High-Altitude Balloon Spotted Over Tipp City on Wednesday Night

By Matt Bayman | This Local Life

TIPP CITY — A high-altitude balloon spotted over downtown Tipp City on Wednesday night caught the attention of local residents, adding to a growing number of sightings reported across the Miami Valley since mid-June. (The video below shows the Tipp City balloon)

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   The translucent balloon, seen around 9 p.m. July 8 while looking north from downtown Tipp City, is one of two Thunderhead Balloon Systems operated by Aerostar, an aerospace and defense company based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Similar sightings have been reported in recent weeks over Dayton, Centerville, Piqua, Troy and in Preble County.

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   According to company information and flight tracking data, the balloons were launched from Dangle Airport in South Dakota before drifting across the Midwest toward Ohio.

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   Flying between 50,000 and 70,000 feet in the stratosphere, the balloons are legal, trackable and operate under federal aviation regulations. Unlike traditional weather balloons that typically burst after reaching high altitudes, Aerostar's proprietary super-pressure balloons are designed to remain aloft for weeks or even months, using changing wind currents to maintain position over targeted regions.

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   Aerostar regularly flies hundreds of these balloon systems each year for applications including remote sensing, radar mapping and communications support. The company has not disclosed the specific purpose or customer behind the current Ohio flights.