Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF

[GEOINTAnalyst]

A small, globe-trotting balloon declared “missing in action” by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10.

The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet.

But the circumstantial evidence is at least intriguing. The club’s silver-coated, party-style, “pico balloon” reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area.

https://aviationweek.com/defense-sp...y-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf

 

[homemaker]

I snorted when I read the title of this thread. It isn't funny; but it is so absurd it makes me shake my head and laugh. I really hope this is wrong. We let a Chinese "weather balloon" traverse all of the USA, but we shoot down a hobbyist balloon? This just can't possibly be one of the best militaries in the world doing this. It just can't...

 

[TimeWarpWife]

I heard that if this was the balloon actually shot down by the incompetent government, they had to fire two missles at it. They spent $800,000 to bring down a $12 balloon. Seems nothing has changed since the government was paying about $800 for wrenches ~ or some kind of tool ~ back in the 80s.

 

[Carl]

Don't talk too loud or you might get a bill for the cost of shooting it down!

 

[benmcd]

So now the US government is acting like the Iranians who panicked after we killed Solemani, and shot down one of their own airliners.

 

[Andiamo]

This couldn’t be. These are small sized balloons - like an average “large” Mylar balloon you get at a party store. Nobody would shoot a sidewinder at that.

 

[ItIsFinished!]

I thought this thread was the making from our witty brother Footsteps at first.

 

[pixelpusher]

heard that if this was the balloon actually shot down by the incompetent government, they had to fire two missles at it.

More and more this administration resembles the bumbling and fumbling of Carpathia and Fortunato in the Left Behind series. I guess this is what you get when the leaders are reprobate. Word salads, and 800K plus operating costs to pop a balloon that didn't need popping.

 

[SarahRose]

This is all just so weird.

I tried to find a balloon emoji and couldn’t. But this one made me laugh

 

[Dave123]

More and more this administration resembles the bumbling and fumbling of Carpathia and Fortunato in the Left Behind series. I guess this is what you get when the leaders are reprobate. Word salads, and 800K plus operating costs to pop a balloon that didn't need popping.

yes, but it does keep classified documents off of everyone's radar as the president plans to announce re-election intentions.

 

[daygo]

yes, but it does keep classified documents off of everyone's radar as the president plans to announce re-election intentions.

Too true.

 

[RedRx]

I heard that if this was the balloon actually shot down by the incompetent government, they had to fire two missles at it. They spent $800,000 to bring down a $12 balloon. Seems nothing has changed since the government was paying about $800 for wrenches ~ or some kind of tool ~ back in the 80s.

What’s sad to me is that this is still a better return on investment compared to the average government spending project. At least something was shot down. It’s easy to spend other people’s money especially when you don’t have to be accountable for any results.