If I go to Radio Shack or some large toy store and buy a model airplane or a model rocket, aren't there federal regulations that stipulate the maximum altitude? I remember last year before the war the toy planes were an issue.
Is it legal for me as a private citizen to launch a high-altitude balloon? What if I live near an airport? If not, how can they sell those things?
Not to get into the "freedom vs security" issue, but "there should be a law against that".
Interesting question. I dunno. But I'm tempted to say that as far as the sale of the balloon itself, I have also seen them put to other uses. Sometimes they used to be filled with conventional oxygen and used as an exercise implement for kids. I would think that it's role as flying object requires a substantial amount of helium. Is helium a controlled substance? Should it be?
I know, too, that amateur rocket enthusiasts often launch multistage vehicles that reach some pretty astounding altitudes for the nature of the vehicle. Is that illegal in this age of terror and STINGER threats? I dunno. Should it be?