For at least a week, the world’s attention has also turned to what is happening in the skies over North America, where four objects were shot down – a spy balloon and others still being analyzed – flying over the skies of the US and Canada without authorization. But are these devices dangerous for planes that are full of passengers every minute? We asked pilots and air traffic controllers. Here are their answers.
What are those spy balloons that have been the talk of the past few days?
These are aerostatic devices with a balloon filled with gas (helium) carrying equipment such as cameras or sensors for aerial photography, surveillance or radar jamming, for scientific research or for collecting meteorological data. The Chinese spy balloon shot down off the US east coast was also equipped with solar panels to power the electronics on board.
How are they managed?
These spy balloons can be remote controlled or pre-programmed to fly a specific route at a specific altitude and speed. As you can see today, these devices can stay in the air for several days. These balloons are advantageous for intelligence agencies because they are cheap, easy to manoeuvre, can photograph the terrain more accurately and are much more difficult to locate.
Are these balloons dangerous for commercial flights?
This is one of the questions that civil aviation authorities in the US and Europe are trying to answer. When used properly, these devices are considered harmless. Mainly because they fly at an altitude of between 17 and 42 km, against the 18-28 km of military jets and without crossing the routes of civil aircraft (7-14 km altitude) or helicopters (up to 7 km).
But is there a risk of them colliding with civilian planes?
Not in theory. In practice it remains to be seen. Experts do not hide their concern, especially in the last few hours: the object shot down over Lake Huron – between the USA and Canada – on Sunday afternoon was at an altitude of 20,000 feet, i.e. at 6,100 meters, in the “operational area” of aircraft with passengers and in one of the busiest parts of heaven in the world because between Chicago, Toronto and Detroit. For this reason, US President Joe Biden ordered the demolition.
What could happen in a collision between a spy balloon and an airplane?
As with “bird strikes” — that is, collisions with birds — if the balloon penetrates a plane’s engines, it could disable it and even cause a fire. Should it end against the nose – where the cockpit is located – it would obscure all vision for the commander and first officer. Not to mention the devices installed on the balloons that could damage the hull. The other difficulty – for pilots and air traffic controllers on the ground – is that these balloons are difficult to spot.
Why are these objects difficult to track?
Since their solid structure is smaller than that of airplanes (or helicopters), they fly much slower and have a different shape than the usual dangerous elements such as fighter jets or rockets. The radars therefore have difficulty in identifying them, since they work with software that does not count spy balloons among the elements to be displayed. That’s why engineers, at least in the US, are updating radar programs by adding additional filters to “scrub” the sky at all altitudes as well.
Can spy balloons interfere with airplane navigation instruments?
It is possible. If you are equipped with devices to intercept or jam the signal, you run the risk of disrupting vital communications between the cockpit and the control tower. Likewise, the risk of a negative impairment of the function of the GPS cannot be ruled out.
Are spy balloons a modern-day phenomenon?
It’s not yet clear if this is new or part of a series of already known events. In a document released in 2021, American intelligence stated that of the 366 “unexplained” sightings in recent years, 163 were later identified as “balloons”.
Were there spy balloons in Europe too?
In recent days, the US State Department has informed several allied countries of the presence of spy balloons over their skies in recent months. Among them, from the little that leaks out, there are at least a few in Europe.