I took the pic at the Marina, shooting up from the light post, so the height perspective is evident.
The amazing thing is that IT only appears as a small white dot in the sky, when you are this close. Yet, when you are miles away, you can easily see IT's IMMENSENESS !
The BLIMP
Tom Hyland - (C) - 4/28/15
Several months ago IT appeared in the Sky.
Way, way up There.
How High?
If a Football Field is 100 Yards ...
That's 300 Feet ...
So, Three fields would be 900 Feet, Right?
My best guess then is rounding Up to an even 1,000 Feet.
Maybe More?
I live right off Eastern Avenue, next to Back River ...
IT is due East ... about 14 Miles Maybe?
My Friend Mike lives in Locust Point, a part of South Baltimore City,
He told me he can see IT from his back Porch!
That's about 28 Miles!
IT IS HUGE !
Imagine the Fuselage of a 747 Jet ... cut it in Half ...
No Wings ... a Big Belly Blip ... and a Tail Fin ...
IT is All White ... No Markings ... No Numbers ...
Just a Big White Blimp!
Where is IT?
When you travel East on Eastern Boulevard ...
It gradually twists and Turns ...
Sometimes IT appears to be on the Left ...
Is IT off Route 40 East ... Pulaski Highway?
Oops! Now it looks like IT is on the Right ...
Is IT in on Carroll Island?
DUH?
About a month ago, I decided to Find IT !
A beautiful sunny day, about 5 P.M.
Headed East on Eastern Avenue, past Carroll Island Road ...
Through Chase, Maryland, right fork onto Graces Quarters Road.
Through the Entrance to Gunpowder State Park ...
The road meandered and twisted through the Forest ...
Some sections had huge Pot-Holes to Navigate ...
Just past the Archery Range ... there IT Was ...
A DEAD END !
In front of me was a Tall Anchor Fence ...
On it were several Signs ...
A Large Red One Said ...
"NO PHOTOGRAPHY!"
A larger Green one Said:
NO ADMITTANCE !
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS
Gunpowder State Park Area
HUH ?
As I made a U-Turn and Stopped,
A Truck approached the Entrance Gate ...
An Armed Uniformed Soldier walked to, and opened the Gate.
Within minutes, another Truck Exited ...
Then, a passenger car and another truck Entered ...
I'm guessing Employees on a Shift Change?
Is IT a National SECRET?
DUH?
Most of the time, the guy wires have IT facing North ...
But sometimes the direction is Changed.
I thought maybe IT was a Huge Weather Balloon?
*********
Just now, out of curiosity, I Googled IT ...
VOILA !
BOY ... WAS I WRONG !!!
According to a Site called Technically ...
IT IS A SURVEILLANCE BALLOON ...
IT is a 250 Foot ...
Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor
JLENS for Short ...
IT is 10,000 Feet UP!
Technically called an Aerostat because IT is Tethered !
IT is designed to detect cruise missiles, drones,
Or any other threatening Aircraft.
IT can patrol an area the size of TEXAS ...
Or East Coast from Upstate New York to Norfolk, Virginia !
A BILLION DOLLAR 3-YEAR EXPERIMENT ...
Primarily intended to Protect ... Washington, D.C. !!!
DUH ?
And yet ... a Florida Mailman managed to Land
His Gyrocopter on the Capitol Lawn just 2 Weeks Ago!
DOUBLE DUH ???
WHAT IF IT HAD BEEN LOADED WITH C-4 ???
TRIPLE DUH ???
So Much for the Billion $,$$$,$$$,$$$ ...
... The BLIMP ...
(C) - TKH.
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My high school friend who spent about 10 years with the Air Force high command monitoring both outer and terrestrial space said that very little happened that they didn't know about. One blind spot has always been low-flying aircraft under radar. That's why drones have become so important and why that guy wasn't detected.
I have to admire a mailman with the gyrocopter delivering a petition to Congress. If somebody wants to do major damage in DC, all they have to do is get an 18 wheeler fully loaded with explosives within striking distance of any DC landmark like I showed in my novel, War's End, the Oklahoma bombing and the first attack on the World Trade Center. C4 carried on a small drone or Gyro copter would be pitifully puny by comparison. I'll bet there's a thousand 18 wheelers making deliveries in DC every day. Carrying construction supplies to the work on the capitol?
Ron
Love ya!
Jane