Military Blimp Breaks Mooring in Maryland

[Everskyward]

Interesting. Did they roll up in the citation expecting to arrest you or something?

We were held on the runway by ATC , while another airplane landed (the Citation). When I asked to taxi to the FBO we were told to follow the Citation. I parked next to it and still didn't suspect anything even though I noticed it had some surveillance mods. When the camera operator opened the door, there was someone standing by the wing with a badge. US Customs.

My first reaction was hilarity. LOL. They were polite, asked some questions about who owned the airplane, what we were doing, and where we had come from. I was obviously giving satisfactory answers. They asked to look in the airplane. I said OK, but as soon as they got up on the wing and looked in the window they said nevermind. The airplane was obviously set up for mapping, not filled with drugs. Then we all went inside. I think they ordered pizza and we sat around eating it while they did their paperwork.

 

[overdrive148]

We were held on the runway by ATC , while another airplane landed (the Citation). When I asked to taxi to the FBO we were told to follow the Citation. I parked next to it and still didn't suspect anything even though I noticed it had some surveillance mods. When the camera operator opened the door, there was someone standing by the wing with a badge. US Customs.

My first reaction was hilarity. LOL. They were polite, asked some questions about who owned the airplane, what we were doing, and where we had come from. I was obviously giving satisfactory answers. They asked to look in the airplane. I said OK, but as soon as they got up on the wing and looked in the window they said nevermind. The airplane was obviously set up for mapping, not filled with drugs. Then we all went inside. I think they ordered pizza and we sat around eating it while they did their paperwork.

Neat story!

 

[ElPaso Pilot]

A long time ago I was busted by the Marfa balloon. They sent a US Customs Citation to meet us.

Another gripe about Marfa. They placed it so that the restricted area crosses the most appropriate road / RR track to use for visual navigation through some pretty desolate country.

Not so big a deal with GPS these days, but couldn't they have backed just a wee bit farther into the empty desert to the south??

Our government is here to help.

 

[denverpilot]

The shape of this thing might raise some curiosity; the fact that it was not advertising a life insurance company (or have any recognizable markings) the same. If I was close enough to see the cable dragging, I would guess that it was not operating normally and that might think me to call someone. Most people would call 911, I suppose I'd do that first. I might call local TRACON.

Why bother? Anything that large, anyone who needs to know its floating loose, already knows. No need to join the same throng of idiots that dial 911 to tell the dispatchers that it's raining outside.

Unless you saw the thing break loose yourself and beat the ground handlers and owners of the thing to their cell phones, you aren't going to be telling the 911 dispatcher or the TRACON anything they don't already know. The odds are very low anyway.

 

[Tex_Mike]

Another gripe about Marfa. They placed it so that the restricted area crosses the most appropriate road / RR track to use for visual navigation through some pretty desolate country.

Not so big a deal with GPS these days, but couldn't they have backed just a wee bit farther into the empty desert to the south??

Our government is here to help.

View attachment 42353

That restricted area is to keep you from seeing the real truth behind the Marfa lights!

 

[Henning]

That restricted area is to keep you from seeing the real truth behind the Marfa lights!

It's a Peyote farm?