The idea came after my platoon commander during Plebe Summer told the plebes about the challenge. Plebes are not allowed media, so I chose something more creative to put my time into. I constructed the rig in my room over a three-month planning period, stowing it away in my locker everyday in order to keep my room in “Bravo” condition. The 16-foot high rig was suspended on a paperclip and hung from my ceiling.
How was it done?
The Class of 2012 successfully placed a cover on the obelisk on the dome 225 feet up by utilizing a helium-filled weather balloon (8 feet in diameter). The cover was attached to a remote-controlled servo in order to drop the cover on the obelisk. A wireless camera was fixed inside the cover so that I could tell when it was secured. A fishing swivel was attached from the balloon to the lines on the ground so that the balloon could freely rotate without tangling the lines. A 5-foot diameter wire (clothing hanger) cone was attached to the underside of the cover to extend the base (like refueling a jet). The balloon had an upward force of 15.5 lbs; however, the five lines had nearly 25 lbs of tension each.
3rd Company’s Day of Execution
The wind was calm and steady so I gave the all clear. Just minutes later, clouds rolled in and stirred the atmosphere generating 10-knot winds. We continued. After the chemistry department donated the 200 cubic feet of helium for the balloon, we moved quickly on Stribling to deliver the apparatus to about 30 of my classmates in front of the chapel. The balloon was launched vertically to a height of 275 feet. My classmates then moved to their positions around the Chapel in order to handle the lines more effectively—five midshipmen were directly handling the lines, five were on communications linked up to cell phones and the rest were on safety detail, public affairs or command. The balloon was then moved horizontally over the dome and the cover was lowered—easier said than done since the entire process took around two and a half hours to complete.
Aftermath
I researched in the Naval Academy Archives about previous attempts at placing a cover on the dome and the rewards that followed. I found six articles where this had been accomplished. However, the paper never stated if a class actually received “carry on.”
The Brigade Staff did not want to “give our class any incentives or rewards” because they want the Brigade to do well without “always getting something for it.” On the other hand, the Commandant saw an excellent team building opportunity for 2012 that would emphasize solid planning and scientific research. After meeting with him and the Brigade Staff, our class did receive a form of modified carry on for a week.
I planned on removing the cover last week by sliding a weather balloon up the lines still attached to the cover and floating the hat off. However, on 27 March (15 days later) the cover was retrieved by Public Works. They did it the same way we did, just using 12 very large Happy Birthday balloons. When I met with Public Works afterward, they told me that they were also contemplating other alternatives to remove it. Luckily someone decided to try to get the thing off the same way my class put it on.
Conclusion
I am pleased to inform you that I now have my cover back, I am not being separated from the Academy, and from now on I can tell the story of how my hat was on top of the Chapel. Please join us in support as the Class of 2012 carries on tradition and promotes esprit de corps!
UFO-Chapel Photos