"Strange" Plane Over Queens?

[Gerard]

Just got a text from a buddy of mine who lives in Astoria, Queens. He said he came home this morning at 2:30AM and he saw a low flying prop plane buzzing around shining a green light (laser?) on rooftops and the ground!! He did a Google and apparently this type of aircraft has been seen before in other places and after 2AM. Asked what he was smoking but he says it doesnt make you hallucinate. :tongue:
Anyone hear about this or know something?
And if you have to kill me if you tell me then forget about it....:eek:

[wunaladreamin]

Just got a text from a buddy of mine who lives in Astoria, Queens. He said he came home this morning at 2:30AM and he saw a low flying prop plane buzzing around shining a green light (laser?) on rooftops and the ground!! He did a Google and apparently this type of aircraft has been seen before in other places and after 2AM. Asked what he was smoking but he says it doesnt make you hallucinate. :tongue:
Anyone hear about this or know something?
And if you have to kill me if you tell me then forget about it....:eek:

****! I just finished cleaning my gun!

[moose135]

It's very precise laser mapping of terrain and buildings known as LIDAR:

http://www.oregongeology.org/sub/projects/olc/default.htm

I first heard of its use following 9/11 to map the debris pile at Ground Zero.

[njgtr82]

There's been a DC-3 flying around the area at night I've heard, can't think of the reg off the top of my head.

[JHNA57]

Try this!!
http://nycaviation.com/forum/threads/36183-INBOUND!-Incoming-Arrivals-To-Your-Local-Airports-Part-2?p=477608#post477608

[njgtr82]

Yes that's the one, they were doing work over NJ after the storm and have been moving north

[Gerard]

Thanks all. Thought it had something to do with the storm.
Interesting that the DC-3 has miltary livery. Former warbird?

[yankees368]

Lot's of strange air activity post-Sandy.
2 days ago out here on Long Island, there was a helicopter following the path of the Far Rockaway branch of the LIRR at only about 100 feet. Very cool.

[Gerard]

Lot's of strange air activity post-Sandy.
2 days ago out here on Long Island, there was a helicopter following the path of the Far Rockaway branch of the LIRR at only about 100 feet. Very cool.

Yes the days and now weeks after Sandy saw lots of different rotoary and fixed wing aircraft take to the skies. Of course we had military, police and govt aircraft but lots of aircraft charted to inspect the damage done.
BTW did a little research having remembered the LIRR had a police helicopter back in the 70s for track inspection and
found this cool website. You have to sacroll down to the bottom to see 2 pics of the Bell 47 w/floats that they used.
http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/LIPDept.html

And recently Amtrak had their own helicopter "Tracker 1" that worked between DC and Boston but i believe budget cuts grounded that operation a few years back.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=amtrak+helicopter&view=detail&id=5D9CBF0EF0880CD486B084DB4B20AD4341DBB4DB

[yankees368]

Here's the best pic of it I could get

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac1/yankees368/Capture-2.png

[PhilDernerJr]

I saw the DC-3 flying the Flushing Corridor westbound over LGA today. A non-aviation friend of mine noticed it before I did and I nearly pooped my trousers.

[JHNA57]

Yes the days and now weeks after Sandy saw lots of different rotoary and fixed wing aircraft take to the skies. Of course we had military, police and govt aircraft but lots of aircraft charted to inspect the damage done.
BTW did a little research having remembered the LIRR had a police helicopter back in the 70s for track inspection and
found this cool website. You have to sacroll down to the bottom to see 2 pics of the Bell 47 w/floats that they used.
http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/LIPDept.html

And recently Amtrak had their own helicopter "Tracker 1" that worked between DC and Boston but i believe budget cuts grounded that operation a few years back.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=amtrak+helicopter&view=detail&id=5D9CBF0EF0880CD486B084DB4B20AD4341DBB4DB

I saw the same red and white helicopter flying at about 100 ft along Northern Blvd (Rte 25A) in Manhasset on Friday. I have seen others here before and I think they are checking the primary wires (the big mommas at the top of the poles) for damage.

I also remember the Bell 47 that surveyed the RR tracks. The piston engine had a very distinct whine just like the ones on the M*A*S*H tv show.

[yankees368]

I can't figure out why they are doing this now. This branch of the RR has been up and running for weeks, lol.

[Landing Lights]

I can't figure out why they are doing this now. This branch of the RR has been up and running for weeks, lol.

I'm not at all familiar with the LIRR or that area, but might there be high voltage powerlines in the vicinity of the tracks? Helicopters are a much safer option for dealing with high voltage powerlines then ground-based access methods are, as odd as that might seem. I'll try to look up the video of how it is done later on.

[yankees368]

Oh yea, I've seen that video back in the days of HDnet. It's incredible. As for this, they were moving at a fairly decent speed, so it was nothing more than a visual inspection. Very cool to see, however.

[DHG750R]

I knew I heard the unmistakable sound of radial engines the other night...
I blamed it on the wine...lol

Just got a text from a buddy of mine who lives in Astoria, Queens. He said he came home this morning at 2:30AM and he saw a low flying prop plane buzzing around shining a green light (laser?) on rooftops and the ground!! He did a Google and apparently this type of aircraft has been seen before in other places and after 2AM. Asked what he was smoking but he says it doesnt make you hallucinate. :tongue:
Anyone hear about this or know something?
And if you have to kill me if you tell me then forget about it....:eek:

[Landing Lights]

As promised:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIjC7DjoVe8

[Tom_Turner]

I knew I heard the unmistakable sound of radial engines the other night...
I blamed it on the wine...lol
YES!!! Multiple passes around 2am about a week or so ago. This was over Staten Island and I could not get any look at it at all, but couldn't believe my ears!

[Gerard]

I also remember the Bell 47 that surveyed the RR tracks. The piston engine had a very distinct whine just like the ones on the M*A*S*H tv show.

That Bell 47 in the picture is still listed in the FAA Registry and down in Louisiana. Nice!! :cool:

[BORKE]

Just got a text from a buddy of mine who lives in Astoria, Queens. He said he came home this morning at 2:30AM and he saw a low flying prop plane buzzing around shining a green light (laser?) on rooftops and the ground!! He did a Google and apparently this type of aircraft has been seen before in other places and after 2AM. Asked what he was smoking but he says it doesnt make you hallucinate. :tongue:
Anyone hear about this or know something?
And if you have to kill me if you tell me then forget about it....:eek:


I knew I wasn't crazy! The DC-3 is N737H

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Douglas-DC-3C/1813023/&sid=985f74348567ee35751c2a91297c4fdc
I heard them check in with Kennedy tower this morning and talked about doing "airwork" around LaGuardia. JFK switched them to 125.7 where the said they would work the East and Hudson Rivers and the Conn. coast.
I was also able to follow them on Planefinder.net that showed a track over Northern LI and the Conn. coast.
Plane finder did not show an originating airport, and the flight did not show up on Flightaware, so I don't know where they are based out of.

I heard the DC-3 in the wee hours of the morning last week as well. Here's more information about the company, based out of Midlothian, TX: http://www.airborneimaging.net/ and the plane itself: http://www.airborneimaging.net/prod03.htm

One of the pilots had APRS installed (automated position and reporting system). Here's the link for data from 11/22: http://aprs.fi/#!ts=1353542400&te=1353628800&call=a%2FN737H which shows the grid pattern.
They flew out of New Haven during the time they were here.

Enjoy! :smile:

[Gerard]

They flew out of New Haven during the time they were here.


Ahhhh thats what I was wondering!!

[Gerard]

And I like that they kept the military livery!!

[BORKE]

And I like that they kept the military livery!!

Yes the cowling covers and paint job as viewed from below were very distinctive; I liked that they kept the military livery as well! While the NOTAM (listed below) regarding the mapping is effective until 12/31/12, I think it's procedural and my guess is that they won't be back anytime soon...of course I really want to see what the maps will look like.....

!FDC 2/9761 ZNY NY/NJ.. AIRBORNE TO GROUND LASER ACTIVITY NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY COASTAL AREAS EFFECTIVE 0000-2359 UTC DLY 1211100000 UTC UNTIL 1212312359 UTC AIRBORNE TO GROUND LASER ACTIVITY WILL BE CONDUCTED WTHIN AN AREA BOUNDED BY 403249N/0743337W OR THE ROBBINSVILLE /RBV/ VORTAC 2 DEGREE RADIAL AT 20.8 NAUTICAL MILES THEN TO 405550N/0732847W OR THE DEER PARK /DPK/ VOR/DME 328 DEGREE RADIAL AT 11.5 NAUTICAL MILES THEN TO 403839N/0730718W OR THE DEER PARK /DPK/ VOR/DME 149 DEGREE RADIAL AT 12.1 NAUTICAL MILES THEN TO 400011N/0740343W OR THE ROBBINSVILLE /RBV/ VORTAC 131 DEGREE RADIAL AT 23.2 NAUTICAL MILES AT AND BELOW 1900 FEET MSL. THE LASER BEAM MAY BE INJURIOUS TO PILOT, AIRCREW, AND PASSENGER EYES FOR A DISTANCE OF 520 FEET BELOW THE AIRCRAFT. FLASH BLINDNESS OR COCKPIT ILLUMINATION MAY OCCUR BEYOND THESE DISTANCES. THE AREA WILL BE MONITORED BY OBSERVERS AND THE LASER BEAM WILL BE TERMINATED IF NON-PARTICIPATING AIRCRAFT ARE DETECTED THAT MAY ENTER THE AFFECTED AREA. NEW YORK TRACON /N90/ TELEPHONE 516-683-2984 IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY.

[DHG750R]

just saw this link on CBS's website.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/03/new-maps-reveal-dramatic-post-sandy-state-of-fire-island/

[DHG750R]

another link, this one from the USGS http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/sandy/lidar/

[BORKE]

another link, this one from the USGS http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/sandy/lidar/

Thanks for the link to the USGS LiDAR maps and the WCBS story! I'm going to keep an eye out on the USGS and Army Corps of Engineers sites to see if they release more imagery....