Flightradar 24 Helium Balloon

[dbcunnz]

Picked up an Flightradar24 12.30am 02/03/2014 East of the Canterbury Bight all releast in Tekapo some time 0n the 01/03/2014
I saw another lot on early hours of the 01/03/2014 further South they where also released from Tekapo on the 28/02/2014

Aircraft LOON160
Helium Balloon Registration(777777)
-
Altitude 1,064 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 11 kt Track 63°
Latitude -43.9348 Longitude 173.635
Radar F-NZCH1 Squawk 1300

Aircraft LOON161
Helium Balloon Registration(777778)
-
Altitude 1,064 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 11 kt Track 63°
Latitude -43.9466 Longitude 173.5941
Radar F-NZCH1 Squawk 1300

Aircraft LOON163
Helium Balloon Registration(777762)
-
Altitude 464 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 14 kt Track 132°
Latitude -44.3619 Longitude 173.3434
Radar F-NZCH2 Squawk 1300

Aircraft LOON164
Helium Balloon Registration(777763)
-
Altitude 164 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 15 kt Track 124°
Latitude -44.4271 Longitude 173.3663
Radar F-NZCH1 Squawk 1300

Aircraft LOON167
Helium Balloon Registration(777766)
-
Altitude 264 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 15 kt Track 121°
Latitude -44.377 Longitude 173.2179
Radar F-NZCH2 Squawk 1300

Aircraft LOON168
Helium Balloon Registration(777767)
-
Altitude 564 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 15 kt Track 121°
Latitude -44.3726 Longitude 173.2409
Radar F-NZCH1 Squawk 1300

Aircraft LOON169
Helium Balloon Registration(777768)
-
Altitude 364 ft Vertical Speed -128 fpm
Speed 14 kt Track 132°
Latitude -44.3921 Longitude 173.1513
Radar T-NZCH1 Squawk 1300

[Ian Warren]

Doug, you spend to much time with this Flightradar .... by the way - did you pick any Hot air Balloons over Wellington ?

[emfrat]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Mar 2 2014,5:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Doug, you spend to much time with this Flightradar .... by the way - did you pick any Hot air Balloons over Wellington ?

Once saw a flock of them around the Beehive - refuelling, probly

[Splitpin]

Doug , it could be part of the Google project .... remember last year the launched a couple from tekapo . Big things , 50ft diameter as i recall.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (emfrat @ Mar 2 2014,11:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Once saw a flock of them around the Beehive - refuelling, probly

Refueling I hope .. we do need a lotta POOP ... hang on .. to late !

[Nzeddy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Loon
http://www.google.com/loon/

[scaber]

QUOTE (dbcunnz @ Mar 2 2014,1:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Picked up an Flightradar24 12.30am 02/03/2014 East of the Canterbury Bight all releast in Tekapo some time 0n the 01/03/2014
I saw another lot on early hours of the 01/03/2014 further South they where also released from Tekapo on the 28/02/2014

Aircraft LOON160
Helium Balloon Registration(777777)
-
Altitude 1,064 ft Vertical Speed 0 fpm
Speed 11 kt Track 63°
Latitude -43.9348 Longitude 173.635
Radar F-NZCH1 Squawk 1300

Hey thanks for this Doug. I saw about 4 yesterday afternoon on FlightRadar and was wondering what they were. Thanks to you I'm now a little wiser...

I see that they are on their way to South America now

[Ian Warren]

They have been doing this for many quiet a for years - decades, fact is they have only stuck transmitters on them for Joe public to watch and keep an eye on... sure beats "Coronation Street"

[dbcunnz]

Loon160 and 161 that were just east of the Banks Peninsular at 12.30am this morning and now at 8pm they are about half way to the Chatham islands all the other ones have gone off the radar.

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (dbcunnz @ Mar 2 2014,8:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Loon160 and 161 that were just east of the Banks Peninsular at 12.30am this morning and now at 8pm they are about half way to the Chatham islands all the other ones have gone off the radar.

Still there Doug , i wonder how long they last ?

[emfrat]

Only until you catch up with them in your Mustang....

[Ian Warren]

With you Mike .. ITS .. "Up .. ..up and away with TAA in the friendly skies" least think how the jingle went.

[ardypilot]

Saw the cluster on FR24 way off the coast of Canterbury at altitudes between 64ft and 130ft midday yesterday. Thought they were meant to be way up in the stratosphere?