Boy in balloon floating over Fort Collins Colorado

[JayT]

Which outside sources?

Larimer County Search and Rescue, Larimer county Sherriff's.

So, you decided to not only waste my time, but waste the time of other agencies as well?  In the middle of a large search that attracted national media attention?  All so you could try to legitimize yourself on an internet message board?  One can only hope that you didn't identify yourself as a CAP member. 

You started a topic earlier asking what professionalism is.  Your stated actions here are a perfect example of what professionalism ISN'T.  Hopefully, you will learn from this.  Hopefully.

No.

No what?

Cadet Williams, believe us when we're honestly trying to help you.

Rest of messages taken to PM.

[wuzafuzz]

Fox News has video posted of mom and dad being present when the balloon launched.  Unless that was a previous launch (how did they recover it if so?), it would seem to contradict earlier statements the family made.

My money is on a hoax of some kind.  Given all the effort that family has made to draw attention to themselves, they definitely deserve some close examination. 

I'm no authority on aviation law, but is it OK to release a huge untethered balloon within 5 miles of an airport?

[Spike]

Fox News has video posted of mom and dad being present when the balloon launched.  Unless that was a previous launch (how did they recover it if so?), it would seem to contradict earlier statements the family made.

My money is on a hoax of some kind.  Given all the effort that family has made to draw attention to themselves, they definitely deserve some close examination. 

I'm no authority on aviation law, but is it OK to release a huge untethered balloon within 5 miles of an airport?

No.  And since it had a compartment someone could sail in, it becomes and aircraft, and needs an airworthiness certificate.

Minimum fine is $5,000 just for that.  I am sure they will be tacking on other fines in the days ahead, as well as taking the kids from the parents.  The Dad put the kids life in danger on multiple occasions "hunting" tornadoes, and he videotapes it.  Shame on him.  I would never put my kids life on the line like that.

   

[Jill]

They apparantly have a history here in Calif.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567640,00.html

[desertengineer1]

No.  And since it had a compartment someone could sail in, it becomes and aircraft, and needs an airworthiness certificate.

Minimum fine is $5,000 just for that.  I am sure they will be tacking on other fines in the days ahead, as well as taking the kids from the parents.  The Dad put the kids life in danger on multiple occasions "hunting" tornadoes, and he videotapes it.  Shame on him.  I would never put my kids life on the line like that.

Not exactly.  If the purpose of the compartment is to carry instrumentation and the balloon was never capable of carrying a person to begin with (reference previous calculations verified by a LOT of people), that argument is DOA.

If, however, someone proves the parents launched the balloon with intent of scaring everyone, prison time and LOTS of fines are possible.

Here's my angle...  If the Dad built the balloon, or has even a couple of brain cells working, he would have known from the start this thing couldn't carry much more than 20 lbs more than a few feet off the ground.  With that known, why did he say on national TV that he thought his kid went airborne in it.  If he knew it was impossible to carry 60-90 lbs, why wasn't he doing everything within his power to keep the search local? 

Am I the only one really confused with this? 

In my whacked mind, the only logical explanation is that it was a planned hoax from the very beginning.  That aligns with the kid being nervous on TV and saying what he did.

I hope they go after the parents for every dime of this "rescue" operation - right down the the pencil lead used to fill out the AF 781's.

 

[wuzafuzz]

They apparantly have a history here in Calif.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567640,00.html

Drudge Report is referring to it as the "Loon Balloon."  ROFLMAO!   :clap:

[heliodoc]

AN aerospace education project gone truly awry.......

AEO's best be on the lookout for cadet aero ed copy cat projects out there!!

They are just hiding waiting to come out!

[a2capt]

This is just getting funny.  The kid is puking, the father calls a news conference to tell them to write their questions and put them in the box. 

"We don't ground our children" .. There's something eccentric about these people.

The children can cuss in the house. So.. they basically can do whatever with no accountability.

Weirdorama.

[a2capt]

The pendulum swings...

"Sheriff: Charges are expected to be filed against Richard Heene, whose son was thought to be in runaway balloon Thursday"

[Майор Хаткевич]

"A Colorado State University physics professor, using dimensions given by Richard Heene, had told sheriff's officials as they were tracking the balloon Thursday that it was plausible for it to lift off with 37-pound Falcon inside."

"Using the true dimensions, the professor determined it could not have launched with the boy inside, Alderden said."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_balloon_boy

[RiverAux]

Does anyone think that it was really built to carry a person?  So, if it wasn't, I don't necessarily expect some random guy to be able to do the math while worried about his kid to determine if it was possible in the first place that his son somewhere aloft in it.

That being said, throw the book at these folks.

[Майор Хаткевич]

He gave wrong info to the scientist to do the numbers. And the thing was held with duct-tape...

The payload box was thin plywood.

[EMT-83]

From CNN:

Three days after the world watched a giant balloon fly through the air as a tearful family expressed fears that their 6-year-old boy could be inside, authorities announced what millions already suspected: The whole thing was staged.

Charges have not been filed, but authorities expect to recommend felony charges including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Alderden said. They also plan to recommend a charge of filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor.

[Spike]

^ Good!

Take away the kids, throw the parents in prison and move on.

The best thing would be to break this family up now.  The Dad put his kids lives in danger on countless trips to "chase" tornadoes. 

[a2capt]

This guy is an eccentric nut bag .. and a great example of weird a$$ parenting.

.. the whole thing is becoming pretty heeneous ;-)

[321EOD]

Cadet Williams,
   As a very young senior member, I would like to give you some words of advice. When I was a cadet, I wanted everyone to know I was in cap, and I wanted everyone to like what cap was. I thought I was the coolest kid in the world, I mean think about it, the air force gives you the opportunity to really support and help your nation long before others have a chance. Now, being young, I told me friends all the neat stuff I was doing, but I also made stuff up to look neat in their eyes. Do I regret this? Of course I do. I understand your enthusiasm to show your knowledge to fellow cap members. I understand your need to be involved and feel important, for I felt the same when I was younger, but you must realize that there are times where you won't be. There are times where you just won't be important. It's just not possible to be their 24/7 365 for everything. So getting to my point, it was wrong of you to contact SM and request information, it was also wrong of you to contact an outside agency to request information. I hope you did not identify yourself as a cap member, because that will not be looked highly upon by said agencies.  By posting what you did, I am sure there are some on here that will say they won't take you seriously anymore, but take that in a stride, push on, expand your knowledge, grow and learn from this mistake. Take it or leave it, but I hope you take it.

As previously stated - words of wisdom!
I'm sure many more seasoned contributors to this forum have sought to counsel young "Williams" so I hope that other posts have encouraged him to spend less time on CapTalk and more time on his CAP studies (and school!)

Cadet Williams, young CAP jedi - put your enthusiasm to more productive use  - listen to those who are as wise as Yoda (and probably as old ;-)  who seek to teach you the ways of the Force (GSAR) and hopefully keep you from the darkside (aircrew ;-)

[a2capt]

"Heeneous indeed"...

She copped a plea

Chucked him under the bus..

(CNN) -- The Colorado father at the center of the "balloon boy" saga created the giant helium balloon specifically for a hoax to draw media attention, his wife told authorities, according to court documents.

o Mayumi Heene says she and husband knew 6-year-old was safe during scare
o They told authorities child might have blown away inside giant balloon
o Couple told children to lie to authorities and media, document says

[Smithsonia]

I am relatively certain the end of times (or perhaps Halloween) has begun early and surprisingly enough in Denver Colorado, actually an hour north in Ft. Collins. Balloon Boy is there! There's a crazier story from Ft Collins today: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13626909

So while San Francisco used to be the Capital Crazy of the Country and Boulder was the Crazy Capital of Colorado... it looks like Ft. Collins is a winner and at least weekly champs for the last 14 days.

So Wuzafuzz - Group One wishes Group 2 - Happy Halloween (or perhaps the "best" end of times)

[a2capt]

Crazier? thats referencing CSU Pueblo. Wrong end of I-25.

You miss a link?

[Pingree1492]

I am relatively certain the end of times (or perhaps Halloween) has begun early and surprisingly enough in Denver Colorado, actually an hour north in Ft. Collins. Balloon Boy is there! There's a crazier story from Ft Collins today: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13626909

So while San Francisco used to be the Capital Crazy of the Country and Boulder was the Crazy Capital of Colorado... it looks like Ft. Collins is a winner and at least weekly champs for the last 14 days.

So Wuzafuzz - Group One wishes Group 2 - Happy Halloween (or perhaps the "best" end of times)

Watch it there Smithsonia, we're a few steps away from Boulder!  And anyway, that story was from the Springs, there's not even a comparison there! 

And I think that lady might have a fighting chance at homecoming queen, being that one of the other candidates is a guy and all...  Will be interesting Saturday to see the results!  :clap: