Tethered "Fat Albert"

Good afternoon folks.  Our Sidewinder site has been A1. 
We have had  "Happy Hours"  with Dick and Kay, then at times with Jim.
We have been keeping our eye on "Fat Albert", high up in the sky, over looking our border.

****(info from Google):*** 
Drug traffickers used air transport to enter U.S. territory for years because it was cheap, easy, swift, and convenient. The Coast Guard and Customs Service struggled for years with inadequate resources to control our airways. The military was focused on tracking high altitude, high speed incursions of our borders; that is, they were looking for Soviet bombers. By flying low and slow, the drug traffickers avoided the military detection net. In the mid-1980's the Nation began to take back control of the airways in the United States. ******
The Federal Aviation Administration had advised Customs to begin looking for
"aerostat" sites in the Southwest and the Gulf in 1981.
It was urged to use  aerostatsin the war on drugs.  The first site was operational in 1985 in the Bahamas.  The second site was in Fort Huachuca, AZ. in 1886.
The responsibility for the program fell to the Customs and Coast Guard.  Then transferred to the Defense Dept.
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DesertDale took this photo with his new play toy.  The aerostats are not perfect the say.  The weather, terrain and other factors affect them.
They are very expensive to operate.
The one in Yuma is up 86%  and down only 16%.
They are made of a large fabric envelop, filled helium.  It can rise up to 15,000 feet, while tethered on a single cable.  There are 3 sizes of them and 3 varieties of radar.
They are some times call "Fat Albert"

The "kitfoxes" have been hiding out this time around.  As we have not see a one. But they did leave a calling card.  This photo was taken last year , when they were much friendlier.

Of course the birds are plentiful.  Love to heat them chirp.

This is the new hat band Mary Lou made for Ernest.  I used it as a patren to make DesertDale  and my Grandson Doug. Once again thanks to Mary Lou for showing me how it is done. Lunch time once again.  DesertDale likes me to be ready when he has that delicious he cook ready.  As he does work hard at cooking something good.

Enjoy your partner are with.  Kitfoxgal