Herding cats

[Christopher Gorski]

Hi, folks,

Since the email threads here kept dying re: Maker Faire, I went ahead and put in an application for a booth again for this year.  I presume we'll get one since we got called out for being awesome last year.  (:  

The Faire is Saturday 6/16.  Who all is interested? 

I put down that we were hoping to reprise last year's flight (they asked basically "how are you going to be awesome").  I am sure we can scare up a couple group members interested enough to have a launch that day, right...?  

I'd kind of like to do another flight before then, maybe see if we can work something else cool into it (like getting APRS all the way up and down at least), but first things first...



Cheers,

--me

[Christopher Gorski]

ping!  Is anybody receiving this?   I've had problems where it turned out Google wasn't delivering my messages to the list before, though I think at the time it was fussing about an attachment.

No replies?  No interest whatsoever?  Or just technical difficulties...?

--me

[Alan Porter]

> No replies? No interest whatsoever? Or just technical difficulties...?

Your message is coming through.
June is still beyond my immediate radar.

Alan

[Christopher Gorski]

Copy that.  At least I've been heard.

Would love to chat with anybody who's got a few free brain cells and clock cycles (arguably, neither of those apply to me at the moment), maybe we can figure out what we can do to make this year better than last--and fly a prototype before then. 

But until anybody's got the time, I will stand by.


73

--me

[Bill Farrow]

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 10:14 AM, Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Your message is coming through.
>> June is still beyond my immediate radar.

Did Tanner get his radio transmitter board with GPS running ?

If we do another launch, we could use a larger screen and reliable
internet connection for live updates.

Could we do a large tethered balloon outside with a camera facing downwards ?

Bill

[Christopher Gorski]

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:01 PM, Bill Farrow <bi...@arrowsreach.com> wrote:

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 10:14 AM, Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Your message is coming through.
>> June is still beyond my immediate radar.

Did Tanner get his radio transmitter board with GPS running ?

Paging Tanner...
 

If we do another launch, we could use a larger screen and reliable
internet connection for live updates.

Anybody got a larger screen?  I am going to talk to Danforth about reliable internet.  

the other half of that, of course, is that we only get live updates for < 30kft with the SPOT, or even with non-ITAR-picky (for want of a better phrase) gps and aprs.


Or for the big guns:  I was chatting with Kevin Otte recently about this; he thinks we could do SSTV or ATV in the 70cm band well enough to be useful much of the distance, if we had a directional antenna to receive--and IF we wanted to buy the hardware (I assume nobody has the gear for that on a shelf).  I saw listings for a lightweight radio and camera for about $200 but didn't keep googling very long to see if there was anything cheaper--but that combination was in the tens-of-mW range so I doubt it would be adequate.

This would be a blast, but I don't have a couple hundred in my personal hobby budget right now, or certainly not while adding it to helium cylinders and latex envelopes.  But if there were enough interest in the group, we could probably price out and purchase such a thing for future flights by passing the hat.

But that's a chunk of hardware we don't have yet and would have to flight test--so if nobody's really excited about that, I think live coordinates all the way would make me pretty happy for starters.

(I had thought about transmitting stills, but TV may be easier...?  IF we did TV we COULD lose the still camera if it became a weight issue... though I doubt we'd have the ability to record on-board, so we'd have to make sure we could get a good signal and hopefully record it somehow.)



Additional fun thing: How about a chase team?  IF we have enough group members, we could see about people helping us find the capsule.  I don't know how many would be interested in leaving Maker Faire to go do that, or how much the Faire organizers would appreciate us taking people way down range -- but if we had a couple of our guys interested in leaving to go retrieve the hardware, we could have Makers tag along and help with the hunt.

Implicit in that I suppose is a bit of trust that nobody's going to try to find it first and steal it--and I could be convinced otherwise, but I'd guess the odds of somebody doing that are pretty low, especially if we're all on the hunt at the same time (maybe different if we handed out the coordinates and sent people out w/o us...).

 

Could we do a large tethered balloon outside with a camera facing downwards ?

Not a bad idea.

Last time, our indoor balloon was more limited by the fact that we needed to get power to it and video from it.  Open to ideas about how to get a video feed from outside...?   Drop cords are heavy, but a little webcam has such a small draw I am sure we can run our own narrow-gau. wire for that.  Signal I'm less sure about what we'd need--anybody know about video signal attenuation over a distance?  or would this be an "I have a webcam with wifi built in" sort of thing...?


I did like the indoor-cam:  it gave people a pretty good demonstration of what we were talking about, especially when they could see themselves waving at the balloon.  Outdoor could be pretty cool too.



Just food for thought, 

--me

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hello team!

 

I’m going to be doing a gas cluster balloon flight for a Japanese TV show, and I wanted to loop in the team, see if we have friends that are interested in participating, and tap the collective smarts of this team.

 

The TV company wants an indoor ‘test flight’—where we fly the balloons….in manned flight….inside.  Ok, it is cheating a little—no wind!  But, even if it is raining, we know we fly!

 

So, we need an arena big enough that we can fly inside.  (Woah, not very common you get to fly inside an areana!)  RBC center is out;  can’t do it there, and the scoreboard messes with our balloons.  

 

Dorton has said we can do it there, and have indicated a 90-foot ceiling.

 

My questions to the team are:

 

1.)    Would you be interested in coming out and putting a few dozen cylenders of helium into toy balloons, and seeing if we can’t float around the arena?  No promises at all, but we will certainly *try* to fly crew!  This would be during the first week in March, and would involve a firm commitment of 5 hours;  we would 100% be counting on those that say they can come.

 

2.)    Does a good venue come to mind, with crazy high roof?  The metrodome in Minneapolis was great! Uh, but the roof has since collapsed.  This link has photos of flight we did there.  [For that event, we disconnected all ropes….and we set the indoor altitude record!  Which was pretty easy, because nobody had done it before that we could find, so when we were 18—inches off the ground, we set the record!  Then again at 24 inches!  Then at 36.  Again at 48. Repeat, until about….5 feet.  Then: called it a day.)  http://www.clusterballoon.com/UP/East_Coast_Tour/Minneapolis/index.asp

 

3.)    I haven’t been in Dorton before.  They said 90-foot ceiling.  But, I haven’t seen it, so I can’t say.  (I’m in the Phillipines at the moment; hard to go by.)  Anybody have thoughts on this venue?

 

I kinda thought some of us might dig this;  it is a neat scale—dozens of bottles, enough to lift a man!  Cool--

 

Please shoot out ideas, thoughts, and suggestions!

-Trappe

[Christopher Gorski]

Trappe,

Sounds like a blast.  "During the first week in March" though--no way to be specific with the date??  I'd love to do it, but I can't drop and run from work.  If it's a weekend I am pretty sure I can manage.  Is this all we have to go on to give a 'firm commitment'?

Dorton is funny-shaped--lower in the middle than the ends, but I don't remember exactly what it looks like from the inside.  If they say 90', run with it...   If you need somebody to go by and look at it, I can try, if you tell me what I'm looking for (caveat: don't know when the building is open, either, but I bet we can find out).   It's not far from my house, though, so I'd be happy to try.

If the Entertainment and Sports Behemoth... uhh, RBC center... uhh, PNC Arena... uhh...  let's just call it the Jimmy V Center,  if you can't do it there, I can't think of too many other places in Raleigh with higher ceilings.  Everything else that comes to mind is either an auditorium, an airport, or outdoors.

Difficulty with any indoor arena:  if you hit the top and more than a couple pop, you're in a world of hurt--is the plan just to not let oneself get too high?  might be hard to judge when you're close to that.



Cheers,

--me

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[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hi Chris:

Oh, for sure we will have exact date, once settled on venue etc!  Dorton was available the 5th ,6th , and 7th of March.  

We might use the other kind of balloons-- the ones that are more like beach-balls.  Thin plastic;  if they hit the roof, they get a hole, or tear--- nothing too sudden happens!

-Trappe

---

From: Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: [NCNS] Manned balloon flight inside Dorton Arena:

[R Radford]

If you really want to set indoor altitude records, there is only one place to consider... the NASA vehicle assembly building (VAB) in Florida - don't know if they would be open to the idea, nor if you are open to the idea of going there for the event.

If local, then I think Dorton is your best bet; however, I would be wary of the 90' ceiling promise until I heard more about where that measurement was taken.  Take a look at this page to see some photographs of the building and it's very unusual roof structure:

http://www.ncstatefair.org/facilities/dortonhistory.htm

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hmm, looking at the photos, it does seem rather hard to access 90-feet in there--- with the way the seating comes up towards the ceiling.  It may be 90 feet from the floor, but if the seating is coming up 50 feet....and our cluster is 50 feet tall....it would be more 'wedged' then flying.

I'm am totally open to the NASA VAB!  Uh, do they rent that out?  

Though, it does bring to mind Moffett Field, in California-- the giant blimp hangar-- and current home to the Zepplin NT, run by Airship Ventures....

Hmm, though from what I remember reading, those airship hangars developed their own micro weather systems....including like...rain.  Dripping humidty, wierd winds....Hangar 1 is so freaking big I'm not sure it qualifies as being indoors anymore....

Would be freaking cool though!

-Trappe

---

From: R Radford <rrad...@mindspring.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 8:21 PM

[Brian Huff]

What about some place like the convention center.  Might be a bit little less in the way of clear heigth,  but it has a lot more clear area under that heigth. 

[Mark Turner]

Speaking of blimp hangars, we've got one right here in NC:
http://www.elizcity.com/weeksnas/

[Mark Turner]

Google Maps pic:
http://g.co/maps/r2sb6

[R Radford]

This article implies that NASA is interested in finding rental opportunities for some of their facilities, but I doubt that the rate would be reasonable enough for what you are proposing, nor do I suspect they are looking for short term, hourly, rental.  I think if you could find the right contacts, they may be interested they may be more interested in the uniqueness of the event.

http://www.space.com/10690-nasa-renting-kennedy-space-center.html

As for Moffett field, those buildings are incredible!  I have never been inside, but have stopped alongside the highway to look and take photos of them.  They are definitely an engineering marvel, and while hanger 1 is one of the largest freestanding structures, it is only 198' high in the middle, which pales by comparison to the 526' height of the VAB.

I was lucky enough to get a public tour inside the VAB early in the shuttle development program and before they closed it to the general public.  They had one of the shuttle mockups suspended in the building and I remember looking up and thinking "how small" it was, only to later realize that the shuttle was huge, but just lost in scale to the building.  I understand the building is open again for tours, and I am hoping I get to see it again when down in Florida this summer.

On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 8:13 AM, Brian Huff <brian...@gmail.com> wrote:

What about some place like the convention center.  Might be a bit little less in the way of clear heigth,  but it has a lot more clear area under that heigth. 

--

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

This is insanely cool.  Who's to say it isn't possible!

Trying...

-Trappe

---

From: Mark Turner <jmark...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 9:52 PM

Subject: Re: [NCNS] Manned balloon flight inside Dorton Arena:

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[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Freaking. Perfect.

http://www.tcomlp.com/facilities.html 

-Trappe

---

From: Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com>
To: "ncnea...@googlegroups.com" <ncnea...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 10:51 PM

[Tanner Lovelace]

Ok, so I'm late in replying, but I would definitely be interested in helping
with this. Jonathan, what's the latest word?

Cheers,
Tanner

On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 12:26 AM, Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>

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--
Tanner Lovelace
http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
(fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
increscent, all sable.

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 1:20 PM, Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 12:01 PM, Bill Farrow <bi...@arrowsreach.com> wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 10:14 AM, Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >> Your message is coming through.
>> >> June is still beyond my immediate radar.
>>
>> Did Tanner get his radio transmitter board with GPS running ?
>
>
> Paging Tanner...

Not yet. I've been swamped, sorry. It will be April before I have significant
time to work on it, but at that point I should have a lot more time than I do
now. What I've got right now is the basic board, a 2m radio daughter board,
a board that connects via the i2c bus that contains accelerometer, gyroscope,
and compass, two digital thermometers that connect via i2c, and a pressure
sensor that connects via i2c. Our flight profile is outside the
pressure sensors
published specs but someone else sent the same kind up and still got data
so it's worth a try. Anyway, I need to get all that wired up together and then
figure out how to get data into the computer and then send that data out
to the radio and to a micro SD card. If I hit it hard in April I can
aim to have a
working prototype by the end of the month so that we can test it during May
before sending it up in June. How does that sound? Jonathan, if I can manage
that, what would be the chance of sending it up in your hot air balloon for
some tests in May?

> Or for the big guns:  I was chatting with Kevin Otte recently about this; he
> thinks we could do SSTV or ATV in the 70cm band well enough to be useful
> much of the distance, if we had a directional antenna to receive--and IF we
> wanted to buy the hardware (I assume nobody has the gear for that on a
> shelf).  I saw listings for a lightweight radio and camera for about $200
> but didn't keep googling very long to see if there was anything cheaper--but
> that combination was in the tens-of-mW range so I doubt it would be
> adequate.
>
> This would be a blast, but I don't have a couple hundred in my personal
> hobby budget right now, or certainly not while adding it to helium cylinders
> and latex envelopes.  But if there were enough interest in the group, we
> could probably price out and purchase such a thing for future flights by
> passing the hat.

I would love to have live TV on a balloon. It would make it easier to
figure out when the thing popped!

Cheers,
Tanner

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hello Tanner!

Great!  We need you!  The proposed dates are March 5th or 6th.  I'm supposed to go look at the venue on Sunday.  They say highest point is 60-feet.  So, if I make a 'flat' cluster--  wide and flat instead of tall-- that might work.

I got in touch with the people operating the Elizabeth City blimp hangar.  They have a big military aerostat inside there; they said they might normally be able to have us, but can't right now.  It is 'Full.'  Wow, must be a big airship/aerostat!

So, the latest is that I'm trying to figure out how to get 125 bottles of helium to North Carolina, from 800 miles away.  Praxair Sanford won't sell them to me- shortages.  Uh, hard to move them-- more than X bottles count as HazMat, the 15,000 pound weight is like 2.5 times what a light-duty box truck like Uhaul can take, needs a commercial driver's license, etc etc.  Man.

I've ordered 80 of the 8-foot balloons, an oxygen system, etc.  Coming together!  Now just need to move helium.

I'm going to look at Dorton hopefully sunday.  (I get in from the Philippines on Sat.)

-Trappe

---

From: Tanner Lovelace <clubj...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 3:44 AM

Subject: Re: [NCNS] Manned balloon flight inside Dorton Arena:

> ncnearspace+unsub...@googlegroups.com

> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/ncnearspace?hl=en
> or our public web page at http://www.ncnearspace.org/



--
Tanner Lovelace
http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
(fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
increscent, all sable.

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[Christopher Gorski]

3/5 or 3/6--that is, Monday or Tuesday?  Daytime, I am guessing?   Hmm -- we'll see how this project sprint wraps up before I start enquiring about a vacation day--but keep me posted, this still sounds like a blast.

Let me know if you want a hand this coming Sunday--not sure there's much for more than 1 person to do, but if it's after noon, I'd be happy to tag along just for its own sake.

Meantime, hope you have a good flight home!

--me

ncnearspace...@googlegroups.com

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 3:40 PM, Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Tanner!
>
> Great!  We need you!  The proposed dates are March 5th or 6th.  I'm supposed
> to go look at the venue on Sunday.  They say highest point is 60-feet.  So,
> if I make a 'flat' cluster--  wide and flat instead of tall-- that might
> work.

Great, just let me know which day and I will see if it's possible to
take the time
off work.

> I got in touch with the people operating the Elizabeth City blimp hangar.
>  They have a big military aerostat inside there; they said they might
> normally be able to have us, but can't right now.  It is 'Full.'  Wow, must
> be a big airship/aerostat!

Hmmm.. I didn't think the military still used blimps. Or, are they going
full out steampunk? :-)

Good luck getting the helium.

Cheers,
Tanner

[Christopher Gorski]

Hey, Trappe,

Did you make it back intact?  Did you have a chance to check out Dorton Arena?

Cheers,

--me

ncnearspace...@googlegroups.com

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hey Chris, team!

I made the journey back to the USA;  it's about 26 hours from Manila to my home here.  No problem really.

I went to Dorton, and I think it will indeed work.  I will try to make a 'flat' cluster, instead of my normal tall one.  I'm aiming for two-tiers, putting the rolled polyurethane balloons on the top layer.  If the balloons strike overhead lighting etc, this type of balloon doesn't 'pop', it gets a hole.  Obviously we don't want them touching anything, but better to get some holes  then to have multiple 'pop' and have lift suddenly decrease.  With holes, it is extremely gradual loss of gas;  the person still comes down slowly.

The dates for Dorton are March 5 & 6.  The day we use it depends on if/when we are able to do the free-flight out of Statesville.  They say we have the venue from 8:00 am through 12:00 midnight.   That should do it!  Indoors, it is easy to set up.  No wind!  I would anticipate loading in the helium starting at 8:00am, and starting inflation.  Maybe be ready for manned flight by 11:00am.  The Japanese TV crew will be there the entire time, with their TV talent showing up maybe 12:00 noon.  (The guy is described as someone that is known to 95% of all Japanese people in Japan.  He is 'famous' for getting made fun of, apparently.  That is his schtick, they tell me!)

So, that is all looking good.  I'm having a very hard time buying the helium, but am still trying.  The wold of helium has changed (again.)  Praxair Atlanta quoted me $364.82 for a 'T'-- and didn't want to actually sell it to me at that.  They would rather give it to their existing customers that also buy many other gasses, than to sell it to me; I only wants 'the good stuff.'  They can keep the nitrogen!

Working on the gas~

-Trappe

---

From: Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 12:09 AM

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

I'll try to attach some Dorton photos here!   

-Trappe

---

From: Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com>

To: "ncnea...@googlegroups.com" <ncnea...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 2:30 AM

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hello Team:

Eight cases of balloons have arrived, as has the emergency pilot parachute and the oxygen system!  Ok, we may not need the O2 and parachute inside Dorton.   But, for the Statesville flight....we're ready to go high!

Helium is extremely hard to buy now.  I've bought over 1,000 bottles in the past 3 years.  Now extremely hard to buy.  

Some photos attached!

-Trappe

[Tanner Lovelace]

Statesville flight? When are you planning on doing that and how high
are you planning to go?

Very cool on the balloons, though. Out of curiosity, where do you get
them and how much
do they run?

Cheers,
Tanner

> --
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--

[Christopher Gorski]

Trappe,

Looks like fun!  Any word on the 5th/6th?

--me

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

I have a 3-day flight window:  March 4, 5, and 6.  That is Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

We would like to get a free-flight launched out of Statesville at the first weather opportunity.  Ideally the 4th, but we shall see what weather does.

The next priority is the Dorton indoor flight!  We have Dorton reserved for the 5th and 6th.  The day we use will depend on the weather and the free flight.  

For Statesville, we will be capable of 18,000 feet.  We are actually capable and equipped for 25,000 feet, but that would add a lot in terms of comunication and permissions.  A few miles up for manned flight in an open gondola--in the winter-- is plenty!

The balloons can be seen here:

http://www.balloonsdirect.com/weather-balloons.htm

Hope to fly!

-Trappe

---

From: Tanner Lovelace <clubj...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 9:20 PM

Subject: Re: [NCNS] Manned balloon flight inside Dorton Arena:

Statesville flight?  When are you planning on doing that and how high
are you planning to go?

Very cool on the balloons, though.  Out of curiosity, where do you get
them and how much
do they run?

Cheers,
Tanner

On Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 8:06 PM, Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hello Team:
>
>
> Eight cases of balloons have arrived, as has the emergency pilot parachute
> and the oxygen system!  Ok, we may not need the O2 and parachute inside
> Dorton.   But, for the Statesville flight....we're ready to go high!
>
>
> Helium is extremely hard to buy now.  I've bought over 1,000 bottles in the
> past 3 years.  Now extremely hard to buy.
>
>
> Some photos attached!
>
>
> -Trappe
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NC Near Space Research" group.
> To post to this group, send email to ncnea...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to

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--
Tanner Lovelace
http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
(fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
increscent, all sable.

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[Adrian Likins]

Gina and I can probably both help out on 3/5 or 3/6, depending

on house stuff.

Statesville flight? Cool, I'm from Statesville. Maybe you will

fly over my old house (it was under one of the common

flight paths for balloons from the balloon rally). 

Adrian

[Tanner Lovelace]

So, are you looking for people to help on March 4 too? I could
probably also help
on either 3/5 or 3/6 (but not both).

Cheers,
Tanner

>> ncnearspace...@googlegroups.com

>> For more options, visit this group at
>> http://groups.google.com/group/ncnearspace?hl=en
>> or our public web page at http://www.ncnearspace.org/
>
>
>
> --
> Tanner Lovelace
> http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
> (fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
> increscent, all sable.
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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[Jonathan R. Trappe]

We would love to have your help in Statesville on March 4th!  Meet time on the airfield may be 1:00am.

Wooooo-- it's going to be cold standing that aircraft in the middle of the night!

Or, if daytime winds are OK, meet-time be 10:00am.  Man, that means leaving Raleigh at like 7:30 am

Either one, pretty hard!

But, we'd love to have you out.  All of this is weather allowing!

-Trappe

---

From: Tanner Lovelace <clubj...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 10:27 AM

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> Tanner Lovelace
> http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
> (fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
> increscent, all sable.
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--
Tanner Lovelace
http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
(fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
increscent, all sable.

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[Christopher Gorski]

keep me posted--I am going to figure out the score for that day...  would love to help if I can swing it.  no promises yet, I'm afraid

--me

ncnearspace...@googlegroups.com

[Christopher Gorski]

So, Trappe, yesterday was T minus 1 week on this window. 

What's the score on this?  Are you planning on making 1 flight day in Statesville and 1 inside Dorton, whichever works out first?

How early is the Statesville day?

And I thought Dorton was a dry run for Statesville, but if the window begins on the 4th I guess not...?


Just trying to figure out if I can reasonably be gone from work for any of this!  Pretty sure I can't take 2 days right now, but possibly 1...


Cheers,

--me


I guess this means you've got the helium squared away, too...?

ncnearspace...@googlegroups.com

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hello Chris!

Ideally Dorton would be a lead-in to the free flight, and that is how it will air on television.  But, logistics are that we may free-fly first, and do the indoor event after.

We have 3 days that the Japanese TV talent is here.  During those three days, our priority is to do a safe free flight out of Statesville.  We are prepared with a safe system, so the open factor is weather.  The first possible flight day would be the morning of Sunday March 4th , which would have a meet-time on the airfield in Statesville of 1:00am.  Man, that will be cold.

The next free-flight option is Sunday March 4th in the afternoon, which would give a meet time in Statesville of 10:00am.

That schedule repeats for the next two days, looking for safe flying weather:  1:00am, or 10:00am on the airfield in Statesville.

For Dorton, we will either do Monday March 5th or Tuesday March 6th, depending on what is happening with weather, and the free-flight.  So, it will be either Monday or Tuesday in Dorton, depending on the Statesesville weather for the free-flight!  We will have Dorton starting at 8:00am.

Make sense?

Did a test-pull on the parachute at the Franklin County airport dropzone yesterday:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OR4wrlm8JU&feature=youtu.be

-Trappe

---

From: Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 9:34 AM

[Christopher Gorski]

Hi, Trappe et al.,

I believe I am IN for this weekend. I will have to juggle my Saturday a little to make Sunday feasible, but that's not outside of my powers, I think; I have asked my bosses here for blessing to take a day of PL on Monday or Tuesday and they both said they didn't think that would be a problem.  (Actually, my primary boss said "bring pictures", so that's a good sign...)

So unless something bizarre happens in the release cycle today/tomorrow, I am good for Sunday and (Monday or Tuesday).

Current word from the meteorologist: 

Above average confidence on the quiet wx forecast.  Should be good for the prep and launch!  Things may go downhill late Tuesday, but if you're able to do things earlier rather than later, you should be in good shape.

So having said all that:  Anybody want to carpool on the Statesville drive?  It's not unreasonable, but a late-night highway drive may be preferable with more than one person.


...Trappe, best way to check in for a go/no-go before the drive?  I believe I still have a mobile # for you... is that preferred?


--me

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hello Chris, Team!

After a 53-foot tractor-trailer, and two front-end loaders, and a team of guys, we now have helium! Shipped fresh from sunny Miami!  For no good reason except that was the only place I could find it.    20,000 cu/feet offloaded in Statesville, and another 6,500 cu/ft here in sunny Raleigh! 

Woo, those suckers are heavy.  About 15,000 pounds of steel cylinders.  Well, they weighed the truck, and they said we had 30,000 pounds-- but I can not make that jive with what I know about the cylinder weight.

Chris, I'm so glad you are coming out, for a couple reasons.  First, it is cool that we continue this lighter-than-air thing we started!  And second, we genuinely need and appreciate the help.

Here is what we are seeing right now.  We're observing forecast winds to be 8, gusting to 26 for Sunday morning from 1am through launch.  Even 8 is too high to be fun, and 26 could get someone seriously hurt.  We are also seeing the chance of rain leading into that evening, so the field would be wet.  At the moment, Sunday just doesn't look flyable.

Monday morning 1:00am is better, but not yet ideal.  We observe a slight chance of rain, and winds at about 5 from 1:00am through sunrise launch.  Then, the winds really pick up-- to like17 mid day.  Again, perhaps not safe.

Which brings us to our final launch opportunity:  meeting at 1:00am Tuesday morning.  I observe a giant high-pressure system developing over Texas and slowly easing its way up here.  By Tuesday morning, it should be right in front of Statesville, and actually cross over during the course of the day, with winds dropping off mid-day, then swinging around nearly 180-degrees as the high passes over.  Winds during inflation might be perhaps 3, all the way through launch-- and then drop off to 2 through the day.

At the moment, Tuesday early a.m. seems like the safest day to fly.

This means we would do Dorton Arena on Monday morning at 8:00am, and then Statesville 17-hours later, at 1:00am Tuesday.  

Chris, what do you think about running the above analysis by your meteorologist, and see if he thinks I'm crazy?  A friendly synopsis of what I am seeing is here:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?w0=t&w1=td&w2=wc&w3=sfcwind&w3u=1&w4=sky&w5=pop&w6=rh&w7=thunder&w8=rain&w15u=1&w16u=1&w23=cig&w24=vsby&AheadHour=74&Submit=Submit&FcstType=graphical&textField1=35.76400&textField2=-80.95300&site=rah&unit=0&dd=0&bw=0

We will let the weather develop a little bit, before making any decisions.  If it looks the same tomorrow, we will likely push off any potential Sunday launch, and look to Mon/Tue, as above.

We will know more tomorrow, then Saturday.  But, at the moment:  inside Dorton at 8:00am Monday!  

Chris, you still in-- for Dorton?  For Statesville?

Tanner:  Dorton Monday?

Rodney?

-Trappe

---

From: Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com

Cc: Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 1, 2012 2:35 PM

[Christopher Gorski]

Trappe,

I'll be happy to send the analysis on to nsj and see what he says--though from what I was gathering from him, he's thinking Monday and probably even Sunday will be just fine for a flight.  But let's get the word from the professional before we go too much farther.  (:   I did not specify wind parameters when I asked him the first time, though the one bit I had looked at directly looked relatively calm... what are your "no fun" and "no fly" limits?  

I'd love to be in for both, but it depends on the "when"... I have been blessed to take one day of PL but not two.    ...Later you can ask me if that means I'm stupid enough to be somewhere at 1AM and in at work the next day.  ({g}, I probably better not be.)    So you can tell me which day I'll be of more help, and if there's anything I should bring or just myself... 

Only partially related:  how long a day do we expect after our "show up at the launch site" time?

--me

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

6 isn't fun anymore.  Everything batting around.

Now, 6 for an airplane-- heck, that is nothing.  But, for our cluster balloon-- that is enough.  We've been in 8-10, and it is not what we want to do ever again.  The forecast those times was lower, but it was off by a couple knots...in the wrong direction.  So, if it is forecast to be 8.....and it is off by a couple.....in the wrong way...bad times.

I'm digging those days with 2's and 3's.  I'd take dead calm! (At the surface;  need some wind aloft, so we don't get stuck over a swamp or something.  Nice to have some speed we can climb up into to get somewhere.)

-Trappe

  

---

From: Christopher Gorski <cpgo...@gmail.com>
To: ncnea...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, March 1, 2012 8:08 PM

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 6:55 PM, Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Tanner:  Dorton Monday?

Unfortunately, I can't say just yet because I spent last night in the ER after suffering a

"thunderclap headache" and didn't go to work today.  I'll have to let you know tomorrow. 

I'd like to, but I've already missed 2 days of work this week and missing a day next

week might be pushing it. :-(

Tanner

[Christopher Gorski]

Oh, PS:

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 6:55 PM, Jonathan R. Trappe <jtr...@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Chris, I'm so glad you are coming out, for a couple reasons.  First, it is cool that we continue this lighter-than-air thing we started!

Yeah, flying is still awesome.

Just sayin'.

--me

[Jonathan R. Trappe]

Hello team:

We met with the Japanese TV crew today, and did an inflation test on on of the balloons, to bursting.  Somewhat like what we did with the white Pawan balloon last year, but this time we had a very excited, giggling Japanese girl, and a half-panicked Japanese man in an orange jumpsuit.  

I'll say this:  Japanese TV is crazy.

Pics attached!

We are on for Dorton Arena in the morning!  Manned flight under helium balloons!

-Trappe