GPS Nod for
Cop 'Copters
Police here in Anaheim have reportedly gotten approval of a $67,000
purchase of moving map displays in three helicopters. The software
keeps pilots continually apprised of where they are and where they
are allowed to be, increasing safety while reducing response times.
It will also allow police pilots to accurately find their destination
based on simple street address input. The GPS units are being supplied
by Lexington, KY-based Metamap, Inc.
Blow Dry It, Cowboy
They do things big in Texas, and when rain threatened to delay a rodeo
last week they used helicopters to help dry the base materials for
a new parking lot outside the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. "A
trio of helicopters danced just above the ground," said a local
report, "jumping from spot to spot, avoiding both light poles,
a half-dozen tractors that were working to flatten the material, and
each other.
We Never Believed It
Penguins don't stare and fall over when aircraft fly overhead, say
British researchers who investigated the myth to help determine the
impact of military flights on bird populations. Members of the British
Antarctic Survey observed 1,000 king penguins on the Antarctic island
of South Georgia as Lynx helicopters flew by at different altitudes.
The birds stopped cooing and in some cases tried to get away from
the noise, but they didn't fall down. Further experiments are planned
using fixed wing aircraft.
TV Helo on Loan to Police
Police in Des Moines are getting the use of a local television station's
helicopter, with the proviso that a reporter be allowed to go along
and give the station a scoop on breaking stories. At least one local
journalism professor said there are ethical issues as reporters who
get too "cozy" with the cops might not report on police
errors, while police may end up putting the needs of newsies ahead
of serving the public.
Sierra Gets State Money
In what's said to be the first program of its kind for helicopters,
rotary wing pilot candidates at the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
in Oakland, CA can now get so-called Cal Grants up to $14,960. The
money, which does not have to be repaid, is available to California
residents and students who train in California for 12 months. The
program is limited to "career-minded pilots." |
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