Mark Rowzee and I spoke at the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) 2016 Winter meeting as part of Session EI: Quadcopters, Drones and High Altitude Balloons. Our talk was “Blueprints for Accessible and Affordable High-Altitude Ballooning.”

**Abstract**: We’ll provide you will the blueprints for success since the moment you release your first high-altitude balloon, you are stricken with an unsettling combination of joy and terror. It is relativity easy to launch a high-altitude balloon; it requires much more planning, resources, and luck to get it back. We will share our experiences designing, launching, and recovering high altitude balloons over the past six years. We will share the science that can be done with a variety of student age groups (elementary, junior high, and high school). We will share the materials necessary for a successful launch and recovery for a variety of budgets. We will share the safety precautions that are required. Finally, we have photos, videos, resources, and stories that we hope will inspire you to conduct your own launch.

* [slides from talk (including all extra slides)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5RGLWvvovYUdzhRVEM5M0Y2dmc/view?usp=sharing)
* [useful and interesting links for space ballooning](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-FDhuwiNHHLUaVpsAPedmm2R5nku2K9l28nGm23Fglw/edit?usp=sharing)
* [packing and pre-launch checklists](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1anxhRdpZZd2gB84jDEqIa94520NwJHduz6FMz9WtEgI/edit?usp=sharing)
* [Physics Club Near-Space Balloon Flight](https://vimeo.com/42751486)