Back in February 2026, the Englewood REVIEW covered a story that honestly soared way beyond expectations. This wasn’t just any classroom project. On February 19, SKY Academy students, led by their STEM teacher J.T. Tremaine, teamed up with Bill Reed and the Englewood Amateur Radio Society (EARS) to launch a real weather balloon right from their own field. The REVIEW crew caught it all on camera—students racing to set up gear, teachers guiding hands-on, and everyone getting ready for a wild adventure. Forget those dry textbook lessons; these kids tracked live data.
Now, fast forward to today. We’ve received regular updates, and the Englewood REVIEW is excited to share the latest straight from EARS member Ken Blackshaw:
Hello PICO Balloon fans –
We are now crossing the Pacific Ocean for the fourth time, but this orbit is much different than the first three. We took a more northerly route across Asia, going over many of the ‘Stans’ including Kazakhstan. We’ve also added Mongolia and Russia to our ‘countries’ list, exiting the Asian continent north of Vladivostok!
The actual route across the Pacific is dictated by the winds, 42,000 feet up, where our balloon lives. You can see what’s about to happen, looking at the link to those wind currents – here!
We are about to take a violent turn to the north that will most likely have our radio station, N4EAR-1, waking up over Alaska.
Stay tuned to see at what point we actually complete our fourth orbit and start our fifth.
73’s – Ken
This project isn’t just about science or reading; it’s about adventure. These students pushed the limits, chasing real-world experiences and bringing meteorology down to earth for everyone. Stay tuned. There’s more history in the making.
