DRUMS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The phrase "teamwork makes the dream work" has become popular ever since a clergyman coined it a couple of decades ago. The expression certainly applies to some local students.
They achieved their dream of having a class project take flight quite literally.
Juniors and seniors at Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences received their marching orders for a high-flying project in John Berta's robotics class.
Their project? To launch a 42-foot high-altitude weather balloon more than 100,000 feet into the atmosphere.
They worked on this project for several weeks, a project the school has done in previous years.
"I was like really kind of nervous because it was such, like, a tedious process on the ground getting, making sure everything was okay," said graduating senior Avery Sherman of Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
This year's launch marked a first. Never before had the class attempted one in the evening. They scheduled this launch at around 7:30 p.m., well after school hours.
"The goal here was to try and time the max height of the balloon with at least on, or about, sunset so that we can see the line of sunset across the earth," teacher John Berta explained.
"So what's going to happen is as it goes up, it's going to start to pull this up, so everybody kind of has to give with it," said Berta.
Before the launch, much needs to be done, including getting enough helium, building a payload container, and even alerting the Air Force about their high-in-the-sky project.
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"Funny enough, it's a lot of prep work and making sure lights blink properly," said graduating senior Ryan Brislin of Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
With a tracking device and a 360-degree GoPro camera firmly attached, it is finally "go" time.
The onboard camera from above captures the jubilation down below.
"A lot of people don't think that much work goes into this stuff, but its great seeing all the work you put into it and then it's a simple thing, so we launched a balloon to the sky, but to think about how much work went into it and the aftermath and everything, it's awesome," explained Evan Thomas, graduating senior from Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
The camera captured the breathtaking view of the sun setting along the curvature of the Earth. The project is something Mr. Berta's students will likely never forget, among them a "Here's to You Kid" from January 2025, Eagle Scout Paige Greco.
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"Yeah, it was definitely really nerve-wracking like all throughout school I was like stressing, but it's so, it was so relieving and a really good memory to be able to say that that happened," said Greco.
Mr. Berta tells 28/22 News the high-altitude balloon burst in roughly two hours and landed about 50 miles from Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
He recovered the payload two days later from 40 feet up in a tree at Camp Canadensis in the Poconos.
To the 2025 robotics class at Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, here's to you, kids!
If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here’s To You Kid!, send in a nomination online.
