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Military Blimp Breaks Free and Drifts Over the Mid-Atlantic Trailing Tether (baltimoresun.com)
McGruber writes: The Baltimore Sun reports that a military surveillance blimp has broken free of its mooring at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and was last seen drifting at 16,000 ft over Pennsylvania. The 243-foot-long, helium-filled JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System) aerostat detached from its mooring at about 11:54 a.m. Wednesday. It was trailing approximately 6,700 feet of cable. "Anyone who sees the aerostat is advised to contact 911 immediately," spokeswoman Heather Roelker said. "People are warned to keep a safe distance from the airship and tether as contact with them may present significant danger."
Oh please, think of all that precious Helium!!!!
So the military is sending up a trial balloon?
I wonder what the reaction might be..
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Oy! Apparently MSNBC had commentary explaining that helium was explosive and dangerous. O_o
"Never give up, for that is just the time and place when the tide will change." -Harriet Beecher Stowe ^_^
Billions spent and the stupid thing couldn't detect a man in an ultralight headed straight for the Capital, we need to cut our losses and scrap the thing already.
looks like someone did just that.
sigs are for losers (except to point out that sigs are for losers)
Nah, they're going to escort it to Massachusetts where the Patriots experts in deflation will careful deflate it for them.
'than'
"People are warned to keep a safe distance from the airship and tether as contact with them may present significant danger."
RTFA. The airship was at 16000 feet altitude. It's very dangerous to be at that altitude unless you have an airplane, parachute, or other safety device. To be safe, people should keep about 14000 - 15600* feet away.
(* ground elevation in this area varies from around 400 - 2000 feet, iirc)