Is a NOTAM needed

[troddenmasses]

We are planning to send a small weather balloon upto around 90,000 ft this Christmas time and I was thinking about whether we need to let the CAA know about it or not. Does anybody know what the requirements are? We will be underneath class G airspace (at least on my lower airspace map) and not near an airport. I don't think that my PPL airlaw exam covered this :)

[2 sheds]

troddenmasses

There is only one answer - talk to CAA. (You may be in Class G airspace, but what is above it?!).

2 s

[Slopey]

This might be useful:

The UK High Altitude Society (http://ukhas.org.uk/)

:)

[Heston]

Rule 1 taken from those UKHAS guidelines:



Permission from the CAA must be obtained for a meteorological balloon flight, this will include a NOTAM for the launch site.

Hope that's clear enough:)


Good luck, its a cool thing to be having a shot at.


H

[FREDAcheck]

Great idea, and I hope it works!

Do arrange a NOTAM, though, and please please please don't do what lots of balloons sites to: get a perpetual NOTAM saying "we launch baloons sometime, go to our web site or phone this number for launch times".

It's not fair to expect every flyer to have to check every balloon web site (there are lots of them) for launch times - update the NOTAM regularly with specific launch dates/times if you're repeating the launch.

I don't want to put you off - go for it - but give specific dates and times (even if approximate) in the NOTAM please.

[troddenmasses]

Thanks for the information - I have found the application form at:

http://ukhas.org.uk/_media/general:met_balloon_release_application_jan_05_.doc

I have come across so many Notams with weather balloon release - all year, all the time, and to be honest pretty much ignore them. I will certainly be as specific as I can, but we need decent VFR weather for the launch. It's part of a school project (my wife is a teacher).

[BackPacker]

I know it's not exactly Private Flying anymore, but are you just going to launch the balloon or are you going to put some instrumentation underneath as well? Scientific equipment, camera, ...? Just curious.

[750XL]

Been thinking about doing this with my friend for a while now.

Weather balloon from the internet, GoPro camera (insulated in a box), small gps tracker and some calm weather :ok:

[BackPacker]

GoPro camera (insulated in a box)

From some recent gliding experience, where we did not go that high to begin with (just to the bases of the clouds, to be precise): Use the open back door, or use some anti-fog inserts. With the closed back door the camera will fog up.

We had three GoPros attached to a glider just two weeks ago. All outside the fuselage. Two with open back doors had no problems at all, but the GoPro with the closed back door fogged up rather rapidly.

[troddenmasses]

we were thinking about a couple of cameras, plus something eclectic. My idea was to send a small salami up there to see whether it tasted any different to non-space salami. Real science, see. :ok: