6-year-old takes off in family's experimental helium-balloon craft (well, not really)

rdowns · Oct 15, 2009, 02:41 PM

This is just unreal. Watching it on TV as we speak.

Link

Quote:

FORT COLLINS. Colo. - Authorities were scouring the skies Thursday for a 6-year-old boy who unhooked his family's experimental balloon-powered aircraft and floated away from home.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Department said the boy's family had been building an experimental aircraft that had a large helium balloon attached to it at their home, KUSA-TV reported. The aircraft was approximately 20 feet by 5 feet and covered in tin foil, the station said.

On Thursday morning, according to the family and officials, the boy got onto the aircraft and detached the rope holding it in place.

Several people in the neighborhood said they saw the aircraft floating over their homes and some snapped pictures.

The Federal Aviation Administration told NBC News the craft was last spotted somewhere over Greeley, Colo., about 26 miles east of Fort Collins.

jessica. · Oct 15, 2009, 02:43 PM

I saw that today as well. Technically this should get him intothe record books as well.

rdowns · Oct 15, 2009, 02:52 PM

MSNBC is running live video. This poor kid is flying in this friggin' balloon and has been as high as 10,000 feet. I don't think this will end well. THey have no way of recovering this balloon.

kymac · Oct 15, 2009, 02:55 PM

i cant even think of a way to possibly rescue this boy.. the only outcome i see is a very long fall with no realistic chance of ending well

Unspoken Demise · Oct 15, 2009, 03:00 PM

Let's pray (hope, wish good thoughts, whatever) this has a happy ending.

ucfgrad93 · Oct 15, 2009, 03:02 PM

Oh, man, that is just awful!

velocityg4 · Oct 15, 2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kymac

i cant even think of a way to possibly rescue this boy.. the only outcome i see is a very long fall with no realistic chance of ending well

Get a stunt pilot to try to hook it from a slow flying biplane and drag it down is about the only thing I could imagine. Or hook it from a helicopter. Though either of these could shred the balloon if its skin is not very strong.

If they could get a Coast Guard chopper there and it can fly high enough they may be able to wench a rescuer down to the kid. If the winds are not too strong.

rasmasyean · Oct 15, 2009, 03:06 PM

Holy crap? Do you see how fast that thing flies? That boy must be having a blast running away from the cops!

arkitect · Oct 15, 2009, 03:18 PM

Uh, oh… it looks like it is losing helium… hopefully very gradually!

poopyhead · Oct 15, 2009, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdowns

THey have no way of recovering this balloon.

two helicopters and a very large fishing net. they could slowly force it down.

I wonder about the temperatures and amount of O2 at 10,000 feet.

notjustjay · Oct 15, 2009, 03:22 PM

There's just so many things wrong with this!

I know when I was a kid, my dad never let me anywhere near our experimental helium balloon craft...

ZachsMacDaddy · Oct 15, 2009, 03:22 PM

I hope it descends slowly. But at that speed, the landing is going to be very very rough and the thing has a thin plywood base that is not attached well according to the dad.

legally the dad is gonna be in some trouble I assume. Lost of $ tied up now in chasing this thing down.

I really really hope he lands safely and makes it home. I just keep thinking about my own 5 year old and it's hard to imagine what the boy must be going through.

rdowns · Oct 15, 2009, 03:25 PM

The National Guard is launching a helicopter. If they have a plan, they are not sharing it with the media.

jessica. · Oct 15, 2009, 03:25 PM

^ that and holy crap, they're rerouting planes now?

fireshot91 · Oct 15, 2009, 03:27 PM

How is he breathing in there?

I mean, if it's all helium, or mostly helium, and, as far as I can tell, there's no basket, where is the kid?

MasterDev · Oct 15, 2009, 03:28 PM

Oh wow... I hope this ends well...

rasmasyean · Oct 15, 2009, 03:28 PM

Bad piece of engineering. Unstable on decent sequence. It looks like it's rolling him all arround.

arkitect · Oct 15, 2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireshot91

How is he breathing in there?

I mean, if it's all helium, or mostly helium, and, as far as I can tell, there's no basket, where is the kid?

It is a separate container attached to the bottom…
If he was breathing helium he'd be long dead… his last words very squeeky…

ZachsMacDaddy · Oct 15, 2009, 03:30 PM

There's a basket, but it's practically closed off. At least that's how the description was earlier, but now they are questioning it again.

The MSNBC live feed just discussed that. They say that it's unknown whether the helium is sealed enough. If not, he may breathe in too much gas and would suffocate.

He's dropping about 2000ft per hour now.

IntheNet · Oct 15, 2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdowns

FORT COLLINS. Colo. - Authorities were scouring the skies Thursday for a 6-year-old boy who unhooked his family's experimental balloon-powered aircraft and floated away from home.

I have a hard time believing this is real... isn't this sort of the script for that Disney movie "Up"?

Mousse · Oct 15, 2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdowns

This poor kid is flying in this friggin' balloon and has been as high as 10,000 feet. I don't think this will end well. THey have no way of recovering this balloon.

Holy S***! I'd had to say it, but the poor kid is probably gone.

That high, the air would be pretty thin and really, really cold.

bartelby · Oct 15, 2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mousse

Holy S***! I'd had to say it, but the poor kid is probably gone.

That high, the air would be pretty thin and really, really cold.

Reading the article is says it has the potential to go to 10,000ft. The BBC news says it MAY have gone as high as 7,000ft.

Still, it only takes a fall of 6 feet to kill you, and I've no idea about oxygen at 7,000 feet.

MacNut · Oct 15, 2009, 03:35 PM

So this thing is now about 500 feet and falling slowly.

Mexbearpig · 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireshot91

How is he breathing in there?

I mean, if it's all helium, or mostly helium, and, as far as I can tell, there's no basket, where is the kid?

Exactly.
And a Baloon expert said it would be listing up and down more if he was in there. I think he might not be in there

Edit: CNN has updated-The boy doesnt seem to be in there. Whew

hayduke · Oct 15, 2009, 03:36 PM

Gentle landing!!!!

Oct 15, 2009, 02:43 PM	#2
jessica. macrumors 604 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: missing plugin … cue sadness	I saw that today as well. Technically this should get him intothe record books as well. __________________ … and if you were a kiss I know i'd be a hug …

Oct 15, 2009, 03:02 PM	#6
ucfgrad93 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Colorado	Oh, man, that is just awful! __________________ 2.4 20" aluminum iMac - August 2007 2.2 15" MacBook Pro - January 2008 8GB 1G iPhone - January 2008 Motorola Q9 Global - November 2008

Oct 15, 2009, 03:06 PM	#8
rasmasyean macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2008	Holy crap? Do you see how fast that thing flies? That boy must be having a blast running away from the cops! __________________ Cure diseases with your unused processor power! You can make a difference! Folding@Home - Distributed Computing

Oct 15, 2009, 03:18 PM	#9
arkitect macrumors 68040 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Watching ink dry	Uh, oh… it looks like it is losing helium… hopefully very gradually! __________________ akroterion

Oct 15, 2009, 03:22 PM	#11
notjustjay macrumors 68030 Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Canada, eh?	There's just so many things wrong with this! I know when I was a kid, my dad never let me anywhere near our experimental helium balloon craft... __________________ MRoogle

Oct 15, 2009, 02:52 PM	#3
rdowns Thread Starter macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jul 2003	MSNBC is running live video. This poor kid is flying in this friggin' balloon and has been as high as 10,000 feet. I don't think this will end well. THey have no way of recovering this balloon.

Oct 15, 2009, 02:55 PM	#4
kymac macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: portland	i cant even think of a way to possibly rescue this boy.. the only outcome i see is a very long fall with no realistic chance of ending well

Oct 15, 2009, 03:00 PM	#5
Unspoken Demise Banned Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: >9,000	Let's pray (hope, wish good thoughts, whatever) this has a happy ending.

Oct 15, 2009, 03:22 PM	#12
ZachsMacDaddy macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland	I hope it descends slowly. But at that speed, the landing is going to be very very rough and the thing has a thin plywood base that is not attached well according to the dad. legally the dad is gonna be in some trouble I assume. Lost of $ tied up now in chasing this thing down. I really really hope he lands safely and makes it home. I just keep thinking about my own 5 year old and it's hard to imagine what the boy must be going through. __________________ Collectors Edition unibody Macbook 2.0GHz iPod Touch 32GB

Oct 15, 2009, 03:25 PM	#13
rdowns Thread Starter macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jul 2003	The National Guard is launching a helicopter. If they have a plan, they are not sharing it with the media.

Oct 15, 2009, 03:27 PM	#15
fireshot91 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Lorton, VA	How is he breathing in there? I mean, if it's all helium, or mostly helium, and, as far as I can tell, there's no basket, where is the kid?

Oct 15, 2009, 03:28 PM	#16
MasterDev macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: On Pluto. It's still a planet in my mind!	Oh wow... I hope this ends well... __________________ You guys should try heavy metal, kiss my ass, haha!

Oct 15, 2009, 03:30 PM	#19
ZachsMacDaddy macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland	There's a basket, but it's practically closed off. At least that's how the description was earlier, but now they are questioning it again. The MSNBC live feed just discussed that. They say that it's unknown whether the helium is sealed enough. If not, he may breathe in too much gas and would suffocate. He's dropping about 2000ft per hour now. __________________ Collectors Edition unibody Macbook 2.0GHz iPod Touch 32GB

Oct 15, 2009, 03:35 PM	#23
MacNut macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: CT	So this thing is now about 500 feet and falling slowly. __________________ Yankees 2010 How are people in Boston going to order the iPad and not get an iPod. "Honk if you love Jesus... Text while driving if you want to meet him"

Oct 15, 2009, 03:36 PM	#25
hayduke macrumors 65816 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: is a state of mind.	Gentle landing!!!!

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