Roadgeeking from a helicopter

[kurumi]

A while ago (ok, 2004), I did a morning ride-along on the KGO traffic copter and took some photos.

Here is I-280 at US 101 (and Alemany Blvd):



More (I-80, 238, 380, 580, 880, 980) in my Aerial SF set at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/therealkurumi/sets/72157623533118915/

There were many photos from that day that "didn't make the cut". Shooting from a chopper is challenging.

[Truvelo]

I guess one of the problems is vibration from the helicopter.

[froggie]

Didn't really have that problem in the one helo ride I've had.  But that was also 10 years ago...

[agentsteel53]

good stuff!

I on occasion do roadgeeking when I'm traveling via plane.  A lot of the time I try to figure out which town and highway I am looking at given the structure of the bypass and business route (and a general idea of where I am), and once I spotted a state-named I-294 shield on a green sign, coming in for a landing at Chicago O'Hare.

No, I have absolutely no idea which road that 294 shield was on, alas.

at some point, I need to fire up my GPS while on a plane, which would give me an exact idea of where I am.  I wonder if it can keep up with a plane doing 600 mph without regard to road infrastructure.

[MikeTheActuary]

From my past experiments, I can make an educated guess that a car-navigation GPS (e.g. TomTom) wouldn't work so well, while a real coordinate-generating GPS would be fine IF you can get a lock on the requisite number of satellites.  The metallic hull of a jet is rather opaque to most GPS receivers.

This answer, of course, makes no assumptions about whether the crew of the aircraft would tolerate the use of a GPS, not to mention the complete prohibition on passengers' use of gadgets below 10,000 feet. 

[agentsteel53]

This answer, of course, makes no assumptions about whether the crew of the aircraft would tolerate the use of a GPS, not to mention the complete prohibition on passengers' use of gadgets below 10,000 feet. 

yes, it may be quite the challenge to turn the LCD display off and tell them that it's a film camera.