Apparently the Qinetiq flight was postponed due to 'Poor Weather
Conditions'. Cloud was forecast at 3 levels.

Well so far (now 13:00) it's been unbroken sunshine in Penzance (same in St
Ives) virtually no wind, excellent visibility (around 50 miles). Just a few
wisps of cirrus, having no effect on the sunshine. A few small cumulus along
the spine of Cornwall, but none out to sea.

Sea conditions for the launch calm (I've just been swimming and it was
glassy) Even out at Sevenstones Buoy (off Land's End) the swell was only 1
foot, which is as small as it ever gets.

Basically, I feel, the forecasters got it wrong. I just hope the weather
holds for tomorrow.
--
Graham
Penzance


Holiday Cottage www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk
Penzance Weather www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk/weather.html
Telephone (01736) 351879

"Graham Easterling" wrote in message
news:bj216t$jn1

Graham,

Our own data was suggesting 60mph winds at 30,000ft.... not sure if this was
the cause but they seem to be rescheduling for Wednesday when we are
expecting winds no greater than 21mph for eny level of the atmosphere...
trouble is the time frame for this starts at around 12pm.

A

Graham,

Our own data was suggesting 60mph winds at 30,000ft.... not sure if this
was
the cause but they seem to be rescheduling for Wednesday when we are
expecting winds no greater than 21mph for eny level of the atmosphere...
trouble is the time frame for this starts at around 12pm.

A


Andrew

I thought that high level winds must be the problem, but they never
mentioned this in the list of excuses.

I can only assume they were expecting cloud to drift south associated with
the warm front.


Graham

Flight cancelled for this year - damage
to the balloon this morning while inflating
it (Sky News)





On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 13:05:35 +0100, "Graham Easterling"
wrote:

Apparently the Qinetiq flight was postponed due to 'Poor Weather
Conditions'. Cloud was forecast at 3 levels.

Well so far (now 13:00) it's been unbroken sunshine in Penzance (same in St
Ives) virtually no wind, excellent visibility (around 50 miles). Just a few
wisps of cirrus, having no effect on the sunshine. A few small cumulus along
the spine of Cornwall, but none out to sea.

Sea conditions for the launch calm (I've just been swimming and it was
glassy) Even out at Sevenstones Buoy (off Land's End) the swell was only 1
foot, which is as small as it ever gets.

Basically, I feel, the forecasters got it wrong. I just hope the weather
holds for tomorrow.

wrote in message
...
Flight cancelled for this year - damage
to the balloon this morning while inflating
it (Sky News)

I thought it was all rather pathetic - the think appeared to spring a leak
as soon as they pumped any helium into it.

I hope the marketing genius and mangement experts who a. renamed the Royal
Aircraft Establishment/DERA (et al) as the appalling 'Qinetiq' and b.
decided to sponsor the effort, will feel that their investment has been
worthwhile. Now whenever the general public, not to mention possible users
of their services, hear the word Qinetiq the image of a sadly deflating
balloon will spring immediately to mind. To think our once great - even
though highly unprofitable - aviation industry has come to this, (exits
right, muttering).

Andrew

PS Glad that the forecast for this am was correct, however.

"nzuri" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
Flight cancelled for this year - damage
to the balloon this morning while inflating
it (Sky News)

I thought it was all rather pathetic - the think appeared to spring a leak
as soon as they pumped any helium into it.

Yeah, best not try again next year for fear of failure.

I hope the marketing genius and mangement experts who a. renamed the Royal
Aircraft Establishment/DERA (et al) as the appalling 'Qinetiq' and b.
decided to sponsor the effort, will feel that their investment has been
worthwhile. Now whenever the general public, not to mention possible users
of their services, hear the word Qinetiq the image of a sadly deflating
balloon will spring immediately to mind. To think our once great - even
though highly unprofitable - aviation industry has come to this, (exits
right, muttering).

How many of the general public have heard of Qinetiq?
I'll bet to most people it's just another daft made up corporate name they
will quickly forget and in a month will associate with nothing at all.
I only know of them because my parents have just moved to within a few
hundred yards of their Malvern site.

Col
--
Bolton, Lancashire.
160m asl.
http://www.reddwarfer.btinternet.co.uk

"Ian Watkins" wrote in message news:bj5m44
snip
Bit of a farce really. Rumour has it that last years attempt was also down
to equipment problems rather than the public statement of "wrong weather"
but I guess we will never know for sure.
snip

Hmm, don't tempt me !!

Space Balloon forecasts *year 4* coming up then...

Jon.

In article ,
Ian Watkins writes:
Don't get me started on the name Qinetiq (pronounced: Kinetic). Local
people still call it DERA, or for those who haven't caught up yet, DRA.
Or as a friend of mine calls it, "the weapons factory".



Or before that, RSRE (for the Malvern site).
--
John Hall
Johnson: "Well, we had a good talk."
Boswell: "Yes, Sir, you tossed and gored several persons."
Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-84); James Boswell (1740-95)

On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 19:22:34 +0100, "Col"
wrote:


"nzuri" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
Flight cancelled for this year - damage
to the balloon this morning while inflating
it (Sky News)

I thought it was all rather pathetic - the think appeared to spring a leak
as soon as they pumped any helium into it.

Yeah, best not try again next year for fear of failure.

I hope the marketing genius and mangement experts who a. renamed the Royal
Aircraft Establishment/DERA (et al) as the appalling 'Qinetiq' and b.
decided to sponsor the effort, will feel that their investment has been
worthwhile. Now whenever the general public, not to mention possible users
of their services, hear the word Qinetiq the image of a sadly deflating
balloon will spring immediately to mind. To think our once great - even
though highly unprofitable - aviation industry has come to this, (exits
right, muttering).

How many of the general public have heard of Qinetiq?
I'll bet to most people it's just another daft made up corporate name they
will quickly forget and in a month will associate with nothing at all.
I only know of them because my parents have just moved to within a few
hundred yards of their Malvern site.

Col

A government "agency", but whose money was it that actually paid for
all this hot air... or should that be helium.? !!
Steve

In article ,
Strobe writes:
On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 19:22:34 +0100, "Col"
wrote:

How many of the general public have heard of Qinetiq?
I'll bet to most people it's just another daft made up corporate name they
will quickly forget and in a month will associate with nothing at all.
I only know of them because my parents have just moved to within a few
hundred yards of their Malvern site.

A government "agency", but whose money was it that actually paid for
all this hot air... or should that be helium.? !!
Steve

QinetiQ is no longer a government agency. It represents the part of the
former DERA that was privatised, and is now part of the Carlyle Group
IIRC. So it won't have been public money that was spent.
--
John Hall
"One half of the world cannot understand
the pleasures of the other."
From "Emma" by Jane Austen (1775-1817)