 They tried to make the hoist during a calm period, but it was not unusual for the pilot to be dunked into the Atlantic before reaching his observation basket.The kite balloon might behave erratically in the turbulence abaft the destroyer, so the whole observation basket might also be dunked before the tether was extended allowing the kite balloon to go aloft.Wet or dry, the balloon pilot spent the whole day aloft in the kite balloon whose appearance and airborne movement earned it the nickname