Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot dismissed a warning about a tethered balloon at 10,000 feet, mistakenly believing that flying below this altitude ensured safety.
  • This interaction highlights a dangerous lack of understanding that a tethered object poses a collision risk throughout its entire vertical extent, from the ground up to its reported height.
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A few years ago, when there was a tethered aerostat by Cross City, Florida, I heard the following radio communication:

Pilot 1 to Pilot 2, flying in very loose formation:
“Watch for the tethered ballon at 10,000 feet.”

Pilot 2:
“That’s no problem. I’m well below 10,000 feet.”


Jim Finley

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