Police helicopter crashes in Atlanta, kills two officers - Polidicks

[QUOTE=laserguided;38313827]The cameras installed on modern UAV's are very powerful, you could just fly higher. Plus Mk.1 Eyeballs don't have FLIR capability.[/QUOTE] Ah, yes. What could go wrong? [video=youtube;_NOar22TX2k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NOar22TX2k[/video]

Someone in a air traffic control tower wan't doing their job...

Atlanta? Must be walkers.

[QUOTE=orcywoo6;38314301]Atlanta? Must be walkers.[/QUOTE] "people actually died better post to make a reference to a tv show"

[QUOTE=laserguided;38313827]The cameras installed on modern UAV's are very powerful, you could just fly higher. Plus Mk.1 Eyeballs don't have FLIR capability.[/QUOTE] But when you fly higher you lose a significant amount of field of view because you have to zoom in. This means that, while you can see the ground just as clearly as you can from lower, you see less of it. The solution is to then fly lower, but as pointed out, you'd lose a large amount of definition due to wide angle lenses distorting the image.

[QUOTE=Edthefirst;38316083]But when you fly higher you lose a significant amount of field of view because you have to zoom in. This means that, while you can see the ground just as clearly as you can from lower, you see less of it. The solution is to then fly lower, but as pointed out, you'd lose a large amount of definition due to wide angle lenses distorting the image.[/QUOTE] Thats why you use military grade UAV's. You know, the cameras with super high resolution footage and integrated thermal imaging that can make out tiny targets from kilometres away.

I am a crew chief for what is essentially a highly upgraded Bell JetRanger (OH-58D Kiowa Warrior). I can tell you that the WSPS isn't infallible. There are some wires that it just can't break. I can also tell you that UAVs come with their own special set of problems. Nothing beats a pilot/CPG team in the air for getting eyes on things, not to mention that UAVs require a lot of maintenance. Now, it would make sense that police models would be equipped with a TIS (Thermal Imaging System), and that they would also be using NVGs at night. Power lines are hard as hell to see in a helicopter, but I can see that there is room for pilot error here. On the sectional charts they use, they should have had charts that had the power lines marked, as my pilots have. That way you can pick a route and safe altitude. I can understand why they were flying low, but it is pilot error to run into power lines. They should have picked a search route and altitude where they would have been safe. It is tragic that these men died, but with it comes a lesson for aviators everywhere: Make sure you have a safe route and a minimum safe altitude. You don't want to test your WSPS. [editline]4th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=laserguided;38316222]Thats why you use military grade UAV's. You know, the cameras with super high resolution footage and integrated thermal imaging that can make out tiny targets from kilometres away.[/QUOTE] Like I said, military grade UAVs come with very high expense and maintenance. Their cameras are also not as amazing as you may think. Super high resolution? Funny joke. TIS? Yeah, they have one. It can only see things about 3 klicks away, and it is not high resolution either. The TIS-U in the MMS (mast mounted sight) on a Kiowa is a lot better than what they have on the drones. Drones have their uses, sure. However, they won't be useful or sustainable for small police departments. Big ones too. They are very expensive to maintain, and the special personnel required to maintain them would cost even more.

[QUOTE=Lamar;38313896]I believe police helicopters crash pretty frequently because their pilots are usually just ordinary police officers with much less helicopter training than ordinary pilots.[/QUOTE] Not sure about other places but the helicopter pilots in Baltimore around the time my teacher was an officer were vietnam vets.

I thought you were a mechanic for a Kiowa

[QUOTE=laserguided;38313218]They should just start using UAV's, they're cheaper to maintain and easier to use.[/QUOTE] Unless you're using an overglorified RC helicopter with a camera on it, they aren't cheap and easy to maintain. If you're using an actual military grade UAV, they're not cheap, they're not easy to maintain, and you still need a trained pilot to fly it. You're better off just using an actual helicopter anyways, you don't have to worry about people crying out that the police are using military grade aircraft when they're using a civy helo. [editline]4th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Zambies!;38316507]I thought you were a mechanic for a Kiowa[/QUOTE] pretty much what a crew chief is.

[QUOTE=Catdaemon;38311490]Flying low enough to clip power lines? Seriously? The pilot deserves this death, not so much the others though.[/QUOTE] wow epic comment dude i'm sure you're uploading your social darwinism with undaunted pride aka you're terrible and this complete is completely unwarranted

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;38316514]Unless you're using an overglorified RC helicopter with a camera on it, they aren't cheap and easy to maintain. If you're using an actual military grade UAV, they're not cheap, they're not easy to maintain, and you still need a trained pilot to fly it. You're better off just using an actual helicopter anyways, you don't have to worry about people crying out that the police are using military grade aircraft when they're using a civy helo. [editline]4th November 2012[/editline] pretty much what a crew chief is.[/QUOTE] I meant rotary UAV's. [IMG]http://www.unmanned.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russian-KA-135-Prototype.jpg[/IMG] Things like that, they would be economic for police to operate due to their engine simplicity.

[QUOTE=Zambies!;38316507]I thought you were a mechanic for a Kiowa[/QUOTE] I am. The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior is a highly modified and upgraded Bell JetRanger 206. Now, crew chief is just a title, I do all the maintenance on it (within my maintenance level of course). I only get to fly on it in very specific circumstances. Also, all my knowledge of UAV's comes from my friends in 3rd platoon that are all the UAV maintainers and operators that work on Shadows.

[QUOTE=laserguided;38316578]I meant rotary UAV's. [IMG]http://www.unmanned.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russian-KA-135-Prototype.jpg[/IMG] Things like that, they would be economic for police to operate due to their engine simplicity.[/QUOTE] Good luck putting something like that into service for police. There was an article a while back about a Texas police department using an RC helicopter with a camera on it to help search for fugitives and missing people/children, and people were flipping shit about it. There was also an article about US police being to militarized because a few departments had armored cars. Not only that, but as was stated earlier in the thread, cameras and thermals are great and all, but you can't beat a human eye.

[QUOTE=laserguided;38316578]I meant rotary UAV's. [IMG]http://www.unmanned.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Russian-KA-135-Prototype.jpg[/IMG] Things like that, they would be economic for police to operate due to their engine simplicity.[/QUOTE] Oh god that is even worse. Helicopters are much more complex than fixed wing air craft. Sure, the engine might be "simple." However, there are also a lot of other complex mechanisms to worry about. Helicopters are and always will be more expensive to operate than airplanes.

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;38316640]Good luck putting something like that into service for police. There was an article a while back about a Texas police department using an RC helicopter with a camera on it to help search for fugitives and missing people/children, and people were flipping shit about it. There was also an article about US police being to militarized because a few departments had armored cars. Not only that, but as was stated earlier in the thread, cameras and thermals are great and all, but you can't beat a human eye.[/QUOTE] Cameras violate your rights! [editline]4th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=SKEEA;38316650]Oh god that is even worse. Helicopters are much more complex than fixed wing air craft. Sure, the engine might be "simple." However, there are also a lot of other complex mechanisms to worry about. Helicopters are and always will be more expensive to operate than airplanes.[/QUOTE] But they still cost less then a actual manned helicopter, you need to pay pilots and there is alot of unused weight.

[QUOTE=laserguided;38316652]But they still cost less then a actual manned helicopter.[/QUOTE] Says you. UAVs are highly specialized and the equipment and parts to maintain and operate them are not as super widespread and common as, say, parts for a Bell JetRanger. Also, personnel to operate them would also be at a premium. They would almost have to be prior military. Trust me, if you knew how much it took to maintain them, your brain would explode. I routinely handle parts that are worth as much as most cars.

[QUOTE=laserguided;38316652] But they still cost less then a actual manned helicopter, you need to pay pilots and there is alot of unused weight.[/QUOTE] I'd rather pay a pilot than pay an RC helicopter operator.

[QUOTE=laserguided;38316652]But they still cost less then a actual manned helicopter, you need to pay pilots and there is alot of unused weight.[/QUOTE] Nice edit. You also need to pay the operators. There are a ton more helicopter pilots than there are UAV operators by a huge margin. Also, what do you know about weight/balance on a helicopter? The lighter they are the better they perform. More torque is available for the pilots to use. You don't need to fill a helicopter to weight capacity in order for it to do its job. Keep in mind, the more things you put on a helicopter, the less torque is available for the pilots to use, and the less you have to redesign things to accommodate the part that is now causing the helicopter to vibrate differently.

I hope both their families stay strong