Raven Aerostar launched a Thunderhead 400 balloon this summer with some new faces in the audience. A number of Raven interns from various divisions and disciplines were able to watch the balloon take flight, making it the first launch seen by many of them.
“A key aspect of our Raven intern program is allowing our interns to experience the Raven business and all the aspects that make it up. Because of this, we look for opportunities to involve our interns in everyday processes that take place within the company, including balloon launches,” said Kiley Vander Maten, Human Resources Coordinator. “While we have interns spanning across all four divisions, this was a unique experience for all of them to see this detailed process lay out.”
“One part that I thought was especially interesting was how there was a unity in the team to get the launch off without a hitch,” said Zachary Van Dorin, a Systems Engineer Intern for ATD. “I was amazed to see how everyone had a specific job, from preparing the payload, to inflating the balloon, to releasing it at the end. It really was cool to see.”
“The balloon launch was really cool because I don’t usually get to witness Raven products in action, since I am usually in the office all day. I was surprised at how quickly the balloon took off. It is hard to picture quite how big the balloons are, so seeing one in person helped me understand them a little better.”
— Coley Shield, Audit/Risk Intern, Raven Corporate Services
This launch marked another successful milestone for Raven Aerostar as the team continues to pioneer new opportunities in the stratosphere with Thunderhead Balloon Systems.