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Legal? - SPOT Helium Balloon Race
Hi,
This was a crazy idea I had that my son thought would be a lot of fun. The question is whether or not it is legal or advisable. The idea is to tie a bunch of helium party balloons to a SPOT unit, then let it go and see how far it gets. We would chase it down in a car. Theoretically, we should be able to follow it and know exactly where it lands from the SPOT tracking data - send to a PDA or monitored using a PC. I thought it would be fun to get my 11 year old son and perhaps his science class at school to help design it. They would learn a lot in the process - such as calculating the number of balloons required, analyzing the weather, etc. I was planning on including a parachute so it won't land hard if all the balloons pop, and a dish shaped base to help it land right-side up so the SPOT tracking data can be broadcast to the satellites after landing. We'd also attach a note with our phone numbers. We'd try to keep it as light and simple as possible so that it would not do any damage to aircraft that might happed to hit it. I think the odds of it getting hit by an airliner are extremely slight, but I certainly wouldn't want to cause any issues with airliners and their passengers. I think it would be a fun adventure that may even help convince my 11 year old (nearly 12) son that doing glider retrieves would also be fun when he gets his driver's license in less than 5 years. But I don't want to do it if it is not safe, or not legal, etc. I don't want to "take my chances" that it will be safe - unless the risks are miniscule. I look forward to your feedback. I imagine that it won't be positive, but I just had to ask... It sounds like a fun adventure. Good Soaring, Paul Remde |
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