My High Altitude Balloon Flight

[Mikey RV]

Thanks for sharing this, it’s fantastic.

 

[PhilandMena]

Checking for aircraft at 10 Meters have me a smile.

 

[DBK]

Checking for aircraft at 10 Meters have me a smile.

Just looking and listening for low flying aircraft. We get a few helicopters following the A38 which is nearby.

 

[Carolyn and Kev]

Love this sort of stuff! Thank you DBK

kev

 

[DBK]

Among the couple of hundred images it took there are only a few looking west towards Cornwall. The far west was covered in cloud but this one still has a good view.

Looking along the coast Salcombe is on the far left then working right there are the estuaries of the Avon, Erme and Yealm. Just to the right of centre is Plymouth Sound with Rame Head jutting out just beyond it. The coast then goes past Looe and Fowey which are not visible but then you might see where a bite has been taken out of the coast. Mevagissey is just beyond this and possibly Dodman Point is visible. In the top right hand corner of the image you can see (just) Cornwall's north coast. Somewhere between Padstow and Newquay I think. Some local knowledge might be useful rangitira

This map might help. The balloon was about over the red pin above Dartmoor. The photograph was taken a couple of minutes after the balloon burst so it was probably at around 95,000 feet and coming down under a handkerchief sized parachute.

Edit: I've just checked and 95,000 feet is just above the maximum altitude of the SR-71 which is the highest flying "conventional" aircraft. Not many people have flown higher and those who have are often called astronauts. My £4.80 Raspberry Pi did well. I must make it a medal.

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[tonyidle]

Thanks. One of the most interesting projects I've enjoyed reading about.

 

[Spriddler]

I launched a helium filled balloon on Sunday and it had a very successful flight.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

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Think they found him in the local hospital

 

[Pausim]

Perhaps the Chinese balloons would last longer if they put Virgin logos on them.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

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[DBK]

It is getting a bit silly now. The Romanian airforce sent up a couple of jets today to intercept a balloon over Romania. They didn't spot it which isn't surprising as it is what is called a picoballoon. About 36" diameter carrying a 10g payload.

 

[Figaro]

I read somewhere earlier that the last three the US shot down at huge expense were likely inert decoy balloons

 

[DBK]

I read somewhere earlier that the last three the US shot down at huge expense were likely inert decoy balloons

Could be but size will be important. If less than metre in diameter then probably a balloon launched by an amateur. Anything in the several metres size possibly not.

However a US company (SBS) make larger balloons which become cylindrical at altitude, perhaps 5m or more high and a metre or so across.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Absolutely fascinating. I've always wondered about the temperature at these altitudes and how it physically affects the latex balloons.

 

[DBK]

Absolutely fascinating. I've always wondered about the temperature at these altitudes and how it physically affects the latex balloons.

The temperature profile with altitude isn't a straight line. It drops to - 60°C between 10 and 20km then warms up a bit before dropping to around - 100°C at around 100km.

The balloons do keep stretching but the temperature may explain why when they do fail they shatter like an exploding jigsaw.

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