[aprssig] Fwd: [GPSL] Update on cluster balloon flight
Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr)
ldeffenb at homeside.to
Fri Sep 13 10:15:42 EDT 2013
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [GPSL] Update on cluster balloon flight
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 08:50:08 -0500
From: Mark Conner <mconner1 at gmail.com>
To: GPSL list <GPSL at yahoogroups.com>
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=0002fadf-4361-499e-99ae-1424fb2c5219
Cluster Balloonist Abandons Attempt To Cross The Atlantic
Jonathan Trappe Was Unable To Control The Balloons' Altitude
Jonathan Trappe’s dream of floating across the Atlantic Ocean beneath of
cluster of helium balloons has ended in a safe landing, but on the wrong
side of the ocean. Trappe landed his cluster balloon in a remote area of
Newfoundland at approximately 1830 EDT Thursday, September 12, 2013.
Trappe had launched at about 0800 EDT from Caribou, Maine and had been
airborne for only about 12 hours on a flight that was expected to take
3-6 days.
ANN spoke to Kevin Knapp, a veteran gas pilot, who had the first duty
shift in Trappe’s control center following the launch. According to
Knapp, the cluster balloon was never able to achieve a stable float
altitude and developed a severe yo-yo effect --- rapid descents with the
aircraft hitting the surface of the water, followed by rapid ascents to
altitudes as high as 21,000 feet or more. Trappe was unable to gain a
steady hand on the errant balloon cluster, which at 3,000 cubic meters
of volume, was the largest in the world.
Flight service expressed real concern over the inability to control the
aircraft as they watched it repeatedly descend below their radar and
then reappear climbing rapidly. Trappe and his team obviously had the
same concern and with Newfoundland representing ‘land’s end’ before
venturing out over the Atlantic, the decision was made to terminate the
attempt.
Knapp tells ANN that Trappe was able to execute a landing after darkness
had fallen and in low visibility. In fact, he says Trappe is uncertain
if he is on the ground or possibly in trees, but he is down and safe.
Trappe noted on his own Facebook page that he planned to spend the night
in his gondola/lifeboat and had lowered the exposure cover. Knapp said
it was raining in the area and storms were expected overnight, however
the weather trajectories for winds aloft showed that in a perfect world
Trappe could have reached Ireland in 94 hours.
Trappe posted on his Facebook page about 2000 EDT "Landed safe, at an
alternate location. Remote. I put the exposure canopy up on the boat.
Will stay here for the night."
Trappe has already made history as a cluster balloon pilot having been
the first to cross Lake Michigan, the English Channel and the Alps
before making this attempt at the Atlantic.
The first crossing of the Atlantic by balloon was accomplished in 1976
by the late Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman in their helium
balloon Double Eagle II – so named because it was the second attempt by
Anderson and Abruzzo. Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones required 3
attempts to get the Breitling Orbiter balloon around the world for the
first time, and the late Steve Fossett was not successful in his solo
balloon circumnavigation until his 6th attempt in the Bud Light Spirit
of Freedom.
__._,_.___
Reply via web post
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GPSL/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdmFxZWF2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzY3NjQ0MTYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYzMTA4BG1zZ0lkAzEzNDkyBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM3OTA4MDIxMA--?act=reply&messageNum=13492>
Reply to sender
<mailto:mconner1 at gmail.com?subject=Re%3A%20Update%20on%20cluster%20balloon%20flight>
Reply to group
<mailto:GPSL at yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Update%20on%20cluster%20balloon%20flight>
Start a New Topic
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GPSL/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlYTQ2a2oyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzY3NjQ0MTYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYzMTA4BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM3OTA4MDIxMA-->
Messages in this topic
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GPSL/message/13492;_ylc=X3oDMTM2cjJsYzIxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzY3NjQ0MTYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYzMTA4BG1zZ0lkAzEzNDkyBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM3OTA4MDIxMAR0cGNJZAMxMzQ5Mg-->
(1)
Recent Activity:
Visit Your Group
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GPSL;_ylc=X3oDMTJlYmQ4MHBhBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzY3NjQ0MTYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYzMTA4BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTM3OTA4MDIxMA-->
Yahoo! Groups
<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkYXFnZGdrBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzY3NjQ0MTYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYzMTA4BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMzc5MDgwMjEw>
Switch to: Text-Only
<mailto:GPSL-traditional at yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Format:%20Traditional>,
Daily Digest
<mailto:GPSL-digest at yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest>
• Unsubscribe
<mailto:GPSL-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of
Use <http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> • Send us
Feedback
<mailto:ygroupsnotifications at yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20redesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1>
.
__,_._,___
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.tapr.org/pipermail/aprssig_lists.tapr.org/attachments/20130913/52de8331/attachment.html>
More information about the aprssig
mailing list