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Post by komata on Jul 7, 2014 17:50:45 GMT 12
I have just checked FR24 (at 17.36 actually).
On it I have noted the following items: Several 'units' identified as 'HBAL's' with an identification number (at the time I looked) of HBAL 248-256 inclusive.
With an altitude of between 364 ft and 63,535 ft and a 'ground speed' of approximately 38-40 kts, these are obviously very slow 'aerial devices' , and so are evidently some sort of Weather Balloon.
Notably they are all heading Eastwards out into the Pacific and presumably a watery grave.
Does anyone have any Information about these 'UFO's'? Are they a 'daily' occurance, and who releases them?
Thanks.
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Post by htbrst on Jul 7, 2014 17:54:08 GMT 12
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Post by komata on Jul 7, 2014 19:30:47 GMT 12
htbrst
Thanks for the suggestion. Perhaps someone can confirm the hypothesis? As far as to what they may be part of I have no idea, but a look at FR24(1922) a minute ago indicates that the HBALA's are now being 'placed' into a line that is approximately at right angles to the South Island (specifically off the coast of Timaru) with their 'point of departure' being somewhere in the middle of the Southern Alps.
Curiously, HBLA's 248-251 and the HBAL's 25 and 254 are no longer providing data for the FR24 site, whereas before this was available.The remaining group. HBAL's 253 and 252 are still doing-so, but probably not for much longer. As 'Balloons' are difficult to 'park' in any situation and especially over the ocean, the situation does seem somewhat unusual.
Any other ideas folks?
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Post by suthg on Jul 7, 2014 19:33:34 GMT 12
HBAL could stand for Helium BALoon - quite likely in fact...  |
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Post by komata on Jul 8, 2014 5:46:52 GMT 12
8 July 2014 Update,FWIW:
It would appear that both suthg and htbrst are correct. Subsequent to suthg's reply,(specifically at 0021) the HBAL's were noted as being 'Helium Balloons' and were in formation, with one (HBAL 250) at that stage carrying the 'Registration' 'GOOGLE'. No additional 'inflight' details were available for its companions The formation was at that time north of Christchurch, all flying together and travelling at 30 kts at 640 ft altitude.
By 0524, only two were still airborne (and still in formation) and were at 63,535 ft, travelling at between 17-27 kts.
Presumably, they will eventually 'crash' into the Pacific.
A somewhat unusual group of 'aircraft, the existence of which which poses an additional question. In the UK (unless the reg's have changed) all 'aerial vehicles' are required to carry G-prefixes and be CAA-registered prior to flight. These 'Kiwi' balloons were not / are not required to do so by NZCAA, yet have apparently been allocated the reg' of 'Google' by 'FR24'. In the opinion of the 'Plane Spotters' amongst us, do 'HBAL' and 'GOOGLE' constitute 'real rego's' or are they 'convenience' marks allocated by FR24 and with no 'legal' standing as a result? I ask this since if one was run into by an aircraft what would be the legal ramifications in respect of ownership etc. of an 'unlicensed' balloon being involved in such an 'incident'?
Thanks.
Thanks.
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Post by suthg on Jul 8, 2014 7:15:44 GMT 12
So the question also arises over the atmospheric weather balloons (also helium filled) released singly (I believe) from Auckland, Wellington and Invercagill at least once a day?
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 11, 2014 17:24:02 GMT 12
So the question also arises over the atmospheric weather balloons (also helium filled) released singly (I believe) from Auckland, Wellington and Invercagill at least once a day? I monitor and track weather balloons often (yes another one of my hobbies). You can hear them at 403MHZ. Quote below from Metservice who have been very helpful: "Hi Darren Thanks for your email. I think you rang earlier this evening. Yes, the balloon flights are at 11am and 11pm". This is from Whenuapai in Auckland, however Metservice uses various other sites also. I use a program called SondeMonitor to track them and you can actually recover these balloons if you wish. The balloons as mentioned in the above post however are indeed Google's Project Loon to supply internet to remote areas. One of these puppies (my ADS-B radar has just picked up) over Huntly heading this way at 61,000ft. Pic attached Let me know if you need any other info More info here: www.google.co.nz/loon/ |
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Post by kiwi172 on Jul 11, 2014 21:51:20 GMT 12
Would these per chance be balloons released from somewhere near Haast by NIWA in conjunction with the Deepwave project currently running and utilising the Gulfstream V aircraft N677F and the Falcon 20 D-CMET out of NZCH.
Do either of these two aircraft appear on your FR24?
I would imagine that the flighs would coincide !
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Post by AussieBob on Jul 11, 2014 23:17:39 GMT 12
2 still floating eastwards Fri Jul 11 That's HBAL224 a little northeast of 225  |
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Post by kiwi172 on Jul 15, 2014 17:47:36 GMT 12
Another batch of them presently up the length of the Alp (15-07-2014 1700hrs)
D-CMET also did a sortie in that direction today.
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 16, 2014 12:46:25 GMT 12
HBAL 267 overhead my house right now at 63,000ft. I can actually see it. Pics to come...
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Post by komata on Jul 16, 2014 13:49:56 GMT 12
Darren
I don't know where you are located, but thank you sir for confirming what I 'thought' I saw; the proverbial 'little dot in the sky', well above conventional aircraft height over the Waikato. Unfortunately by the time I got back with binoculars said 'dot' had moved and vanished to 'points unknown'. According to FR24, it was yet another 'GOOGLE' balloon (one of a gaggle BTW), moving northwards at at 63535 ft., (I didn't know I could see THAT well; evidently a 'trick of the light'). (A check of FR24 indicates it may have been HBAL 268).
FR24 indicates that this latest batch have been launched from a spot on the Canterbury side of the Souther Alps, and are now heading out into the Pacifc and their inevitable demise. Yet more have just been released, so the stratosphere is going to be somewhat-crowded for the next few hours...
Again, thanks.
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 16, 2014 14:37:36 GMT 12
Darren I don't know where you are located, but thank you sir for confirming what I 'thought' I saw; the proverbial 'little dot in the sky', well above conventional aircraft height over the Waikato. Unfortunately by the time I got back with binoculars said 'dot' had moved and vanished to 'points unknown'. According to FR24, it was yet another 'GOOGLE' balloon (one of a gaggle BTW), moving northwards at at 63535 ft., (I didn't know I could see THAT well; evidently a 'trick of the light'). (A check of FR24 indicates it may have been HBAL 268). FR24 indicates that this latest batch have been launched from a spot on the Canterbury side of the Souther Alps, and are now heading out into the Pacifc and their inevitable demise. Yet more have just been released, so the stratosphere is going to be somewhat-crowded for the next few hours... Again, thanks. Sure, no problem I will upload some pics tonight. I am North of you. I saw 267 directly overhead and then when arriving at the airport just before for my duty 268 directly overhead the airport at 63,000ft. 267 indeed beat me to the airport. It was already overhead Mt Wellington by the time I got to the airport Indeed they look like a tiny white dot but these things are huge. I was just speaking to one of our captains. They use the wind charts and data from NOAA and control via ascent and decent the balloons path. They are not disposable and they keep circulating the Nth and Sth Island. I will find out more from Google as to when they are re-filled etc as I find it very interesting. I actually want to start my own balloon project (funds permitting) with a receiver and camera. It has been done by some Hamilton teens some time back... |
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Post by komata on Jul 16, 2014 14:54:52 GMT 12
Thank you Darren; it's great to know my eye's weren't playing tricks...
Circulating over the North and South Islands? Curious!! I know a little about about the behaviour of wind-directed / controlled 'free' balloons, and to create a 'circuit' around NZ is not something I would have thought possible, since I was taught many years ago that any 'free' balloon was inevitably on a one-way trip out into the Pacific. This 'fate' was due to the prevailing winds over NZ being effectively (predominantly) roughly SW-NW in their movement (at least at the lower altitudes). Based-upon this, to 'turn' a balloon into such wind patterns and then run up against them would seem to involve actions somewhat akin to tacking in a yacht. I am however aware that New Zealand gets the 'eddies' that are offshoots from the South Polar Jetstream that goes along Australia's East coast, so wonder if the Google craft are directed into these and brought back southwards by riding on them? It would seem to be the most feasible possibility, but then again...
IMHO, it's very interesting; I look forward to further information.
Again, thanks.
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 17, 2014 3:09:51 GMT 12
Ok, first one is of ballon HBAL 267 tracking over our place at almost 64,000ft:  Second of HBAL 267 itself. A tiny dot but none the less visible:  |
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 17, 2014 3:11:12 GMT 12
About 10 more of these heading Nth (currently around the Wellington area). If the weather stays clear for today we should see them |
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Post by kiwi172 on Jul 17, 2014 8:39:10 GMT 12
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 17, 2014 14:30:50 GMT 12
They all seem way out to sea right now off the West Coast...
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Post by Darren Masters on Jul 17, 2014 18:46:54 GMT 12
Gosh they are all floating around off the West Coast. Looks like some making their way back down South and some may be re-directed onto the mainland from the sea  |
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Post by Darren Masters on Aug 21, 2014 18:14:27 GMT 12
HBAL 271 at around 60-something thousand feet. Just saw it with the sunset over West Auckland |
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