We had an airplane running flawlessly, we had real-time weather displayed on a large-screen map, and we had XM Satellite Radio to make the hours pass.

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As the balloon rose, the team was able to map its progress using Google Earth via the craft's on-board radio receiver.

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One of the most visible belonged to the late songstress Kate Smith ("When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain"), whose 1930s and '40s radio show helped--along with the 1932 Winter Olympics--put Lake Placid on the map.

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