re: That Chinese Spy Balloon floating over the US (Page 11/15)
MidEngineManiac FEB 09, 10:14 AM
WHY would anybody think it would do anything besides follow the jet-stream, and the jet-stream turns south.

As usual, CNN would report cow patties are chocolate ice-cream rain drops.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 02-09-2023).]

rinselberg FEB 09, 11:51 AM

quote
Originally posted by MidEngineManiac:
WHY would anybody think it would do anything besides follow the jet-stream, and the jet-stream turns south[?] As usual, CNN would report cow patties are chocolate ice-cream rain drops.



I think some excerpts from the CNN report are in order.


quote
On January 28, when the balloon entered US airspace near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, sent up fighter jets to make a positive identification, according to defense officials, reflecting a subtle shift in urgency.

Still, officials tracking the balloon saw little reason to be alarmed. At the time, according to US officials, this balloon was expected to sail over Alaska and continue on a northern trajectory that intelligence and military officials could track and study.

Instead, shortly after the balloon crossed over land, it alarmed officials by making its unexpected turn south.


quote
How much control China exerted over the balloon’s path remains a matter of debate. Although the balloon was equipped with propellers and a rudder that allowed it to turn “like a sailboat,” according to the senior US official, it largely rode the jet stream—one of the reasons US officials were able to predict its path across the US in advance.


quote
Once it was over US territory, officials have argued that the benefits of gathering additional intelligence on the balloon as it passed over far outweighed the risk of shooting it down over land.

The US sent up U-2 spy planes to track the balloon’s progress, according to US officials.

One pilot took a selfie in the cockpit that shows both the pilot and the surveillance balloon itself, these officials said—an image that has already gained legendary status in both NORAD and the Pentagon.


The North Polar jet stream does fluctuate. I wonder what it was like on that day, near or above the southern part of Alaska, which is where I believe the balloon first crossed into U.S. airspace. It also seems like they'd had prior experiences with these balloons and the pattern was for the balloon to turn north as it approached or first crossed into U.S. airspace over Alaska, instead of turning south. What other explanation could be read into this CNN reporting?

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 02-09-2023).]

Patrick FEB 09, 04:16 PM
From this post on page 2 of this thread...


quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

Don, start Here. I was disputing Ron's claim that the balloon had traveled ... "all the way across Canada".

Ron then stated Here that "All the way across Canada would be from north to south..."

That would be like saying that flying from Seattle, Washington to Tucson, Arizona would be travelling "all the way across" America. It just wouldn't be correct.





If Blackrams Airlines offers you a flight all the way across America, prepare to be shortchanged!

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 02-09-2023).]

Jake_Dragon FEB 09, 05:44 PM
82-T/A [At Work] FEB 09, 08:08 PM

quote
Originally posted by rinselberg:

I think that's very odd. Maybe if someone had lived all of their life since early childhood in Washington state, in a rural district, and had not graduated from high school, and had not traveled farther from their childhood home than the adjacent county, and seldom (if ever) turned to any national news or weather broadcasts on TV... but that's not "82-T/A".

But I'm not here to further inflame passions.


Edited to add:

That was my initial and "off the cuff" reaction.

I guess if the Yukon were more prominent than Canada at large as a concept in someone's mind, they could think that way. Why would that ever happen, for someone whose life had been anything at all like "82's"..? Childhood ideas about Canada that were never updated as their life progressed? The first real book they read was whatever book(s) there are by Jack London that are "Yukon-centric"..? Childhood-age cartoon programs on TV where the central character was of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? I'm thinking of such a cartoon program, but I'd have to look it up to be more specific,





LOL, Rinse... I'm talking about crossing Canada from the south to the north... as in, from the area across the border from Washington State, up the coast of Canada to Alaska. I'm well aware that Canada stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic... I mean, I don't know what you're trying to insinuate about what I meant? I just meant that my first impression of when someone says "so and so crossed through Canada," I think in my biased way from south to north...

I don't think that means I'm uneducated and never left my trailer?
Patrick FEB 09, 08:36 PM

quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:

...when someone says "so and so crossed through Canada"



Let's get the original statement correct.


quote
Originally posted by blackrams:

This balloon made it way all the way across Canada...



Looks like it made it's way south through one of three territories (Yukon) and one of ten provinces (BC).

CLICK FOR FULL SIZE



quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:

I think in my biased way



Too easy, I won't go there.
williegoat FEB 09, 09:15 PM
If I go all the way across the street, I visit one of my closest neighbors. I did not go to the other end of the street. My neighbor came all the way from Mexico, from the north end of the Sea of Cortez in the state of Sonora, about 180 miles from here.

The balloon went from Alaska to Montana and to do that, it went across Canada. It did not stop in Canada, it made it all the way from Alaska to Montana.
Therefore, in American English, it went all the way across Canada. It's really quite simple.
Patrick FEB 09, 10:59 PM

quote
Originally posted by williegoat:

Therefore, in American English, it went all the way across Canada.



Even with your convoluted use of English, you still had to try and change the emphasis of "all the way across" by using two separate underlines. (Maybe use another comma next time.) Nice try, but still a failure.

I've driven straight south down I5 and/or the Coast Hwy from Vancouver BC to San Diego and back several times in years past. I was only ever in Washington State, Oregon, and California during those trips. For me to say I drove all the way across the USA would be misleading, if not absolute hogwash... in American or any other variation of the English language.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 02-09-2023).]

blackrams FEB 09, 11:09 PM
Patrick,
You're beating a dead horse. Let it be. I started to just let this go but, it's pretty obvious you won't.
My Goodness, I'm getting embarrassed for you now.

The Spy in the Sky balloon crossed over a great deal of Canada. (Re-phrased, just for you.) Apparently, it wasn't reported to anyone while floating within the Canadian airspace, It does not appear Canadian or American defenses were doing their jobs very well. Unless the situation has changed, Canada is still not paying what it committed to pay NATO.
Now, I'm done, embarrass yourself if you wish, I don't care.

Rams

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 02-09-2023).]

Patrick FEB 09, 11:51 PM

quote
Originally posted by blackrams:

The Spy in the Sky balloon crossed over a great deal of Canada. (Re-phrased, just for you.) Apparently, it wasn't reported to anyone while floating within the Canadian airspace...



As previously stated to you...


quote
Originally posted by Patrick Here:

Keep in mind the balloon in the news entered North American airspace over Alaska.




quote
Originally posted by Patrick Here:

Being unannounced does not necessarily imply being undetected...



...or unreported.


quote
Originally posted by blackrams:

I started to just let this go but, it's pretty obvious you won't.



I'm simply responding to other people's posts, like this one of yours. It's a forum, this is how a forum operates.