Army/.gov blimp? > Arizona

Posted: 4/2/2012 5:37:40 AM EDT

Greetings,

I was on vacation with the family a few weeks ago and on the way down to Bisbee I saw what I thought to be a blimp over the Fort Huachuca area.

Is the .gov playing around with blimps these days?

Posted: 4/2/2012 5:51:03 AM EDT

[#1]

It's a weather balloon with a camera on it. Border patrol uses it for surveillance.

Posted: 4/2/2012 6:15:10 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
It's a weather balloon with a camera on it. Border patrol uses it for surveillance.

Ah, thanks.

Posted: 4/2/2012 8:08:29 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:

It's a weather balloon with a camera on it. Border patrol uses it for surveillance.

Naaaaaaaa. Why would they? Everyone knows the border is secure!

Posted: 4/2/2012 10:55:25 AM EDT

[#4]

Aerostat radar surveillance blimp. There are 11 of them tethered in a line from Florida to California. They are run by the Air Force, but all missions are carried out by the Department of Homeland Security.

Posted: 4/2/2012 3:33:01 PM EDT

[#5]

I think they cover a 150 mile radius and the coverage between them is basically overlapped. Must not have been too windy when you were there as they reel them in when it gets to blowing good. They had one get tore up pretty good a few years ago.

Posted: 4/2/2012 8:33:30 PM EDT

[#6]

The first one at Fort Huachuca went up in 1988 and it was a lot bigger than the current one.

Posted: 4/6/2012 7:48:41 PM EDT

[#7]

The current one is freakin' HUGE, so I'd be surprised if it has ever been any bigger. I was up close to it just a few days ago.

Posted: 4/6/2012 7:56:38 PM EDT

[#8]

I live just South of the Aerostat. 3 years ago my Grandma was visiting and we were sitting in my back yard talking and she tolde me that she thought it was dangerous to live so close to the baloon. I gave her a

look and with a smug confidence told her that even if it broke loose it wouldn't make it to my house.

Last year I was proven wrong as it came crashing into my neighborhood missing my house by 2 blocks.

Posted: 4/7/2012 5:41:09 PM EDT

[#9]

Something like this? DHS uses them for surveillance, mainly US Border Patrol - in conjunction wth MQ-1 Reapers to watch expanses of the US southern border.

Posted: 4/7/2012 9:04:52 PM EDT

[#10]

You mean like this one?

Posted: 4/8/2012 6:01:10 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
You mean like this one?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/cms81586/pred.jpg

Yup! Exactly that one; we borrowed it fromt he USAF and we use it to monitor activity ont he southern border.

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