>From: barry.neely@prudential.com
>Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
>To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
>Subject: RE: [Az-Geocaching] Arizona Adventure Racing series -
>DesertRageAR.com
>Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 11:24:54 -0700
>
>
>I know that it might be hard to believe but there was a time before GPS.
>All you had was map and compass. And yes there are some of us that can use
>one real well. Has anyone heard of Orienteering?
>
>Hiker
Although a bit off topic... an interesting side note to my last post. As
Barry mentioned above, there was a time before GPS. Well, when GPS's were
just coming round' for civilian use, they were not legal in ballooning
competitions. You had to 'fly the map'. But, a few pilots found a way to
bring a GPS on board with them (I guess the older GPS units were not tiny
handheld things like they are nowadays?). They would sew an antenna into the
top of the balloon (in one of the 'gores' or large seams) and within that
seam, they would run the antenna wire down into the basket). Once in the
air, they could just connect to the GPS. Of course, they eventually got
cought! Nowadays, we cant get away with anything! They now use a 'black box'
in each balloon. This is basically a Garmin supplied GPS that tracks your
every move, from the time you leave the pilot briefing, your drive around
town to a launch site, your actual flight track and altitudes flown (there
are some altitude requirments/restrictions in certain areas on a map). The
officials will then lay your track out on the Garmin Mapsource software
after the flight for review!
Scott
Team Ropingthewind
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