Whoops! NORAD blimp comes loose and is floating freely across USA - Polidicks

[quote]A blimp associated with NORAD's surveillance of the East Coast has become untethered from its mooring in Maryland and it's now flying over Pennsylvania, according to NORAD spokesman Lt. Joe Mavrocki. Two F-16s scrambled from the New Jersey National Guard are tracking the JLENS aerostat.[/quote] [img]https://localtvkdvr.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/blimp.jpg?w=600[/img] [url]http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/28/politics/loose-blimp-norad-east-coast/index.html[/url] It's actually terrifying how they will get this down, must be thousands of pounds of equipment just floating up there.

Can they just tie it to a couple chinooks and drag it back?

[QUOTE=proboardslol;49001980]Can they just tie it to a couple chinooks and drag it back?[/QUOTE] Big floating balloon, carried on currents of air... I don't think introducing helicopters into the scenario will improve anything.

I actually just passed it on my way home, was wondering what the hell that thing was. at first i thought it was one of those ad blimps local car dealerships use, then i realized it was too big. apparently it crashed near my hometown.

Use a really big pin [editline]28th October 2015[/editline] But seriously, they can't control it remotely? Edit: they can only deflate it remotely but it may not be working

Is it just me or does this sound like something out of an episode of the Simpsons?

These were at APG, very close to me. I work south of Baltimore and could see the things on a clear day. Hopefully they can just wait for it to get over water and shoot it down. [editline]28th October 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=proboardslol;49001980]Can they just tie it to a couple chinooks and drag it back?[/QUOTE] It has 6700 feet of wire in tow so maybe they could attach to that.

Apparently F-16s have been scrambled and 22,000 people are without power thanks to a cable that's dragging behind it, according to CNN.

[QUOTE=Jonii;49002136]Apparently F-16s have been scrambled and 22,000 people are without power thanks to a cable that's dragging behind it, according to CNN.[/QUOTE] If the thing is at 16,000 feet and it has 6700 feet of cable, how is it affecting power?

shoot it

This whole snafu sounds like something right out of Stripes.

[QUOTE=agentfazexx;49002142]If the thing is at 16,000 feet and it has 6700 feet of cable, how is it affecting power?[/QUOTE] Well it did take out power. It may have ascended later [t]http://www.wgal.com/image/view/-/36099330/highRes/1/-/w/600/-/vdspvxz/-/blimp-in-Bloomsburg-PHOTO-10-28-15.jpg[/t] :v:

Hell of a picture.

[QUOTE=Saxon;49002222]Well it did take out power. It may have ascended later [t]http://www.wgal.com/image/view/-/36099330/highRes/1/-/w/600/-/vdspvxz/-/blimp-in-Bloomsburg-PHOTO-10-28-15.jpg[/t] :v:[/QUOTE] viral marketing for in the heart of the sea obv

Now even the equipment's trying to desert, get your shit together America! :v:

[QUOTE=Holt!;49002197]shoot it[/QUOTE] apparently the helium pressure inside is equal to the outside air pressure, so shooting it won't pop it like a balloon

[QUOTE=Saxon;49002222]Well it did take out power. It may have ascended later [t]http://www.wgal.com/image/view/-/36099330/highRes/1/-/w/600/-/vdspvxz/-/blimp-in-Bloomsburg-PHOTO-10-28-15.jpg[/t] :v:[/QUOTE] There's something obscene about this picture.

fire harpoons into it and drag it down like a sky whale

[QUOTE=Saxon;49002222]Well it did take out power. It may have ascended later [t]http://www.wgal.com/image/view/-/36099330/highRes/1/-/w/600/-/vdspvxz/-/blimp-in-Bloomsburg-PHOTO-10-28-15.jpg[/t] :v:[/QUOTE] Not pictured: a cyclops on horseback with his blonde boyfriend and they're shooting at a flaming man on a flaming horse

[QUOTE=Jonii;49002136]Apparently F-16s have been scrambled and 22,000 people are without power thanks to a cable that's dragging behind it, according to CNN.[/QUOTE] i hope they fire missiles at it

[QUOTE=Glitchman;49001945][img]https://localtvkdvr.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/blimp.jpg?w=600[/img] [url]http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/28/politics/loose-blimp-norad-east-coast/index.html[/url] It's actually terrifying how they will get this down, must be thousands of pounds of equipment just floating up there.[/QUOTE] That's crazy. I've seen it from a fairly close distance a couple of times and I can usually see it from my grocery store parking lot. It really is enormous. I'm just not sure how it just managed to get free like that.

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;49002452]i hope they fire missiles at it[/QUOTE] i hope someone takes videos of them firing missiles at it and holds their phone horizontal for once

You could probably shoot down the thing with guns on the f-16 but the shells would also probably overpenetrate and could hit other stuff.

Why not just shoot it with some rifle, let the gas inside slowly leak out, and descend back down to earth? Or hover over it with a Helicopter to force it down?

It has several tons of radar equipment hanging off of it They have to wait for it to get to a sparsely populated area or over water

Situation's over, guys. NPR's saying it landed in a field nearby.

[QUOTE=Phantomime;49002512]That's crazy. I've seen it from a fairly close distance a couple of times and I can usually see it from my grocery store parking lot. It really is enormous. I'm just not sure how it just managed to get free like that.[/QUOTE] I work ~40 miles from those balloons (by BWI airport) and I can see them floating from there. They must be massive.

It would've taken days for the helium to leak out, and shooting it runs the risk of damaging the tremendously expensive radar onboard. its down now though, so all good

I want to believe. [video=youtube;HQoRXhS7vlU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQoRXhS7vlU[/video]

No way! No wonder I cant see it! I usually see it on my way home from my college town.