Edhat Reader
Edhat readers report an increase in helicopter activity over Upper State Street and Mission Canyon the past few days.
By Joe DeLise
8:30 AM continuing passing overhead at 700’ a helicopter, tail number N216LS with a Louisiana based owner. Inspecting something oil/gas related? Power line related? Movie filming?
Does anybody know?
By an edhat reader
For 2 days now, 1 to 2 helicopters flying all over our place. WHY? It’s getting old very fast.
By SBsurferlife
Here’s the screenshot from FlightRadar24 to see the helicopter’s tail numbers and it’s pattern today (Wednesday). It’s got to be assessing or photographing the area based on the up and down pattern.
Likely some survey work. Looking up the helicopter didn’t find much of anything.
Joe – what happens when you view it on FlightAware (tends to offer slightly more ownership details)?
https://flightaware.com/live/airport_status_bigmap.rvt?airport=KSBA
other than that I’ve got no clue as to your query 🙁
We just had a planned power outage for power line maintenance, and the copter spent a lot of time seemingly following the lines in our neighborhood, so I would venture to guess that it was electrical grid inspection going on.
Some observers in LA a year ago said it might also have LIDAR for spotting natural gas leaks/seeps. https://www.reddit.com/r/Helicopters/comments/z1bukn/does_anyone_know_what_this_is_doing_it_flew_back/
N461RA has been doing LIDAR surveys mapping vegetation encroachment on SCE’s powerlines.
N216LS has also been doing LIDAR surveys, but looking for natural gas leaks.
Hello porkrind
Thank you for mentioning LIDAR surveys! I’ve been wanting to find it if there’s ever been a LIDAR survey of our area to see any potential underground remnants of ancient Chumash villages. I know that most surface areas have been obliterated by the years, however there can still be underground evidence visible to LIDAR which would be interesting to explore further.
When I worked at the airport and they had helicopters out to inspect and repair power lines/poles, there would be at least two noise complaints called in for every one minute the helicopter was in the air. Which is ironic because they were repairing the power infrastructure for the people that were complaining.