What kind of chopper is this?
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SkyGod
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
What kind of chopper is this?
Looks like a French machine?
Curious what the pods on both sides are: Fuel, cargo or camera equipment?
He or she was flying too low over a residential area and kept coming around and around, at first we thought it was a police helicopter looking for something or someone but saw no markings. There is an N-number on the tail boom but not much contrast from the metallic light blue color of the craft.
The video is not great, sorry about that.
Curious what the pods on both sides are: Fuel, cargo or camera equipment?
He or she was flying too low over a residential area and kept coming around and around, at first we thought it was a police helicopter looking for something or someone but saw no markings. There is an N-number on the tail boom but not much contrast from the metallic light blue color of the craft.
The video is not great, sorry about that.
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From: UK
It’s certainly a single Squirrel/A-Star of some flavour. AS350 or H125.
The pod might be some sort of LiDAR scanner/pod. Which would also explain the repeated passes over the same area.
The pod might be some sort of LiDAR scanner/pod. Which would also explain the repeated passes over the same area.
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SkyGod
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
back once a month for the same low level “survey” or whatever they are doing. 60 degree banked turns at 200 feet okay in a
helicopter?
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Thread Starter
SkyGod
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
The houses are behind the cameraman and if the chopper had flown over the homes most of us retired old farts would have called the cops or the nearest FAA facility with a complaint. (200 feet, steep turns and noisy as hell)
We are near the beach and near the ocean so we are used to see the orange USCG helicopters fly low to search or for SAR training, this civilian craft was puzzling however and still a mystery if not on a mosquito run or on some sort of a mapping mission.
Thanks for the comments.
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From: Brisbane
Excuse the preamble, 
Once yonks ago, here on the Gold Coast QLD close to YSPT, I heard a chopper flying around in circles. 9pm I went out and couldn't see anything but could hear it quite close and circling.
I was going nuts, saying to the wife, it's there somewhere, pointing to sky.....!
After about 5 minutes, I finally saw - the cockpit!
Yep, the glow from cockpit. No nav lights nothing. I couldn't believe it. And then I saw it again... No lights, black as night....
So I went to the local port and asked about it as we have the Sea World choppers based there and I assumed that this 'night' chopper might go there for refueling etc.
Back to the OP. Maybe find out the local ish airports or chopper bases and enquire there, or even ring them. If it's mossie stuff, then the local council would know.
Anyway, after my black night chopper enquiry, they rang me back and told me it was a police chopper and they - are - allowed to fly with no nav lights (so as the bad guys can't see them, LOL!).
Once yonks ago, here on the Gold Coast QLD close to YSPT, I heard a chopper flying around in circles. 9pm I went out and couldn't see anything but could hear it quite close and circling.
I was going nuts, saying to the wife, it's there somewhere, pointing to sky.....!
After about 5 minutes, I finally saw - the cockpit!
Yep, the glow from cockpit. No nav lights nothing. I couldn't believe it. And then I saw it again... No lights, black as night....
So I went to the local port and asked about it as we have the Sea World choppers based there and I assumed that this 'night' chopper might go there for refueling etc.
Back to the OP. Maybe find out the local ish airports or chopper bases and enquire there, or even ring them. If it's mossie stuff, then the local council would know.
Anyway, after my black night chopper enquiry, they rang me back and told me it was a police chopper and they - are - allowed to fly with no nav lights (so as the bad guys can't see them, LOL!).
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SkyGod
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Not fresh water in the lagoon, but brackish waters, probably on the salty side, don’t think mosquito larvae or eggs can survive in anything but fresh water..(?)
We are so close to the ocean we have a SE breeze most of the time, mozzies not a big problem here, but probably a few miles inland in the swamps.
Not that I am promoting this place, but if any of you studs like boats and are about to retire, this is a residential marina, the only one I have seen or heard of.
Housing and lot prices are a bit depressed right now, a good time to buy probably. (2 retired rotor heads here, as a plank driver I am in the minority)
All the boats are in the hangar (boat house) which is why the docks are empty.
My boat on the lift, being washed after use before going inside the hangar and parked on a rack.
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From: USA
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From: After all, what’s more important than proving to someone on the internet that they’re wrong? - Manson
Thread Starter
SkyGod
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Guessing they have a special permission to fly low in residential areas..
Thread Starter
SkyGod
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
