[MRCA] USS Shenandoah at 100 - Airships

[MARK DORNEY]

Why am I hearing Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me” right now?

Mark D
WW2RDO

“In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 13, 2023, at 2:05 PM, Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu> wrote:
> 
> The ones I was involved with were little , 275 thousand cubic feet (275K) built for the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) they had a bulge underneath with the electronics and antenna  but the generator would be just a small ground generator that was hung somewhat from the front, out in the open.
> Although having been there for launch and recovery I never got in the ground crews way but always thought that it would be real bad news if you were pulling on that thing and a gust of wind came along and blew it around unexpected on its mooring. Even the 275 was a huge bag of gas.
> When the one in Virginia escaped wonder if anyone tried to grab or hold on to its tether?
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of mstangelo at comcast.net
> Sent: Monday, November 13, 2023 11:55 AM
> To: Milsurplus <milsurplus at qth.net>; Mrca Mailing List <MRCA at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [MRCA] USS Shenandoah at 100 - Airships
> 
> 
> 
> When I was sailing with a friend in the Bahamas we saw one of those radar aerostats tethered by a communications building in Georgetown Exuma. This was in the late 90's and low flying aircraft was a popular way of importing drugs.
> 
> I recall a radar aerostat coming loose in Virginia. It finally landed on Pennsylvania:
> 
> <https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/jlens-aerostat-comes-loose-from-tether-moves-towards-pa>
> 
> Mike N2MS
> 
> 
>> On 11/13/2023 10:52 AM EST Ray Fantini <rafantini at salisbury.edu> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> We had a lot of ground wind that day, not gusting but was some wind. All these little drones somehow take this into account and have the ability to be placed at a point in the air and will not move, have no idea how they do that in an environment that's always moving. Many years ago did a lot of stuff with airships called "Aerostats" where they were equipped with a surface facing radar, transmitter and small gasoline generator to power all that stuff. Would launch them to between three to five hundred feet and they provided a fun way of watching what was going on below.
>> We kept them on station with a tether and truck.
>> 
>> Ray F/KA3EKH
>> 
> 
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