Courtesy of Pacifica High
Posted on 02/22/2012 5:08:03 PM PST by BenLurkin
GARDEN GROVE – A 30-foot-long balloon escaped from a science class at Pacifica High on Wednesday morning and was last seen drifting toward John Wayne Airport. Instructor Steve Doucette said the Advanced Placement Earth Science class – a college preparatory one – was experimenting with a solar-heated balloon, measuring 30-feet long and 3 feet in diameter at about 11 a.m.
We were studying alternative forms of energy," Doucette said.
The experiment was to show the class of 25 students the power of the sun. Doucette said his class had used a store-bought balloon made of thin, black plastic for the past four years.
"None of us thought it was going anywhere, because we had trouble with it for about 30 minutes," he said. Suddenly, the class lost the balloon.
"We don't know if the string broke, but we were left with the string, and the balloon was gone," Doucette said. "The wind picked it up and it blew it over our buildings."
Doucette said the balloon reached 1,500 feet in about 10 minutes, then it changed direction and headed south. Garden Grove Lt. Jeff Nightengale said the school called 9-1-1 to inform the police of the wayward balloon. Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, said the balloon was reported to be about 2,000 feet up and headed south toward John Wayne Airport. But, at 4:30 p.m., he said there was no indication that it ever entered John Wayne's airspace.
Air-traffic controllers were notified, Gregor said. "Larger aircraft fly at 2,000 feet when taking off or landing," he said. "We take these things very seriously." Nightengale said there have been no reported sightings of the balloon.
A call to John Wayne Airport was not immediately returned.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
“Larger aircraft fly at 2,000 feet when taking off or landing,”
What a dumb a$$ statement
Remember the good old days when high school science teacher were satisfied with small explosions from time to time.
Every Nerd knows you use 100 lb test fish line on a 30 ft.balloon, not string.
Run all available information by the Logic department, Dr. Einstein.
Wait!!!! IS there a little boy inside????
Agreed!
Everyone knows they fly at 1,999 feet when taking off and landing. The balloon will easily fly higher than the plane.
Duh!
;)
Klingons cut it!
Using a granny knot on the string didn’t help things.
The TSA has issued an alert in all cities EAST of the Nississippi and has tripled the number of pat-downs for seniors and children in all cities in texas and maine
I predict a rash of UFO sightings in the area...
If you heat passive energy and cool passive energy at the same time, would that be like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters?
I’d probably use 1000lb pull tape myself.
It’s very easy to make solar heated balloons using black, one mil trash bags. Here are some examples.
Toy size
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=kmqiwEQAl3Q
This balloon carried 5.5 pounds to over 50,000 feet. Time of flight was about 14 hours and the balloon traveled from Norman Oklahoma to 30 miles south of Shreveport, Louisiana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQfRX3pFnV0&feature=related
Here is one that can lift an person!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1q4Eql81sQ
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