Skip Navigation

Lemmy Shitpost @lemmy.world

Stamets @lemmy.world

10 mo. ago • 98%

Fuck the balloon police

89 comments

107
- What is this art style, it is so creepy. I love it.
  
  36
  
  Looks like a collage?
  
  17
  
  Yes, it's quite liminal isn't it? Makes me think of old PS2 games.
  
  5
  
  Jeroom
  
  3
- Is that Salvatore Ganacci?
  
  5
  
  Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  Salvatore Ganacci
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  1
  
  I didn't know there was a while genre here
  
  1
For the record, yes you need a pilot’s license to fly a hot air balloon.

And yes the “balloon police” (aka the FAA in the United States) or their equivalent governing body in other countries will stop you, and fine you.

91
- FAA if you're lucky. If youre unlucky, the baloon police are an F-16 with a sidewinder
  
  48
  
  Float around and find out
  
  17
  
  Robert Fulton has entered the chat.
  
  3
  
  That seems like overkill
  
  2
  
  I wonder if the IR sensor of a sidewinder could get a lock on the heating element of a hot air balloon.
  
  2
- I don't know if they can actually stop you. Especially the first time. But they can definitely find you and fine you. A lot. Like more than tree fiddy.
  
  17
  
  Yes. They wont kill you and take down your balloon. But you have to come back to land at some point. Then bam! You're arrested...
  
  4
- You DON'T need a license for some types of flight though. Anything under 254 pounds. Ultralights and paragliders. (However that doesn't mean there's no rules)
  
  5
- How do they stop you mid flight though
  
  2
  
  With helicopter mounted machine guns.
  
  1
- I heard in France the balloon police are armed. With BB guns to take down offenders.
  
  1
1.). Yes you do it’s called a pilots license.

2.). It’s called the FAA and they will find you quick

Violate some air spaces and the military will be coming for you faster than the FAA will.

56
- Yeah, this. FAA does give a fuck. A lot of people fly drones extremely illegally but they're too small for the FAA to notice or bother with, and most of them can't get to real dangerous heights anyway. But try flying near an airport and you'll find out real quick.
  
  I still haven't figured out if people just aren't aware that it's illegal or if they're just too brazen. I think it's the former but not really sure.
  
  19
  
  So, my hilarious stunt with 40 quad-copters tethered to a lawn chair will go off without a hitch?
  
  12
  
  from me all the FPV pilots I know don't have the license, because it's very difficult to do because they are almost all the same things that a real airplane pilot needs to know,
  
  Also I have seen FPV 6S drones at maximum speed even in densely populated areas always exceeding the legal limit of 120m if they had a license
  
  1
- The FAA are an American organisation that only has jurisdiction in the USA, so no they won't unless you do it in the USA.
  
  5
  
  Though that last paragraph does apply in many places outside the US. Sometimes it's even the US military responding outside of the US (I mean I assume they protect the airspace around their bases, but I guess I'm not really sure what kind of jurisdiction they'd have just because they have a military base).
  
  1
They will shoot you down with planes if you fly into the airspace of the state. Generally you can get away with it short term as long as you live a reasonable distance away from an airport, military installation, or weather radar.

Otherwise, sort out your estate before fucking around and finding out with the air authorities.

29
- I crewed for a hot air balloon place in high school. The wind once blew two balloons right over the airport runways. ATC was not happy, but those things go where the wind takes them.
  
  Of course, those were licensed pilots.
  
  2
- Relax my guy
  
  -6
  
  I'm calmly explaining what will happen without any exageration.
  
  6
Most countries require a hot air balloon pilot license. Don't fuck with the FAA. They will ruin your life.

24
- and if the FAA don't get you, and you are using radios, the FCC might get you. And if the FCC get you, the FAA get you.
  
  Don't fuck with the FAA. It's not a fair fight. And we will lose more and more fun things to do as commercial drones take over.
  
  13
  
  What happened to the FBB?
  
  5
There was a guy who did this with a lawn chair and helium ballons. Yes, he did get fined by the FAA.

23
- Reaching almost 5000 meters is very impressive, and I love the plan of popping the balloons with a BB-gun to control the descent. I'm almost annoyed that they fined this unique effort.
  
  8
  
  I wonder what was the plan in case his gun got jammed.
  
  1
I don't need a license to fly this balloon. I do what I want.

Stupid balloon police chasing my balloon in their stupid police cars.

Check out this move. I fly out over the sea. Balloon police can't follow me. I am never seen again
22
F-22s using missiles

21
- Balloon: *pops
  
  6
- What if you’re not Chinese? Checkmate.
  
  6
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-pdk_FWh0
  
  1
  
  Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  https://www.piped.video/watch?v=oY-pdk_FWh0
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  1
You will have to come down eventually.

21
- If I'm low on hot air I'll just invite [local politician] on the balloon! Oh ho ho ho
  
  2
But we stole a balloon!

Yeah, on national free balloon day.

19
A single monkey with a dart: "I'm aboutta end this man's whole career"

18
- A single sailor with a harpoon gun: "Tally ho, lads!"
  
  4
All balloon cops are bastards

13
- #abcab
  
  3
My country town is really into ballooning, so there's always a bunch of balloons flying around here and there, so no one would even notice an extra one floating around, unless you were a dick and flying low.

11
- Man, I wish I lived in a country town that's really into ballooning :(
  
  5
F-16 and Hawk helicopters:

11
I went in a hot air balloon once. Basically, once you’re up in the air, the wind takes you….where ever. It’s only controllable on one axis at that point. And the flame is fucking hot.

9
- Yeah, I always wondered how the fuck you don't crash into a building, forest or get swept out to sea. I guess you just pick really still wind days.
  
  8
  
  From what I've read the wind can point different directions at different altitudes, so you can navigate a little bit by changing your altitude, depending on the wind conditions.
  
  14
  
  I think the main way is by not launching upwind of buildings, forests, or the ocean. And don't launch when a weather system is coming in that would change wind patterns. Wind is usually fairly predictable.
  
  6
US Airforce

9
Relevant.

7
- Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  Relevant.
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  2
I remember this time when a hot air Balloon operator, in the area, crashed the balloon into some power lines and 16 people died. Some people had to be identified by dental records. While he was a registered pilot, his company wasn't registered with the state.

Don't fuck with Hot Air Ballons people.

7
Image Transcription: Meme

You don't need a license to fly a hot air ballon.

Even if I do, who's going to stop me? Balloon cops?

[A background image of a yellow hot air ballon]
6
'member chinese spy balloon?

5
sky crimes!

4
- Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  sky crimes!
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  1
Didnt work out so good for that Chinese baloon though...

4
Just remember the bottle of wine for whoever owns the land you fall onto

3
You gotta come down some time.

1
https://youtu.be/FIXvt9y7ims

1
- Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  https://piped.video/FIXvt9y7ims
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  1
The F-22 was designed for nothing else.

1
Spoken like someone who never had an NES.

1

You've viewed 89 comments.