Weather Balloons

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3WE
Posts: 8133
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:37 pm
Location: Flyover, America

Weather Balloons

Postby 3WE » Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:35 pm

http://forums.jetphotos.net/showthread. ... in-Toronto

This thread there got me thinking...

The NWS releases a lot of balloons.

They go really high, and "share" the sky with airplanes.

They probably tend to be released near airports, but their climb profile probably does not_parallel approach/departure routes in neither the climb angle nor lateral aspects....

I guess encounters would be some sort of in-route deal (possibly not unlike this incident).

It would be appreciated if you cold provide insider information:

I can't remember any incidents of planes vs. weather balloons.

Are you trained about airplane-weather-balloon encounters?

Are the balloons somewhat harmless?

Are the balloons designed to be identifiable- via radar, TCAS, any such thing.

Thanks, as always.
Commercial Pilot, Vandelay Industries, Inc., Plant Nutrient Division.

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flyboy2548m
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:32 am
Location: Ormond Beach, FL

Re: Weather Balloons

Postby flyboy2548m » Wed Nov 16, 2016 11:26 pm

I, too, am not aware of any collisions of this type. Nor do I recall any specific training for such. I doubt they have transponders, so TCAS is unlikely to pick them up.
"Lav sinks on 737 Max are too small"

-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.


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