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Pre Game Yellow Lot 3 -- Helicopter

This time it was a warning. Next time they’re bringing in an A10 Warthog.
With ground support.
c1960s-saracen-armoured-personnel-carrier.jpg
 
The PSP use the Bell 407GX helicopters since 2014. The copter is 42' in length, that being said, I took this frame and proportioned the frame in Autocad to the copter's length. I'm measuring approximately 60' from ground to bottom of the air machine. News articles I have read mentioned the flyovers were @ 30'.

I'm expecting the PSP report to say they were @ 75' above ground. Still too low.
IMG_20181003_122014707_HDR.jpg
 
The more I watch this video the more I shake my head. It’s amazing nobody got seriously hurt by flying tents or cornhole games etc.

Serious question. If people are not listening to mounted police on the ground who can physically interact with you and arrest you what good is some dude up in a chopper going to do other than put lives at risk. What’s he gonna do? Land it and get out and chase me?
Thank the Lord that no one lost an eye from the air borne debris.
 
The PSP use the Bell 407GX helicopters since 2014. The copter is 42' in length, that being said, I took this frame and proportioned the frame in Autocad to the copter's length. I'm measuring approximately 60' from ground to bottom of the air machine. News articles I have read mentioned the flyovers were @ 30'.

I'm expecting the PSP report to say they were @ 75' above ground. Still too low.
IMG_20181003_122014707_HDR.jpg

The copter passed over the crowd twice. The first time there wasn't debris flying around because it appeared to be higher than the second time. I see no debris flying around in your picture.
 
The PSP use the Bell 407GX helicopters since 2014. The copter is 42' in length, that being said, I took this frame and proportioned the frame in Autocad to the copter's length. I'm measuring approximately 60' from ground to bottom of the air machine. News articles I have read mentioned the flyovers were @ 30'.

I'm expecting the PSP report to say they were @ 75' above ground. Still too low.
IMG_20181003_122014707_HDR.jpg
Note to self: buy @step.eng69 a drink at next available opportunity.
 
The copter passed over the crowd twice. The first time there wasn't debris flying around because it appeared to be higher than the second time. I see no debris flying around in your picture.
I captured the frame @ 1:16 into the video. I used the vid in
interrobang's post #50. You'll see the debris flying....someone with knowledge of copters earlier mentioned that 500' above a public gathering under normal circumstances, lower in "emergencies". This was not an emergency to my belief.
 
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I assume 26 is the correct lot, rather than 3?
The PSP use the Bell 407GX helicopters since 2014. The copter is 42' in length, that being said, I took this frame and proportioned the frame in Autocad to the copter's length. I'm measuring approximately 60' from ground to bottom of the air machine. News articles I have read mentioned the flyovers were @ 30'.

I'm expecting the PSP report to say they were @ 75' above ground. Still too low.
IMG_20181003_122014707_HDR.jpg

The copter did get lower than that.
 
Yeah, pursing through the university is completely pointless as they have no authority over the State Police and will pass the buck. The State Police won't investigate their own (or will have a sham internal investigation). FAA definitely the best path, they are bigger pricks than the PSP.
I had no expectation that the University was-- at any time -- going to throw the PSP under the bus. What was near-shocking to me was the extent to which the University went to defend them.
 
"We understand concerns have been raised regarding police activity during tailgate celebrations in one lot, in advance of the Penn State vs. Ohio State game on Saturday (Sept. 29). University Police wishes to reassure fans that officers were responding to the circumstances on the ground, which involved numerous law violations, including serious threats to officer safety within a disorderly crowd. Unruly individuals refused to disperse following verbal commands and at least one officer suffered injuries. It is rare to resort to these expanded interventions; however, when all other warnings from the mounted police unit and officers on the ground were ignored, a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter was deployed as another tool to compel the group to disperse and curb dangerous and unruly behavior. Following the use of the helicopter, the dangerous behaviors dissipated."

They're called tasers, folks. And yes, it's rare to do that. Like, it's never happened.


How does a helicopter compel anything other than pissing off even more people? Are they gonna fire on the crowd? If people are being unruly and refusing orders, arrest them. That is why they carry batons and tasers. Bring in a dozen k-9 units - they'll wise up quickly.
 
Yeah, pursing through the university is completely pointless as they have no authority over the State Police and will pass the buck. The State Police won't investigate their own (or will have a sham internal investigation). FAA definitely the best path, they are bigger pricks than the PSP.
FAA are not bigger pricks than BWI. :confused:
 
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I picked this video because it seemed the center of discussion as to where the incident occured. Possibly there's a video of the copter buzzing another lot. 30' is the equivalent of a five guys standing on each other's shoulders similar to an indian totem pole.

People are notoriously bad when estimating distance. Nonetheless, the chopper was very low.
 
I'd say that couldn't have been more than 50 feet.

Your typical canopy is about 6' tall around the outside. When the chopper is right above the red canopies in the video, I count about 6 canopies high.
 
The PSP use the Bell 407GX helicopters since 2014. The copter is 42' in length, that being said, I took this frame and proportioned the frame in Autocad to the copter's length. I'm measuring approximately 60' from ground to bottom of the air machine. News articles I have read mentioned the flyovers were @ 30'.

I'm expecting the PSP report to say they were @ 75' above ground. Still too low.
IMG_20181003_122014707_HDR.jpg
Ever use a range finder? Bow hunters find them quite useful due to how fast the arrows drop off. That could be 60'-75' or so, but it's not 30'.
 
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Ever use a range finder? Bow hunters find them quite useful due to how fast the arrows drop off. That could be 60'-75' or so, but it's not 30'.
No need to, i've spent from 1978 to 1990 in the field performing engineering surveying on all types of projects, including estimating the heights of structures, like communication towers, water towers, etc.
 
No need to, i've spent from 1978 to 1990 in the field performing engineering surveying on all types of projects, including estimating the heights of structures, like communication towers, water towers, etc.
I get that, many are suprised how inaccurate there are until they use instruments.
 
PA State Police claiming "full cooperation with FAA investigation"

PENNSYLVANIA REAL-TIME NEWS
FAA investigating state police's use of helicopter for Penn State crowd control
Updated 10:25 AM; Posted 8:03 AM
Rowdy Penn State Tailgate Broken Up By State Police Helicopter

By Travis Kellar

tkellar@pennlive.com

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating state police's use of a helicopter for crowd control during a tailgate party prior to Penn State's matchup with Ohio State at State College.

The agency is looking into a complaint about the incident, but declined to provide any details about its investigation, according to The Associated Press.

The helicopter was dispatched after tailgaters got out of hand, assaulted police horses and injured a trooper, according to state police. At least one person was arrested.

State police said in a social media post it is "fully cooperating" with the investigation and conducting an internal review of the incident.

"There was no intent by the pilot or supervisors on the ground to disturb property, and the department regrets any damage caused as a result," according to state police's statement.

Pennsylvania State Police's Aviation Unit consists of nine helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft. The unit flew 1,841 missions in 2017.

Penn State said late Tuesday it will stop using helicopters to make crowd-related announcements prior to football games "pending an assessment."


Barstool Penn State

✔@PSUBarstool

This should blow over well.

State Police flew a helicopter very low over tailgates sending tents, grills and other debris flying
 
What time did this incident occur, approximately? I didn't see it, but my car hood was damaged by another tailgater's tent that was blown. I was up by the IM fields for a period of time and maybe i missed it if it was near my tailgate
 
Another PSP update on Blue Thundergate.
The copter pilot doesn't know the impact the rotor blades cause when the bird is 50' above the ground? The PSP horses are calling this 'bull $hit'

"There was no intent by the pilot or supervisors on the ground to disturb property, and the department regrets any damage caused as a result."
 
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The copter pilot doesn't know the impact of the rotor blades causes when the bird is 50' above the ground? The PSP horses are calling this 'bull $hit'

"There was no intent by the pilot or supervisors on the ground to disturb property, and the department regrets any damage caused as a result."
You're a gentlemen, Step. "Bull$hit" would be the kindest possible description.
 
The copter pilot doesn't know the impact of the rotor blades causes when the bird is 50' above the ground? The PSP horses are calling this 'bull $hit'

"There was no intent by the pilot or supervisors on the ground to disturb property, and the department regrets any damage caused as a result."

Oh, all is forgiven. They regret any damage caused. Case closed.
 
Better video. Which sure shows how "in danger" anyone was




"Update Monday, October 1, 1:25 p.m.: A representative from the Federal Aviation Administration's Flight Standards District Office in Harrisburg said the incident at the tailgate is under investigation by the FAA."
I gues the other videos showing fling cornhole boards was faked? I mean this is great. The helicopter did not strafe the entire lot, so the section where he did get way too low. .....thats ok
 
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