4 ms·

Mystery of the Ghost Blimp (2016)

51 points by curtis 9y ago

nvahalik 9y ago
It's always interesting to hear about stories like these. Some of the speculations are interesting, but I tend to always leave with the idea that the truth is probably a lot less boring than we expect: i.e. someone fell out and the other person tried to save them but failed.
- trhway 9y ago
  August 16 - water was warm enough and they were wearing flotation vests, so if not for sharks as it is about the start of the shark season near Farallons.
  - DoubleCribble 9y ago
    Warm enough [1]? How about going hypothermic in an hour or so [2] whilst drifting down the California coastline hoping for a rescue from a REALLY GUTSY fishing crew that is trying not to get blown up by a Japanese sub? [1]https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/cpac.html https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/cpac.html [2]http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/coastal_communities/hypothermia http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/coastal_communities/hypothermia
gridscomputing 9y ago
aliens.
mcguire 9y ago
"L-8 was quickly repaired and resumed duty as a training vessel. When World War II ended, the Navy returned the blimp to the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which refurbished its cabin and renamed the craft America. The blimp traveled around the nation televising sporting events from 1969 until 1982, when it was retired. In 2003 Goodyear donated the control car to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., where it was restored. It is now on display in the same configuration and markings it had in August 1942." The L-8 was that Goodyear blimp?! I had a model of it ad a kid.
gerdesj 9y ago
"Early on the morning of Sunday, August 16, 1942, ... World War II was only nine months old" Depends on your point of view.
basicplus2 9y ago
"In other words, there was nothing whatsoever wrong with L-8 except that it lacked a crew" Judging by the picture of a clearly broken airship at the top of the article, this cannot be correct.
- jws 9y ago
  It is just low on helium. It had ascended above its pressure altitude and vented helium, then descended again.
valuearb 9y ago
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51 points by curtis 9y ago

It's always interesting to hear about stories like these. Some of the speculations are interesting, but I tend to always leave with the idea that the truth is probably a lot less boring than we expect: i.e. someone fell out and the other person tried to save them but failed.

trhway 9y ago
August 16 - water was warm enough and they were wearing flotation vests, so if not for sharks as it is about the start of the shark season near Farallons.
- DoubleCribble 9y ago
  Warm enough [1]? How about going hypothermic in an hour or so [2] whilst drifting down the California coastline hoping for a rescue from a REALLY GUTSY fishing crew that is trying not to get blown up by a Japanese sub? [1]https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/cpac.html https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/cpac.html [2]http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/coastal_communities/hypothermia http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/coastal_communities/hypothermia

gridscomputing 9y ago

aliens.

mcguire 9y ago

"L-8 was quickly repaired and resumed duty as a training vessel. When World War II ended, the Navy returned the blimp to the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which refurbished its cabin and renamed the craft America. The blimp traveled around the nation televising sporting events from 1969 until 1982, when it was retired. In 2003 Goodyear donated the control car to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., where it was restored. It is now on display in the same configuration and markings it had in August 1942." The L-8 was that Goodyear blimp?! I had a model of it ad a kid.

gerdesj 9y ago

"Early on the morning of Sunday, August 16, 1942, ... World War II was only nine months old" Depends on your point of view.

basicplus2 9y ago

"In other words, there was nothing whatsoever wrong with L-8 except that it lacked a crew" Judging by the picture of a clearly broken airship at the top of the article, this cannot be correct.

jws 9y ago
It is just low on helium. It had ascended above its pressure altitude and vented helium, then descended again.

valuearb 9y ago

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