I was just noodling around on ADSB Link and noticed a unique "Ball"
a little North and East of Yuma Arizona. This is near where Arizona, California, and Mexico share a border. Yuma is also a US Marine base.

The description (put your cursor on the ballon/light bulb icon and click it) says it is a Lockheed Martin Thethered Aerostat, I googled that it LINK CLICK looks like a blimp and google says it is a radar surveillance thing for Customs & Border Patrol and NORAD and drug interdiction. I don't know if it could track people or vehicles coming across or near the border, etc.

It's tethered at 9,000 feet (connected by cable to the ground). I know aviators have a thing named NOTAM to check before they take off flying, yet I'm just wondering if somebody is toodling around in their bug-smasher Cessna 152 going 100 knots and flew into the tethered cable. Probably won't happen, surely should not happen.

Tail number of the thethered ball is N801XR. LINK CLICK

I just thought this was interesting and wonder if any of you aviators might have any comment on this as well as any of us who are greatly concerned about border security and all that implies.
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Here is a PDF document that helps to explain.

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/defa..._508%20compliant.pdf

There's one in the Florida Keys at Cudjoe Key, visible from the main drag. We made a slight detour and got close to it on the way to Key West a few years ago.

https://www.boldmethod.com/lea...eas-deadly-balloons/

I remember seeing a similar object at the Baghdad Airport 20 years ago.

They also have a large one at Ft. Huachuca and a smaller one just outside Lukeville

Interesting, there is one at Nogales (I-19 south of Tucson and Green Valley/Sahuarita) that uses cameras and not radar. Nogales is on the border of Arizona & Mexico.

Here's the video (ignore the people complaining of privacy, the video is 18 months old) and read the subtitles and such. I like seeing an actual picture/video of this thing.

(not injecting politics here, but if we can see people coming to and across the boder....well you know)



alternate link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxzfiZHBe1s

There’s one between Marfa and Van Horn Texas, on Highway 90. It has the reputation locally of never having been responsible for the apprehension of a single person. I’m not sure whether that’s deserved or not.