Reporter advises high altitude hobbyist balloon launches are taking place in the vicinity of iad.

Attributes
ACN	770133
Time
Date	200801
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	770133
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor FAA
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

An article stated that a hobbyist participating with a local school to launch helium-filled balloons supporting payloads equipped with radio tracking devices and cameras from the surface to altitudes in excess of FL800. The article depicts a flight path for one of their balloons that appears to coincide with airspace that is regularly traversed by aircraft departing from and arriving to the metropolitan washington; dc; airports. The article and information on their website indicates their intention to continue these launches. As a commercial airline pilot; I'm concerned that these launches pose a risk to aircraft traversing this airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had no additional information. He is unaware of whether NOTAMS were published for the event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER ADVISES HIGH ALTITUDE HOBBYIST BALLOON LAUNCHES ARE TAKING PLACE IN THE VICINITY OF IAD.

Narrative: AN ARTICLE STATED THAT A HOBBYIST PARTICIPATING WITH A LCL SCHOOL TO LAUNCH HELIUM-FILLED BALLOONS SUPPORTING PAYLOADS EQUIPPED WITH RADIO TRACKING DEVICES AND CAMERAS FROM THE SURFACE TO ALTS IN EXCESS OF FL800. THE ARTICLE DEPICTS A FLT PATH FOR ONE OF THEIR BALLOONS THAT APPEARS TO COINCIDE WITH AIRSPACE THAT IS REGULARLY TRAVERSED BY ACFT DEPARTING FROM AND ARRIVING TO THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON; DC; ARPTS. THE ARTICLE AND INFO ON THEIR WEBSITE INDICATES THEIR INTENTION TO CONTINUE THESE LAUNCHES. AS A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PLT; I'M CONCERNED THAT THESE LAUNCHES POSE A RISK TO ACFT TRAVERSING THIS AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER HAD NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. HE IS UNAWARE OF WHETHER NOTAMS WERE PUBLISHED FOR THE EVENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.