Can anyone tell me what this is?

[WebbPA]

I thought you wanted to know what it was.  I've flown right through it several times.  Just like the MS balloon at Meigs.

[Paz]

The Aurora Borealis is caused by solar radiation in the Earth's magnetic field. When Solar activity is high (Sunspots and Solar Flares) it can be seen much further south than usual. I've seen it here in Southern Indiana once.

 I know what the aurora borealis is, but a very nice description all the same Matt.
 My post that consisted of only the confused little guy was in response to the previous post refering to the guy who has seen the aurora borealis and the confusion it caused me as I tried to figure out what relevance it played in this thread which is about a radar balloon.
 But then I noticed that a little ways back in the thread there was some talk of the aurora borealis that I had forgotten about, therefore you may disregard my previous post consisting only of  ???

[Rifleman]

Just saw a closeup of this balloon in "Raw Screenshots"

[Whiskey_Zulu]

By the way in real life there are restricted areas up to 10,000 feet for several miles around those baloons so people don't go inadvertantly flying into the wire.  So you can't get that close.

It's funny, when I did a lot of flight training in Florida everyone gave the same explantion about those balloons that the previous poster did (official reason is weather, real reason/main use is busting drug runners).

[Jet_Leader1]

I fly a lot in my Air Canada routes from Toronto to Rio de Janiero,I have passed that in my Boeing 767-300ER,that is a the Easter Egg since I my cousin visited that part of that area.  :)

[PATRICK HAYES]

It's just another example of what the U.S. government does  
with almost half of my paycheck. Seriously it's a U.S. customs
baloon. It's has a radar antenna and RT from an F16 fighter and is used to detect low flying aircraft. If you have a Florida
sectional chart the charted altitude on my, expired(shut-it!), chart is 14,000' max. There are also two in the Bahamas. If you takeoff from Exuma Int'l, there should be one in that vicinity. The tether is a steel cable, over an inch thick. It's deadly to just about any type of aircraft.

[PATRICK HAYES]

It's just another example of what the U.S. government does  
with almost half of my paycheck. Seriously it's a U.S. customs
baloon. It's has a radar antenna and RT from an F16 fighter and is used to detect low flying aircraft. If you have a Florida
sectional chart the charted altitude on my, expired(shut-it!), chart is 14,000' max. There are also two in the Bahamas. If you takeoff from Exuma Int'l, there should be one in that vicinity. The tether is a steel cable, over an inch thick. It's deadly to just about any type of aircraft.

[PATRICK HAYES]

It's just another example of what the U.S. government does  
with almost half of my paycheck. Seriously it's a U.S. customs
baloon. It's has a radar antenna and RT from an F16 fighter and is used to detect low flying aircraft. If you have a Florida
sectional chart the charted altitude on my, expired(shut-it!), chart is 14,000' max. There are also two in the Bahamas. If you takeoff from Exuma Int'l, there should be one in that vicinity. The tether is a steel cable, over an inch thick. It's deadly to just about any type of aircraft.

[PATRICK HAYES]

It's just another example of what the U.S. government does  
with almost half of my paycheck. Seriously it's a U.S. customs
baloon. It's has a radar antenna and RT from an F16 fighter and is used to detect low flying aircraft. If you have a Florida
sectional chart the charted altitude on my, expired(shut-it!), chart is 14,000' max. There are also two in the Bahamas. If you takeoff from Exuma Int'l, there should be one in that vicinity. The tether is a steel cable, over an inch thick. It's deadly to just about any type of aircraft.

[chauvan]

Paz definitely nailed the correct answer.  I forecast (the wx)for 3 more TARS sites, 2 in south Texas and another in southcentral Louisiana.  I think 10000 is what they told us they hold at.  I even have the proud distinction of having one break while I was on shift.  That cable doesn't do well with shear.  :)

[Oso]

Must be an echo in here.  ;)

[JBaymore]

Wow...... up to 9999 feet of 1" thick steel cable plunging back to earth!  That has the potential to make a mess.  ;)


best,

.................john

[Lethal.Ambition]

Who has it wrong?

LInk: 10,000........FS< not 10,000, 14,000 ( Poor little cessna, its resting now )

[MattNW]

[quote]

[flyboy 28]

Getting Back to the "Easter Eggs", if you goto FS2000 Flights in FS02, you can see a whole bunch of stuff. Like, cruise ships in the Panama Canal, the Kileua Eruption, (Pardon the spelling ) and the Berlin Wall is inthere too. You can also goto the "scenic wonders flight to see Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, and much more. Finally, if you takeoff out of San Fransisco Intl. and fly around the bay, you can see Coast Gaurd boats, and if you go west, you'll problibly see a light. Fly towards it, and you'll see the USS Abraham Lincoln, and the Pacific Fleet.  ;D