BLOOMINGDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ANTARCTIC BANNER

The first Antarctic trial of our high altitude tethered balloon was to fly the Bloomingdale School Banner over the South Pole on 1 January 2000. Extra weight in the form of ice axes and metal boxes were needed on the bottom corners to hold the banner straight in a 4.9 knot wind. Waddles insisted on accompanying the banner. She bravely flew in a box directly underneath in the center. The second photo is a close up of Waddles, and in the background one can see a number of people standing at the South Pole on New Year's Day 2000. Slide photographs of this occasion were also taken which will show the whole balloon launch and will be available when I return.

Following the successful flight of the banner, a radiosonde package was attached, and the balloon was flown to an altitude of 1.2 km above the snow surface. The balloon went above the inversion cloud deck, and air pressure, temperature and humidity were measured. This successful test flight demonstrates that experimental packages can be lofted within the inversion layer, and maintained at set altitudes.