U.S. Army buys balloon-like aircraft tested near border

[maddezmom]

Date: Saturday Oct. 24, 2009 7:14 AM ET

The U.S. Army has purchased the balloon-like aircraft that was tested near the Ontario-Michigan border this past summer, which ignited a debate over the privacy rights of border residents.

Sierra Nevada Corp. confirmed the military bought the helium-inflated Aerostat aircraft that flew over the St. Clair River, across the border from Sarnia, Ont., for part of the summer.

A company representative confirmed in a telephone interview with CTV.ca that the balloon was sold after the Army watched a demonstration by Sierra Nevada Corp. employees in Yuma, Ariz.

"They went out there, they demonstrated and (the Army) said: 'We'll take it,'" said Bradley M. Lott, a retired U.S. Marine Corps major general who ran the testing of the Aerostat in Port Huron, Mich.

more:http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091023/aerostat_sale_091024/20091024?hub=SciTech

[SoCalDem]

1. Heene could have given them a great price on a slightly used one

:rofl:

[unhappycamper]

2. Pics of the "Moon the Balloon" protest:

From the article:

When the Aerostat began floating above the St. Clair River this past summer, Sarnia residents raised concerns that the aircraft was spying on their homes and that its presence violated their right to privacy.

They wrote letters to local newspapers, complained to politicians and about 100 people gathered to point their bare behinds at the Aerostat in a cheekily-titled Aug. 15 protest known as "Moon the Balloon."









:rofl:

[maddezmom]

3. LOL

:rofl: