Emergency Services in New Zealand town today scrambled to assist what they thought was a downed plane, but actually turned out to be one of Google's Project Loon WiFi-beaming balloons.
Project Loon is Google's attempt to become an ISP of sorts by floating balloons over parts of the world where internet access is not often available. By doing so, Google hopes to sling more ads bring the benefits of the Internet to all and sundry. The Chocolate Factory's blurb about the project says it aims to create “a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.
Today, one of those balloons fell to earth near the small town of Cheviot. According to The New Zealand Herald locals felt it might be a light plane and therefore suggested that Police and emergency services do their thing.
A
rescue helicopter and members of the local constabulary rushed to the
scene and found a balloon, no humans in need of rescue from anything
other than degraded internet service.
Google New Zealand's spokes-entities have confirmed the balloon was one of theirs and promised
to recompense emergency services for their time and effort. They also
told us that "Since launching Project Loon in New Zealand last year,
we've continued to do research flights to improve the technology. We
coordinate with local air traffic control authorities and have a team
dedicated to recovering the balloons when they land."
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk
A reported light plane crash off the North Canterbury coast was, in fact, a Google wi-fi balloon falling into the sea.
Police received a call at 11.25am from a member of public reporting a plane crashing just off the Hurunui River mouth, near Cheviot.
A police spokesman said it was understood to be a Google balloon, and the internet giant had been notified.
He said the downed balloon was floating in the sea between Nape Nape beach and the Hurunui River mouth.
It was too large for a local fisherman to pull out, and the sea was "quite rough", police said.
A commercial boat would need to be arranged.
The member of public who phoned police initially mistook the balloon for a plane because a local pilot's aircraft had a parachute attached.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched and the crew found the balloon floating in the sea.
WHAT IS A GOOGLE BALLOON?
The Project Loon balloons, launched in New Zealand in June 2013, transmit free wi-fi signals. Their purpose is to reach people living in remote areas.
Google aims to have a full ring of 300 to 400 balloons circling the globe to offer continuous service to a targeted area.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz
Emergency services dashed to the scene of a reported light plane crash in North Canterbury but it proved to be an unmanned weather balloon.
Reports of a light plane crash off the North Canterbury coast have proved to be nothing more than hot air.
Emergency services were called about 11.30am on Friday after a member of the public thought they saw a light plane crash into the sea near the mouth of the Hurunui River, about 110km northeast of Christchurch.
St John Ambulance spokesman Paul Burns says the Cheviot ambulance and a rescue helicopter were sent to the scene as there were concerns there might be somebody in need of help.
However, the initial report proved to be inaccurate.
"It turned out to be a weather balloon," Mr Burns told NZ Newswire.
Nobody was aboard the balloon when it landed in the ocean, he said.
Source: http://home.nzcity.co.nz
There have been reports of a light-plane crashing into the sea off the coast of North Canterbury this morning.
A spokeswoman for police southern communications center confirmed that it has received reports of a light plane crash.
But she said: "We don't have anybody that can confirm what has happened just yet."
St John has sent an ambulance and scrambled a Westpac Rescue Helicopter to the remote scene near Nape Nape, a small reserve on the coast east of Cheviot.
A spokesman said they believed it was a single engine plane with one person on board.
Police have also launched a lifeboat to help with the rescue.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
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