balloon propaganda "bombs"

North Korean defector fights Pyongyang with thumbdrive-laden balloons
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2...aden-balloons/

SAN FRANCISCO—For years, Park Sang Hak has fought the North Korean government with balloons.

The long, thin, translucent, 36-foot-long (12-meter) balloons are loaded up with USB sticks with Wikipedia entries, DVDs of popular TV shows, anti-government leaflets, and even single American dollar bills. (The last is included so starving North Koreans can buy rice on the black market.) While the balloons typically make it over the border by only a few kilometers or so (often dropping inside the Demilitarized Zone), sometimes they can land as far away as Pyongyang, about 125 miles from the border.
...
“I believe that if we can get 100 times more balloons, then we will make [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong Un paranoid—sending more and more balloons to North Korea is more effective than sending a bomb on North Korea,” Park added. “The thing is that if South Korea or the United States Air Force dropped a bomb, there's a way that [North Korea] would react to it, but the thing is with leaflets there's no way to react.”
...

Custom printed balloons:
http://www.balloonsfast.com/balloonp...FS_xOgodsgEAKQ

Custom printed USB drives:
http://www.vistaprint.com/gallery/IE...uponAutoload=1

LED firefly flashers:
http://www.byteland.org/firefly/fire...imulation.html

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI...660R-19252.jpg
http://blogs.suntimes.com/music/crowdathutchsouth.jpg
http://www.kiddross.com/media/847/crowd_at_night.jpg

See where I'm going with this...?

-t

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...3080424AAfUDZz
Balloons filled with helium gas usually last less than a day, and need to be inflated on the day of your function. If you are DIY, always do a test inflation the day before to determine the flying time of the balloons under your conditions. Flying times will depend on the size and quality of the balloons, and the conditions on the day you inflate them. A standard size helium balloon is 28cm (11") and should fly for 12-18 hours. Balloons are adversely affected by heat, wind and sun, so keep them in a cool, dark place until needed. Australia is a hot country, so I am always conservative with balloon flying times, and any extra is a bonus. Don’t leave helium filled balloons in your car while you shop for the party – pay the extra for delivery or DIY at the venue just before the function. (1)


Mathematically, it depends on several variables m = PVM/RT where: m = mass of the gas in grams P = pressure inside the balloon, in atmospheres V = volume in liters M = Molecular weight of the gas R = a constant = 0.082 T = Absolute temperature, Kelvin At sea-level, the air pressure is 1 atmosphere and say we are at room temperature. Then P = 1 and T = 293K.'

The balloon bible:
http://www.partyplus.com.au/Articles...loon-Bible.asp

Temperature will effect how long they stay airborne, as will weight of payload. You want them to fly low enough to be caught come night...

pondering, muscle wire (kinda expensive) or relays/electromagnets could be used for time release of flyers or better yet, paper airplanes made of our flyers - but this would require a higher altitude for release. Paper airplanes could be painted with the liquid from an activated glow light or other luminescent material. This is likely to lead to an impromptu food paper airplane fight. Think of an unusual design for the flyer with shorter messages corresponding to visible areas post fold and revealing more upon unfold...

Sky Lanterns - Case of 40, Multi-Colored
40 colored tissue-paper lanterns, fire retardant, bio-degradable

40 Sky Lanterns in various colors. These lanterns are on sale because they have slightly rusty crosswires. This does not affect their performance at all, nor how they look in the air.


NOT CURRENTLY IN STOCK--PRE-ORDER SALES ONLY -- 50% OFF!
Order now at for shipment to you in early March 2014.
Sale Ends When New Shipment Arrives

These Sky Lanterns are made of flame-resistant tissue paper, a bamboo ring at the bottom and two thin cross-wires supporting a square of wax-impregnated cardboard, the fuel for the lantern. Unlike other fuel sources, the fuel pad on these lanterns is already attached, and will not drip flaming liquid.

Sky Lanterns are simple hot air balloons. Once they are lit and fill with hot air, they will rise and fly for 4 to 5 minutes. They will continue to stay aloft and rise, as long as the fuel pad is burning. Only when the fuel pad burns out, do the lanterns float harmlessly back to the ground. The materials used are non-toxic and 100% biodegradable.

Each lantern is packed folded flat. No shipping restrictions.

http://www.skylighter.com/sky-lanterns.asp