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Qatar Airways 777 near collision with hot air balloon landing in São Paulo, forced to make evasive maneuver
A Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER was forced to make evasive maneuvers while approaching São Paulo yesterday when an unmanned hot air balloon drifted into the aircraft’s approach path... (www.aviationweekly.org) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
It is very common in Brazil (where I grew up) for kids and adults to build balloons made of paper and having a torch to heat the air inside it. These are local versions of very well-known Chinese Kongming lanterns. I personally made many and chased many of them that fell after their torches went out. The problem is that some people build huge versions (yes, 5 to 6 meters tall) that can stay in the air for hours. My parents lived at the centerline of Congonhas Airport runway 35R and, in June and July during the Festas Juninas, I saw many aborted landings due to those ballons (big and small) crossing the short final.
Must have been a slow airplane news day.
It may be clickbait, but at least it's a nothingburger.
A more advanced air security system needs to be put in place to monitor any foreign objects in flight paths . This will come into play when a plane is eventually hit one day.
whoever is responsible should be arrested. Shouldn't be too difficult considering the photographic evidence.
Certainly not a hot air balloon. Fairly small to be holding a banner of that size, so my guess is hydrogen filled. A helium balloon would need more volume.