Balloon over northern NY this morning on APRS

It was a cold morning for a balloon launch from Watertown NY! I stumbled across this team this morning on APRS.fi. I was then able to reach and briefly talk with Chris, KD2ICC on the 145.33 repeater in Remsen, NY as he headed south and east to recover the balloon that looks like it has landed near Schenectady, NY. The APRS equipped balloon and amateur radio equipped chase team were out for a balloon chase. This launch was part of the Maintenance Platoon high altitude weather balloon project (read more below).




APRS map link: http://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FKD2IIC&timerange=3600&tail=3600

Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/deltamishapp/?pnref=story

Flight prediction link: https://www.facebook.com/deltamishapp/photos/a.1091704154194374.1073741828.1090301271001329/1094486080582848/?type=3

The predicted path was pretty close. We will try to get some more details from Chris on the project and a full story of their day and the goals of the project. Stay tuned here!

The Delta Company, 3-10 GSAB Maintenance Platoon high altitude weather balloon project.

Description:
To provide esprit de corps and training in downed aircraft recovery, Maintenance Platoon of Delta Company, 3-10 GSAB will launch, track, and recover a high altitude weather balloon. The balloon will carry a payload of 65 custom company patches, 2 cameras, a ham radio APRS tracker, a satellite based tracker, and a 102 db audible siren to an altitude of 100,000 feet also known as Flight Level 1000. Upon return to earth a team of soldiers will set out to recover the payload which is projected to land in the Adirondack Mountains.

This recovery will require land navigation as well as radio communication, skills needed in real life downed aircraft recovery hence this provides a unique training opportunity to the platoon as well as a morale booster to those who receive a patch that has been to the edge of space.