to property on which it might fall.

I would guess that scientists who send up similar balloons have insurance and know to do it outside of air lanes.

Another worry is the possibility that the owner of the land where it falls does not give you permission to retrieve it. I hope the guy did not just trespass with his 4 year old kid.

choo		2012-09-21 12:26:53 PM

talkertopc: I hope the guy did not just trespass with his 4 year old kid.

They've been in Farmer Maggot's crops!

The My Little Pony Killer		2012-09-21 12:35:10 PM

His kid does everything with that toy and has been extremely attached to it for half of his life, and the dad's first thought is to send the damn thing into space.

/really glad my parents weren't douches

mr_bunny		2012-09-21 12:41:25 PM

Oh yeah? Well my dad left when I was 19 and fought with my mom over alimony and his half of the house!

/not quite as cool

Hobodeluxe		2012-09-21 12:54:29 PM

Crewmannumber6		2012-09-21 01:05:23 PM

this is for you, buddy

/that was neat

Rising_Zan_Samurai_Gunman		2012-09-21 01:36:16 PM

Unoriginal_Username: That was pretty cool. I wonder if you would need to get clearance for something like that.

/would hate to have it come down and bean someone in the head

Here's the FAA regulations for balloons, kites and rockets. You have to meet certain conditions regarding any payload and can't launch within a certain radius of airports or cities. you also are supposed to contact the nearest FAA Air Traffic Control at least 6 hours in advance, and then let them know the exact time it was launched and give them any tracking data they request.

JesterJoker55		2012-09-21 01:37:21 PM

I like the subtle touch of the music fading out as it reached the strato, then quickly fading back in as it came back down.

Very cool fellah, Kudos and all that.

Smeggy Smurf		2012-09-21 02:27:18 PM

Very cool. That's a dad who gets it. He only grew up, not old.

LoneVVolf		2012-09-21 02:58:15 PM

Rising_Zan_Samurai_Gunman: and give them any tracking data they request.

"Yeah, uh... it's a red balloon."
...
"North-ish? whichever way the wind is blowing."
...
"Probably about 500 feet. I imagine it'll go pretty damn high before the balloon pops"
...

ScullyToo		2012-09-21 04:08:23 PM

If you read the description of the video, he got all the FAA permissions before doing this.

Preatty neat-o, especially the face animations on the train. :-)

RoyBatty		2012-09-21 04:13:09 PM

juddcc: God, my dad sucked.

Yeah, always liked your dad.The My Little Pony Killer: /really glad my parents weren't douches

/really sorry your mom didn't douche.

RiverRat		2012-09-21 04:20:06 PM

Is the dad a Farker?

Bueller, ... BUELLER??

Unoriginal_Username		2012-09-21 04:23:55 PM

Rising_Zan_Samurai_Gunman: Unoriginal_Username: That was pretty cool. I wonder if you would need to get clearance for something like that.

/would hate to have it come down and bean someone in the head

Here's the FAA regulations for balloons, kites and rockets. You have to meet certain conditions regarding any payload and can't launch within a certain radius of airports or cities. you also are supposed to contact the nearest FAA Air Traffic Control at least 6 hours in advance, and then let them know the exact time it was launched and give them any tracking data they request.

very kewl to know.
/would like to do something like this, but with living next to an AFB, I'd have to drive about 2 hrs in any direction probably

old_toole		2012-09-21 04:24:03 PM

ScullyToo: Preatty neat-o, especially the face animations on the train. :-)

Animations ???

My trains show emotions all the time.

Xai		2012-09-21 05:54:31 PM

what amazes me most about all this is that you could go out and buy all this stuff for under $200 and do it yourself. It didn't seem like so long ago that this was the realm of high-tech high-budget science programs.

oryx		2012-09-21 05:56:30 PM

How is face animated?

jigger		2012-09-21 06:04:07 PM

Know how I can tell no one read the description on youtube?

We sent my son's favorite train "Stanley" to space in a weather balloon with a HD camera and an old cell phone for GPS. He was recovered 27 miles away in a corn field and we got some great footage of the trip. This video documents the journey from liftoff to landing. My 4 year old and Stanley are inseparable like Calvin and Hobbes. He's been attached to him since he was two, and they play, sleep and do everything together. I animated Stanley's face with After Effects and Photoshop to bring him to life how I imagine my son sees him. Here's the original video I made of my son and Stanley when he was 2 years old, same basic concept: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_1lnkUPUkI My day job: http://www.oxygenproductions.com Digital Agency ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Quick note on safety I'm getting so many comments regarding safety that I think I should write a quick note to let everyone know of the precautions I took before launching Stanley into the sky. First off, I called the FAA 15 minutes before launch (per their instructions) so they could make sure no planes fly into the flight path. Second, the box was only 2 pounds and made of foam core, with a wooden dowel to hold Stanley in front of the camera. I spent two months monitoring the winds with this website http://weather.uwyo.edu/polar/balloon_traj.html to pinpoint the general area that he would land. For safely, I launched him from a location that I knew would bring him down into farm land. The prediction website was only 5-10 miles off, so he landed safely in a corn field, far away from any towns. I didn't want Stanley to be a murderer. Plus I wanted to make sure my son got Stanley back. :)

bbfreak		2012-09-21 06:06:57 PM

Xai: what amazes me most about all this is that you could go out and buy all this stuff for under $200 and do it yourself. It didn't seem like so long ago that this was the realm of high-tech high-budget science programs.

Weather balloons aren't very high tech, though GPS obviously made it more possible to reach Near Space.

KrispyKritter		2012-09-21 06:24:05 PM

that was one of the most adorable things i've ever seen. i'm over here crying like a little biatch. if that Dad now went out and murdered someone i'd be like "but your Honor, check out this awesome video thingie he made for his kid!" and the judge would watch and say "that was one of the most adorable things i've ever seen. case dismissed!"

/dude you totally rock
//your little guy is cute as a bug

Theonceovertwice		2012-09-21 08:35:41 PM

Adorable! Happy no one was hurt. The blinking eyes on the train were a nice touch. Cute kid too.

Sherman Potter		2012-09-21 09:43:45 PM

snark puppet: ....or gets sucked into the engine of a commercial airliner, causing it to.....

Unlikely. He had a RADAR reflector on it.

Nuclear Monk		2012-09-21 10:14:35 PM

nyseattitude: Yah, it's all cute and fun until the falling toy train blows through the windshield of packed minivan killing the mother driving it and causing a massive roll over and killing some of the kids inside.

/no, i'm not bitter about my childhood
//or run on sentences

The step everyone always leaves out is that just before release, you wipe the prints off everything. Also, don't use your real name when talking to the FAA.

Sylvia_Bandersnatch		2012-09-22 12:12:12 AM

nyseattitude: Yah, it's all cute and fun until the falling toy train blows through the windshield of packed minivan killing the mother driving it and causing a massive roll over and killing some of the kids inside.

/no, i'm not bitter about my childhood
//or run on sentences

Ignoring the fact that that wouldn't happen, why would it not be fun?

Sylvia_Bandersnatch		2012-09-22 12:16:37 AM

bbfreak: Xai: what amazes me most about all this is that you could go out and buy all this stuff for under $200 and do it yourself. It didn't seem like so long ago that this was the realm of high-tech high-budget science programs.

Weather balloons aren't very high tech, though GPS obviously made it more possible to reach Near Space.

I think you meant that GPS made it easier to recover. GPS obviously had nothing at all to do with lift or elevation.

bbfreak		2012-09-22 12:39:26 AM

Sylvia_Bandersnatch: bbfreak: Xai: what amazes me most about all this is that you could go out and buy all this stuff for under $200 and do it yourself. It didn't seem like so long ago that this was the realm of high-tech high-budget science programs.

Weather balloons aren't very high tech, though GPS obviously made it more possible to reach Near Space.

I think you meant that GPS made it easier to recover. GPS obviously had nothing at all to do with lift or elevation.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Anyway, its neat but technically not very hard. Anyone with enough time and enough money can do it. Unlike you know actual spaceflight which requires rockets and what not.

RocketRay		2012-09-23 07:50:35 PM

I showed this to my five year old son. Didn't have to ask him which engine that was.

SirDigbyChickenCaesar		2012-09-24 10:09:09 AM

Sounds like my dad. Hey you know that inseparable toy that you just love more than anything? I am going to send it into space...

and picture someone like:

www.prisonbreak.nl