Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
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LongShot

In cooperation with the USArmy
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A howitzer cannon is vaguely aimed, and a smoke generating shell is fired 7-15 miles into an untracked wilderness. The shell releases a moderate amount of smoke for an hour or three.

As the launch is also the starting gun, the participants then race to the impact site, where the shell photographs the winner as proof of their victory.

Various levels of competition will include running, human powered only, anything goes, night-time, naval artillery/jetski, etc.

Probably forest fire teams will consistently win at the 'anything goes' version. Possibly unintentionally.

Why get the army involved: Do YOU have a howitzer?

GutPunchLullabies, Sep 07 2007

Anosmia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anosmia
[normzone, Sep 07 2007]

[link]






       I don't have a howitzer, but every avalanche abatement team probably does.   

       Does this have to be into wilderness? Why not launch the marker into the urban jungle?
Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 07 2007
  

       Because you will hit someone.
GutPunchLullabies, Sep 07 2007
  

       Just add a parachute so it lands softly.
Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 07 2007
  

       It could cause a car accident. Or break a window. Or fall through the sunroof of a deaf, anosmic man sleeping in his car, suffocating him.
GutPunchLullabies, Sep 07 2007
  

       Yes, but what if you fire it into the wilderness and it hits two hikers having sex?
Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 07 2007
  

       You will get some great photos.
GutPunchLullabies, Sep 07 2007
  

       Oh, so only men can be deaf, anosmic and really tired? And own a car with a sunroof?   

       Chauvinist.
globaltourniquet, Sep 07 2007
  

       Actually, even if there is one massive orgy covering 100 square feet located in each square mile of this specially selected untracked wilderness (It is possible the actual number will be lower), the odds of hitting it with a shell are 1:278,784. Happy hunting.
GutPunchLullabies, Sep 07 2007
  

       <pedant>Is it still a howitzer if it's doing direct fire from above?</pedant>
pertinax, Sep 09 2007
  

       //Well, how many women do you know who fit that description, eh? eh? //   

       As many elephants as I have seen hiding in cherry trees
globaltourniquet, Sep 09 2007
  

       My point (which is not serious) is just that if you're firing direct, then the aim might not be as //vague// as stipulated in the idea. ...and I thought that a howitzer was, by definition, a weapon mounted to fire along a high trajectory at a target with no line of sight; if you re-mounted the barrel horizontally you would just have, say, a normal field gun. But maybe I've got that wrong. Ah, yes; reading your wiki link, I see that my quibble has been obsolete since about 1918. Sorry.
pertinax, Sep 10 2007
  

       Hand-placing the target does sort of remove most of the point of the idea. It will also probably decrease the challenge, as the plane will be visible and audible when it drops the target.
GutPunchLullabies, Sep 10 2007
  
      
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