FlightRadar - anyone seen this before?

[PitlochryAdvice]

Having a nosey on FlightRadar and noticed this in Kenya and I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought it was maybe a drone but it’s says it’s at 56,000 ft and I didn’t realise they could fly so high if it is.

www.flightradar24.com/blog/keep-your-eye-on-the-hbal-tracking-project-loon-balloons/

My first thought is military/defence of some description whether testing or on exercise or working. But could it be something to do with this? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-62123819

You need one of our resident plane nerds! Hopefully they'll stop by.

That’s brilliant, thanks for posting!

I love FR24

I had a look on plane finder and it’s marked as a drone on there, the do fly at those altitudes

Just spotted the symbol in you SS the 4 circles do indeed man it’s a balloon

Sorry, I’ve been out. Thank you all, that’s really interesting and I’ll look into those tomorrow. It was a different symbol that looked like a drone but I didn’t think they’d be allowed to operate that high but now I’ve got a rabbit hole to go down tomorrow evening! I thought the point to Musks Starlink satellites (that clog our night skies!) was to get internet to the masses and don’t realise there was a balloon initiative too.

@LisaJohnsonsFacebookMole

Yep you’ve got it, it’s the Airbus pseudo satellite project - the drone icon used by Flightradar is a bit misleading because Zephyr looks nothing like a common or garden DJI hobby drone…

https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/air/aalto-commences-kenya-based-operations-of-zephyr-haps

It's still up if anyone is interested, north of meru, Kenya

Not related (apart from flight radar)…I saw this on fb tonight which I thought was interesting too.

Those sort of records that get set when the North Atlantic jet stream(s) is wound up are all well and good until you arrive at somewhere like Heathrow maybe an hour plus plus ahead of schedule…..and then find out there’s an hour plus plus wait for your gate to become free..😬

Poor flight from Krakow trying to land at glasgow airport and the wind has kicked in - I would not like to be on that plane. Circling at moment. Nothing taking off at moment. I heard a plane go over my house and just thought I’d check!

Not surprised, Southerly 31 knots gusting over 50 on the last report from Glasgow, probably right on/above crosswind limits a lot of the time. Wind is forecast to veer to be slightly more in line with the runway as the morning goes on but wind strength doesn’t reduce much.

FWIW Edinburgh already have a warning out that..

“Arrivals unavailable from 1000-1700 UTC due to strong wind.”

I’ll add my now usual warning that the atmospheric pressure is so “off standard” around the UK at the moment that the flight radar displayed altitudes for aircraft at low altitude are going to be wildly inaccurate, possibly over reading by as much as 1500 feet for any aircraft around the Scottish airports.

It's given up and is heading roughly south south west at 25.000 feet.

Sensibly.

I wonder where it’s diverting to?

Manchester according to Flight Radar.

Ah just noticed that - thought it might be Liverpool but can see the notice on FR now.