407 and drone close call
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Beyond the black stump!
407 and drone close call
Check out this video! https://unofficialnetworks.com/2023/...ter-near-miss/
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From: USA
Video is 5 years old; no follow-up report even though the helicopter is distinctive and easily traced. It appears to be faked from some flight simulator software.
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From: USA
No shadow of helicopter on ocean/shallows; lack of exhaust heat distortion/shimmer that would be nearly head on; given the use of a wide-angle lens for the copter to appear that large it would be within a few feet, but the "drone" is unperturbed by what should be a violent downwash flow.
-and -
The helicopter company would have taken 30 minutes or less for a news agency and the FAA to identify, followed by at least trying to interview the pilot or go to the owner.
It is possible the helicopter is extracted from a flight simulator and is composited with real footage from an over-height flight, but I remain confident this encounter didn't happen.
-and -
The helicopter company would have taken 30 minutes or less for a news agency and the FAA to identify, followed by at least trying to interview the pilot or go to the owner.
It is possible the helicopter is extracted from a flight simulator and is composited with real footage from an over-height flight, but I remain confident this encounter didn't happen.
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From: Den Haag
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Australia
While the scenario is totally credible, I am inclined to agree with MechEngr that this video is a fake. My reasoning is different: I looked at a few frames where the '407' was close to the drone and some of the elements of the helicopter drop out such as the right skid and parts of the cross tubes. In the comments on the YouTube video one person puts this down to what happens when a video is re-rendered (presumably when posted to YouTube) but I am doubtful. Others had commented on YouTube about lack of any sign of pilots on board, and I also don't see any clear signs of anyone on board as it passes.
Initially I thought the helicopter had too much sideslip as it was approaching but I realised this could be due to the relative view from a drone moving out to sea (as it apparently was) on a near collision course. I initially also thought the helicopter couldn't be seen when the drone camera panned around but in fact it can be seen and is roughly the size it would be expected to be once it comes back into view, so I can't fault that. Like MechEngr, others on YouTube have also commented about the lack of reaction of the drone to the downwash from the passing rotor, but I wonder how strong the downwash would be from a fast moving helicopter for a drone that was already to one side of the helicopter path?
There is some sort of 'registration' on the cowling but I couldn't read it. I tried to Google search on the internet for a Bell 407 with such a paint scheme but without luck. But as MechEngr says, if this was real, wouldn't the identity of the helicopter and its pilot(s) have been resolved way back in August 2018. And how did the drone footage make its way from the drone operator to CBS Miami? In a plain brown envelope perhaps? All seems a bit suspect.
No obvious sign of any pilots as it passes.
A screenshot where right skid is 'missing'
Initially I thought the helicopter had too much sideslip as it was approaching but I realised this could be due to the relative view from a drone moving out to sea (as it apparently was) on a near collision course. I initially also thought the helicopter couldn't be seen when the drone camera panned around but in fact it can be seen and is roughly the size it would be expected to be once it comes back into view, so I can't fault that. Like MechEngr, others on YouTube have also commented about the lack of reaction of the drone to the downwash from the passing rotor, but I wonder how strong the downwash would be from a fast moving helicopter for a drone that was already to one side of the helicopter path?
There is some sort of 'registration' on the cowling but I couldn't read it. I tried to Google search on the internet for a Bell 407 with such a paint scheme but without luck. But as MechEngr says, if this was real, wouldn't the identity of the helicopter and its pilot(s) have been resolved way back in August 2018. And how did the drone footage make its way from the drone operator to CBS Miami? In a plain brown envelope perhaps? All seems a bit suspect.
No obvious sign of any pilots as it passes.
A screenshot where right skid is 'missing'
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From: Den Haag
Well, in other frames the right skid is visible! Also, the title of the news article says that the FAA is investigating the incident!
I don’t know why everyone jumps on the ‘fake’ bandwagon as a default position. It’s not even a particularly unusual video and is totally plausible.
I don’t know why everyone jumps on the ‘fake’ bandwagon as a default position. It’s not even a particularly unusual video and is totally plausible.
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From: same planet as yours
Did you see any FAA reports published on this matter in the meantime??
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From: Den Haag
You are referring to a 5 year old news article https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/h...off-hollywood/
Did you see any FAA reports published on this matter in the meantime??
Did you see any FAA reports published on this matter in the meantime??
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From: EGDC
Well, in other frames the right skid is visible!
Equally it could be real and the skid is in an area where the camera's software fills in the gaps to save computing power and memory.
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From: USA
Until there are Artificial Intelligence cameras, deciding the skid was an extraneous detail isn't something a camera can do, even to save memory. Doing so would take a large amount of computing effort.
Extracting a blurred helicopter from a video game or flight simulator backdrop and, from that, losing small details is expected for current low-cost editing software.
If this had happened it would be the banner for the useless garbage RFID the FAA has failed so miserably with.
Extracting a blurred helicopter from a video game or flight simulator backdrop and, from that, losing small details is expected for current low-cost editing software.
If this had happened it would be the banner for the useless garbage RFID the FAA has failed so miserably with.
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From: Australia
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: EGDC
Until there are Artificial Intelligence cameras, deciding the skid was an extraneous detail isn't something a camera can do, even to save memory. Doing so would take a large amount of computing effort.
Joined: Jul 2021
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From: UK
No shadow of helicopter on ocean/shallows; lack of exhaust heat distortion/shimmer that would be nearly head on; given the use of a wide-angle lens for the copter to appear that large it would be within a few feet, but the "drone" is unperturbed by what should be a violent downwash flow.
-and -
The helicopter company would have taken 30 minutes or less for a news agency and the FAA to identify, followed by at least trying to interview the pilot or go to the owner.
It is possible the helicopter is extracted from a flight simulator and is composited with real footage from an over-height flight, but I remain confident this encounter didn't happen.
-and -
The helicopter company would have taken 30 minutes or less for a news agency and the FAA to identify, followed by at least trying to interview the pilot or go to the owner.
It is possible the helicopter is extracted from a flight simulator and is composited with real footage from an over-height flight, but I remain confident this encounter didn't happen.
Joined: Oct 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 7,371
Likes: 926
From: Den Haag
Talking of 'shadows' I suspect that considering the colour scheme, lack of registration markings, and the sensor mounted on the nose, that maybe the 407 belongs to an organisation that does not like publicity!
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: LONDON
Originally Posted by [email protected]
As I understand it, that is what cameras like the go pro 360 do already.