Hi all,
Has anyone else noticed three A/C flying SE over California, only details are their signatures HIBAL 148/9/150 height and speed which currently are all under 100 knots - helios, one 1 then 12kts?
They're all showing as being Sri Lankan national flagged, which obviously ain't the case!
I wonder if they could be balloons - the leading one's now apparently at FL659 at 23KT
Yes, saw one earlier at FL570 and wondered at the slow speed. They appear to have originated from Chico Municipal or thereabouts
Alan
I googled Hibal Balloon Projects and got a good number of hits. HIBAL stands for High Altitude Balloon and they are used for a number of weather and scientific purposes. Transponders attached for tracking purposes.
Alan
I wonder if it's a Google wifi test: http://photos.mercurynews.com/2013/07/26/google-tests-wifi-in-the-sky-using-high-altitude-balloons-to-beam-internet-connectivity
Hi Rod and Alan, yes, that would make sense but earlier one was travelling at 87 knots, I think the height was 5,900' - must have winds like us down here in Kernow!
Picked up the Mode S on all three here in Reno, NV - seem to be in area north of Grass Valley, California
I've just opened RB and see HIBAL 149 up again, FL 613 - so is that 613', 6,130' or 61,300 at a speed of 24knots. Yes, I do know the standard FL protocol, before anyone feels the need to explain it!!
Time is GMT -1 hour (2239GMT) and I see HIBAL 150 at FL602 (my guess would be height in metres???) and speed 16knots.
If they are the Google-type balloons, then flight-level (hundreds of feet) would be within the realms of possibility