The Hazard of Atmospheric Wind Shears During Parachute Recovery of Instruments

Abstract

In the preceding paper (present issue, pp. 263-84) some aspects of the behaviour of a high altitude experimental system were considered. The system consists of a balloon with gondola, from which a small instrument package is suspended by a fine nylon yarn several miles long. To recover the instruments at the end of a flight the gondola is cut loose from the balloon, the whole system of gondola, yarn, and package then descending by a parachute attached to the gondola. If the balloon is a small one the upper instruments are contained in a small box instead of a gondola.