Balloon Launch from Benson Airport - 12 June 2015

FLANO · Jun 12, 2015

Anyone aware of a balloon launch from Benson Airport this morning, just after 5a ?

I caught an interesting track on my ADS-B radar of N352WQ floating up to FL645 and hanging out for a while, before coming back down about 20 miles NE of Benson.

This N-Registration is reserved for the "FAA OFC OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION AST-300".

Did anyone witness the launch or descent ?

I am including some screen captures from my ADS-B Radar screen.

I sure would love to see pics of the event, and learn who launched this.

Phoenix805 · Jun 13, 2015

My first thought was probably Arizona Near Space Research - Arizona Near Space Research
They launch balloons, but I don't know how often. But their web site didn't indicate any recent flights and their next one is scheduled for July, so I doubt it was them. I did a bit of digging (like I'm sure you already did) and couldn't come up with anything else.

FLANO · Jun 15, 2015

Thank you for looking. I did search with all the different search engines and came up empty.

Very odd. There must be something out there, especially, since it used a reserved N-Registration et al....

Thanks again,

FLANO · Aug 29, 2015

Should anyone be interested, it is up again, 64,400 ft, moving at 10knots, near 32N -110.35W at 10:56MST.
N352WQ
I am feeding this to flightaware.com and to the planeplotter network.

MtnBiker2005 · Aug 29, 2015

Thanks for the heads up.

https://planefinder.net/flight/N352WQ

FLANO · Sep 3, 2016

So, today, in the ongoing saga of these weather balloon launches, I caught a launch that actually drifted towards my home, relatively

, and was able to capture a photo of it at 103,000 feet ! Taken 3 September 2016.

rwier · Sep 3, 2016

FLANO said:
Should anyone be interested, it is up again, 64,400 ft, moving at 10knots, near 32N -110.35W at 10:56MST.
N352WQ
I am feeding this to flightaware.com and to the planeplotter network.

Also, at this time N543X is showing (Flightradar24) near Benson with an indicated start location near Ehrenberg, AZ.
Might be related?

rwier · Sep 3, 2016

Also, on planefinder.net

rwier · Sep 3, 2016

Google Search: https://www.google.com/#q=N543X

FLANO · Sep 3, 2016

rwier said:
Also, at this time N543X is showing (Flightradar24) near Benson with an indicated start location near Ehrenberg, AZ.
Might be related?

I push all my data to PlanePlotter, FlightRadar24, and FlightAware. I'll have to take a look at this other one...

My next goal is to get a photo of the GoogleLoon ballon that pops in down here off and on

Thanks,

FLANO · Sep 3, 2016

rwier said:
Also, at this time N543X is showing (Flightradar24) near Benson with an indicated start location near Ehrenberg, AZ.
Might be related?

Just looked up the N-Registration, I would not believe this to be related. Whenever the launch occurs, there are no aircraft in the area. I would expect that is for safety reasons as this balloon slowly ascends and moves with the currents after departing the Benson airfield.

I think I'm going to go down to the Benson airport on Saturday mornings until I catch whoever is launching these. Seems to be a pattern with Saturday mornings. I live about 30minutes away, so no big deal

N7MXO_1 · Feb 2, 2017

FAA Hi Alt Balloon Up Again 2/2/17

Back up above 60K again. Good flight duration and it appears to maneuver - perhaps by altitude selection. Must be a zero-pressure balloon or have command vent capability given duration.

FLANO · Feb 2, 2017

Yep, I watched it for a little while as it headed east in its climb ...

N7MXO_1 · Feb 3, 2017

Could you see it visually or were you watching through e-means? Just curious. I have chased EOSS, ANSR, and TVNSP balloons and was always surprised how visible they are - even 20 miles up when they are _big_.

Based on loiter time I was guessing a zero-pressure bag, but they seemed to be controlling direction of flight by varying altitude - which is probably not a ZP envelope.

I couldn't find anything on the flight - my guess is atmospheric sciences at the U of Az, but ?

Balloon Launch from Benson Airport - 12 June 2015

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