Reaching high altitudes with trash bags
September 24, 2011 5:06 PM Subscribe
Oh hello, I'm Las Vegas high school student Manuja Gunaratne and I built this aircraft using trashbags and helium. Btw, I put a GPS tracker on this thing and had a digital camera takes pictures during the entire flight. Check out Project T.B.A.C.
Pictures: special highlights.
Detailed DIY guide.
via
Pictures: special highlights.
Detailed DIY guide.
via
"Well that's a weird way to frame a post on a site that strongly opposes self-linking."
It's like all those, "oh, hai..." posts on lolcat.... we don't really believe the cat posted it...
Neat project... nice that they were able to recover it and weren't arrested by Homeland Security!
posted by tomswift at 5:33 PM on September 24, 2011
It's like all those, "oh, hai..." posts on lolcat.... we don't really believe the cat posted it...
Neat project... nice that they were able to recover it and weren't arrested by Homeland Security!
posted by tomswift at 5:33 PM on September 24, 2011
This is all over the web and I have to wonder why. Kid fills up some trashbags with helium and attaches a camera and gps telemetry. Calls it an "aircraft" (wrong!) and sometimes a spacecraft (wronger!!) either of which sounds neater than a balloon I suppose buy why it is deserving of attention? It's not like the kids who got a balloon to go to the edge of space and take pictures (for under a couple hundred dollars ) which was pretty neat. This is trashbags filled with helium and a camera and the web is gong wild .... for what exactly?
posted by Poet_Lariat at 6:10 PM on September 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Poet_Lariat at 6:10 PM on September 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
ARRRrgh one more thing... he launched this thing right in the middle of Las Vegas Class A airspace - the busiest and most restrictively controlled airspace there is. There is ZERO chance the FAA gave him a permit for this. Had this balloon flew into a jet intake this would have been an entirely different story - basically this kid is in (or will be in ) a whole pile of trouble.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 6:17 PM on September 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Poet_Lariat at 6:17 PM on September 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
The last time I fell for a hoax like this there was supposed to be a boy inside.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:23 PM on September 24, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 6:23 PM on September 24, 2011 [4 favorites]
The aerial shots of the residential areas is depressing. Miles and miles of tightly packed identical houses. And golf courses. In the desert.
posted by MikeMc at 6:26 PM on September 24, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by MikeMc at 6:26 PM on September 24, 2011 [4 favorites]
So much snark on a Saturday night. Sorry you're stuck at home with nothing better to do than crap on some kid's school project. I thought it was awesome, in particular how well documented it is.
I recently heard an inspiring talk by Stewart Long of Public Laboratory. They're basically doing the same kind of aerial photography on the cheap but directed to make free aerial maps of areas of interest. Like the Gulf Coast after the BP oil spill. Same level of tech though: cheap balloons (they like mylar), a light camera. They tend to use kites or tethered balloons, so less need for a GPS. Then they rectify the images and stitch them together in a map. It's good stuff.
Title 14 Part 101 is the relevant bit of federal law. You can fly balloons all you want, as high as you want, as long as they are very light.
posted by Nelson at 6:31 PM on September 24, 2011 [5 favorites]
I recently heard an inspiring talk by Stewart Long of Public Laboratory. They're basically doing the same kind of aerial photography on the cheap but directed to make free aerial maps of areas of interest. Like the Gulf Coast after the BP oil spill. Same level of tech though: cheap balloons (they like mylar), a light camera. They tend to use kites or tethered balloons, so less need for a GPS. Then they rectify the images and stitch them together in a map. It's good stuff.
Title 14 Part 101 is the relevant bit of federal law. You can fly balloons all you want, as high as you want, as long as they are very light.
posted by Nelson at 6:31 PM on September 24, 2011 [5 favorites]
...Las Vegas Class A airspace - the busiest and most restrictively controlled airspace there is.
White House
posted by DU at 6:38 PM on September 24, 2011
White House
posted by DU at 6:38 PM on September 24, 2011
Oops, I didn't think about airpsace. You can't fly a balloon absolutely anywhere. His track does appear to be well northwest of the KLAS Bravo surface shelf, though, as long as he didn't go too high he could be clear of their airspace for the whole flight. There's other airspace and rules to consider, I'm not clear on the details of the rules.
posted by Nelson at 6:59 PM on September 24, 2011
posted by Nelson at 6:59 PM on September 24, 2011
Nelson :
The relevant parts are :
Part 101.33(d): During the first 1,000 feet of ascent, over a congested area of a city, town, or settlement or an open-air assembly of persons not associated with the operation; or
(e) In such a manner that impact of the balloon, or part thereof including its payload, with the surface creates a hazard to persons or property not associated with the operation.
101.37(a)(a) Prelaunch notice: Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate an unmanned free balloon unless, within 6 to 24 hours before beginning the operation, he gives the following information to the FAA ATC facility that is nearest to the place of intended operation:
101.37(d)(d) Launch notice: Each person operating an unmanned free balloon shall notify the nearest FAA or military ATC facility of the launch time immediately after the balloon is launched.
But most especially Part 101.1.4(iv) Uses a rope or other device for suspension of the payload that requires an impact force of more than 50 pounds to separate the suspended payload from the balloon.
In the pictures on his website the young man clearly shows his payload suspended from the balloons using nylon rope. From the width of that line it seems clear that the rope can maintain a 50lb separation force.
You just can't fly these things over congested airspace . I used to live in that area - planes are constantly going in and out and around LAS airport. It was a reckless thing to do.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 7:13 PM on September 24, 2011
The relevant parts are :
Part 101.33(d): During the first 1,000 feet of ascent, over a congested area of a city, town, or settlement or an open-air assembly of persons not associated with the operation; or
(e) In such a manner that impact of the balloon, or part thereof including its payload, with the surface creates a hazard to persons or property not associated with the operation.
101.37(a)(a) Prelaunch notice: Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate an unmanned free balloon unless, within 6 to 24 hours before beginning the operation, he gives the following information to the FAA ATC facility that is nearest to the place of intended operation:
101.37(d)(d) Launch notice: Each person operating an unmanned free balloon shall notify the nearest FAA or military ATC facility of the launch time immediately after the balloon is launched.
But most especially Part 101.1.4(iv) Uses a rope or other device for suspension of the payload that requires an impact force of more than 50 pounds to separate the suspended payload from the balloon.
In the pictures on his website the young man clearly shows his payload suspended from the balloons using nylon rope. From the width of that line it seems clear that the rope can maintain a 50lb separation force.
You just can't fly these things over congested airspace . I used to live in that area - planes are constantly going in and out and around LAS airport. It was a reckless thing to do.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 7:13 PM on September 24, 2011
I am glad this kid doesn't know Poet_Lariat.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 7:46 PM on September 24, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 7:46 PM on September 24, 2011 [7 favorites]
"Let's not forget- Keeping wildlife, an amphibious rodent, for uh, domestic, you know, within the city - that ain't legal either."
posted by rollbiz at 9:41 PM on September 24, 2011
posted by rollbiz at 9:41 PM on September 24, 2011
An unimpressive dumb stunt, overall. He should be busted for the rulebreaking, to discourage emulations.
posted by anadem at 10:26 PM on September 24, 2011
posted by anadem at 10:26 PM on September 24, 2011
He does mention in the comments that he contacted local authorities prior to launch and was assured that it was legal.
posted by imbri at 1:06 AM on September 25, 2011
posted by imbri at 1:06 AM on September 25, 2011
The FAA Part 101 rules don't apply to certain light balloons - see 101.1(a)(4).
posted by exogenous at 7:17 AM on September 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by exogenous at 7:17 AM on September 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's shocking just how much the shots look like simcity.
posted by ciderwoman at 7:35 AM on September 25, 2011
posted by ciderwoman at 7:35 AM on September 25, 2011
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