Gas Balloon World Record Attempt w/ Ham Radio

Troy Bradley - KC5ORZ is planning to make a world record flight duration attempt in a gas balloon this week.

As Troy wrote this morning: “We are back in Amarillo for another attempt on the AA-3 duration record. The weather looks super and we are anticipating a lift off between 09/2200Z and 10/0000Z. It is the best weather pattern we have seen this winter.” (A December 10 attempt was cancelled due to unfavorable flight path and weather conditions).

The balloon is a helium-filled one-man Class AA-3 (14,000 cu. ft.) gas balloon.. The balloon will utilize onboard 2m Amateur APRS to provide tracking of the balloon during the flight.

The APRS call sign for the flight will be KC5ORZ-7 on 144.390 Mhz.

Troy's current projected flight path will take him NE from Amarillo, TX toward Watonga, OK in the first 12 hours.... Independence, KS after 24 hours.... Hartville, MO after 36 hours.... Dyersburg, TN after 48 hours.... and Nashville, TN after 60 hours.

The current AA-3 flight duration world record of 46 hours and 10 minutes, was set by Russian balloonist Serge Sinoveev in 1941!

Troy will have limited, scheduled 2m communications with the chase crew and Lou Billones (flight meteorologist) for updates. Understandably, extra batteries just for "DXing" constitutes a potential liability to the flight and jetisoning a HT battery can change the altitude of the balloon by 1000 feet or more and dramatically affect the flight plan. As weight is a major concern, unfortunately no voice communications outside the team is presently planned....literally every ounce of weight counts on a duration flight. If I find out differently (perhaps he might be using a solar panel to recharge his onboard battery and like to pass some time making QSL contacts), I'll post it here with an operating frequency.

Again, please post any visual sightings....along with any description of the sighting you can add (date, time, your location, direction and estimated distance from your location, estimated altitude, any visible markings on the balloon and gondola, description of sky conditions and any other comments. If you have a chance to take photos, please do so and e-mail them along with your sighting report directly to me so that I can send them to Troy after the flight: loeffler@vbe.com

By current forecasts, he will be flying between 1,000 and 3,000 feet AGL (Above Ground Level) most or all of the time, so he should be very easy to see when he is above your horizon, and especially detailed with binoculars or a small telescope.

Anyone interested in tracking Troy's world record duration flight attempt can follow him here:

http://www.skyspanadventures.com/record-attempt.htm

or here:

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=KC5ORZ-7

Please feel free to post any visual sightings of Troy's flight here.

VY 73,

Steve - WB9ZRE

 

He's Aloft!!!!


Troy launched at 2226Z at N35°10.118 W101°49.642 (Tradewind Air Park in southeastern Amarillo, TX).

So far he is right on track ( Course: 239.0 Speed: 5.8 MPH Altitude: 4841 feet MSL / 1190 feet AGL). His track should change later this evening to the northeast and pick up speed.

The APRS tracker is working flawlessly, updating every 2 minutes.


Please post any sightings here and e-mail any photos.

Thanks,

Steve

 

This morning, Troy passed over Strong City, OK at 1415Z.

Course: 73.0 Speed: 7.3 MPH Altitude: 5440 feet MSL / 3401 feet AGL.

His flight path at this time is almost exactly as predicted and he should be near Watonga, OK by 2200Z.

 

Neat. Bet it is cold up there. Just don't stand directly below!!!

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

 

As I type this, Troy is flying over the town of Cedar Vale in Kansas ( Course: 53.0 Speed: 23.0 MPH Altitude: 2902 feet MSL / 1950 feet AGL). This puts Troy slightly south of the prelaunch flight path.

I have been told that the chase crew following Troy has had a relatively easy chase and has been within a few miles of the balloon at all times. (If you see a full-size white van with Ballooning Dawn Ballooning Ltd. graphics on the side, pulling a white trailer with the same graphics (see the launch photos on Troy's website), you have spotted the chase crew!) Pat yourself on the back and add 30 points to your multiplier!

By the way, the chase crew is also pinging away on APRS. You can track them as well here:

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=k5lta-7

Some fantastic launch photos are now available at Troy's website as well as other new info:

http://www.skyspanadventures.com/record-attempt.htm

Cheers!

Steve

 

Troy crossed directly over the Town of Garland, Kansas ( Course: 89.0 Speed: 39.1 MPH Altitude: 3398 feet MSL / 2568 feet AGL) and into the State of Missouri at 0550z.

He is following, almost exactly, the pre-launch flight track forecasted by meteorologist Lou Billones
http://www.windsongweather.com/

 

Troy passed over the northeast corner of Arkansas at 1150z and crossed the Mississippi River into Tennessee east of Cooter, Missouri at 1238z ( Course: 137.0 Speed: 46.0 MPH Altitude: 4060 feet MSL / 3800 feet AGL), just 13 miles south of the pre-launch flight path forecast.

Troy's increase in speed in the past six hours is moving him faster and further south along the originally posted pre-flight flight path.

By 1315z Troy was altering his altitude to reach slower speed winds ( Course: 136.0 Speed: 38.0 MPH Altitude: 5776 feet MSL / 5506 feet AGL) and alter his course more easterly. 1325z ( Course: 132.0 Speed: 40.3 MPH Altitude: 6127 feet MSL / 5817 feet AGL) passing 2 miles northeast of Brownsville, TN.. 1340z ( Course: 126.0 Speed: 39.1 MPH Altitude: 6510 feet MSL / 6160 feet AGL).

Temperature is a chilly 20°F and the sky is clear.

 

AT 1500z Troy was 6.5 miles North of Corinth, Mississippi ( Course: 133.0 Speed: 36.8 MPH Altitude: 5831 feet MSL / 5671 feet AGL).

Troy is now 50 miles south-southeast of the original estimated flight track and 7 hours ahead of the schedule.

Only 8 hours left until Troy breaks the standing world duration record!

Troy passed through the northeast corner of Mississippi and crossed the state line into Alabama at 1541z ( Course: 125.0 Speed: 47.2 MPH Altitude: 6527 feet / 5882 feet AGL).

 

I gave out the incorrect description of the chase vehicle earlier (now corrected). It is a full-size white van with "Ballooning Dawn Ballooning Ltd." graphics on the side, pulling a white trailer with the same graphics (see the launch photos on Troy's website). The chase crew were last seen heading south through Nashville, TN about an hour and an 30 minutes ago (100 miles north of Troy's position at the time).

 

Based on Troy's current flight track, it looks like he will officially break the current world duration record (46 hour 10 minutes, and he he must exceed this time by 1% to be official) near Columbus, GA (Ft. Benning) at 2054z, but he will not break the record by much, as he doesn't want to land in the dark (sundown is 2322z - 6:22 pm eastern standard time) and he will be out over the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico by morning....unless he gets very lucky and passes down the center of Florida. He doesn't relish getting wet feet!

Likely, he try to stretch the record by landing just before the last of civil twilight is gone at 2348z, provided he finds a suitable landing site. The moon is a waxing crescent only 11% visible tonight, low in the west, setting at 0139z, will be of little help.

Steve

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

Troy has passed the world record-breaking time of 46 hours 10 minutes + 1% . At the moment he passed the mark (2 miles southwest of Glenville, Alabama - southwest of Ft. Benning, Georgia) Troy initiated a steep 2000+ foot decrease in altitude while shedding half his forwad speed.... currently at 2100z, Course: 133.0 Speed: 18.4 MPH Altitude: 1426 feet MSL / 1125 feet AGL). A lot of hilly terrain in the area just before passing over the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.

 

Troy just passed over the state line into Georgia flying over the Walter F George Reservoir at 2119z Course: 130.0 Speed: 18.4 MPH Altitude: 1433 feet MSL / 1243 feet AGL) and descending.

 

Troy has landed safely on the east side of the Walter F. George Reservoir on the Chattahoochee River at approximately 2123z.

Due to the high winds aloft, the hilly terrain in the direction of travel and the approach of sunset, Troy decided to land in the river floodplain which afforded him a wide and level landing area.

The link will show approximately where he landed (unconfirmed at this time, but indications were he landed in one of the somewhat round light areas near the center of the photo):

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.a....7cAL%7c

 

I want to thank everyone who monitored this thread and tracked Troy's world record breaking flight! If Troy decides to go for another record in the future, I will look forward to sharing the bandwidth here with you.

Vy 73 de Steve

 

The chase crew just "found" Troy less than 15 minutes ago.

Attached is the confirmed landing site location: