Helicopter v2 - solved - see Molly EP and RandyO replies

[RobertH]

Julia first posted about that helicopter on 8-27.  
The one I'm thinking of has a boom ahead of it with a red thing on the end -
it's about the same length as the fuselage.  

It sure has been active, and the other day I got a flightradar247 subscription to track it.
And I did track a flight for life that went to Raymond and back to Boulder.
However, right now (5:30 on Sept 19), the chopper with the boom came over, 
and it wasn't showing up on flightradar247.  
That's very unusual - does anyone have any insight about why this might be?
It's entirely possible that I wasn't using the system properly, or there was a temporary glitch.
I'll keep tracking it when I hear it.
Perhaps someone besides me can track it.
Flightradar247.com is free to use - setting up an account makes it more useable.

Whoever is running the helicopter has visibility into our community, and it's  disconcerting
that we don't have visibilitly into who that might be.

[Hollis]

Robert, any chance you can take an image of it (snap a Polaroid)? 

Might make it easier to ID.
You can use the image in Google Image search to narrow the possibilities down.

That Flight Tracker site sure is busy, lots of emissions pumped right into the upper atmosphere 

[RandyO]

This chopper has been roaring over JT very low and fast.
Last week it dove low directly over my house from W to E at sundown, heading or towards Longmont or Boulder.
Today at 5:10pm it dove over Poryphory, low over JT     and over Nugget Hill.
What is the height that a helicopter is supposed to maintain when not landing ?

YIKES !!!    

[Marcia M]

Yes. I’ve seen this several times, and my dog Alki alerts and eye-tracks it with me, hackles up. What is the boom for?

What a nuisance. Looking forward to any details.

[englishfowle]

Yes. I’ve seen this several times, and my dog Alki alerts and eye-tracks it with me, hackles up. What is the boom for?

What a nuisance. Looking forward to any details.

This looks like the helicopters that were transporting telephone poles to an area further down the mountain about three weeks ago. They too had the boom(?) hanging down. Maybe they are putting up telephone pole in a remote area around here.

[Molly EP]

Hey all- I’m in Estes Park and my folks (Brooke & Greg) are in Bar-K. This helicopter has been flying over us occasionally as well. This link was posted on EP Nextdoor:
Geologic Aerial Survey Helicopter
Bet that’s what it is and what it is surveying!

[RobertH]

Hey all- I’m in Estes Park and my folks (Brooke & Greg) are in Bar-K. This helicopter has been flying over us occasionally as well. This link was posted on EP Nextdoor:
Geologic Aerial Survey Helicopter
Bet that’s what it is and what it is surveying!

Yup - that sure looks like it. And RandyO posted photos.  Now I'll try to see if it comes up on Flightradar.
Thanks Molly EP!

[Scott G]

Geological surveys

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/low-fly...l-history/

[Sal DeVincenzo]

The survey will use a helicopter equipped with an elongated “stinger” mounted to the underside of the cabin extending forward of the helicopter, according to the news release. Instruments in the stinger and inside the cabin will reportedly measure variations in the Earth’s magnetic field and natural low-level radiation created by different rock types.
I think it is a magic wand sprinkling fairy dust....
   

[VBetty]

I like that take on it, Sal! A magic wand! ??‍♀️

[burtonwc1]

The USGS program is called EarthMRI (mineral resource investigations), and is part of a national assessment of critical minerals such as rare earths, which are essential for modern electronics and which China has a near monopoly on. These high-resolution geophysical surveys can also be used for hazard assessments, such as following the M5.9 Mineral, VA earthquake in 2011, which I studied for several years.

Bill Burton

[RobertH]

Robert, any chance you can take an image of it (snap a Polaroid)? 

Might make it easier to ID.
You can use the image in Google Image search to narrow the possibilities down.

That Flight Tracker site sure is busy, lots of emissions pumped right into the upper atmosphere 

Hollis, I did better than that,  I sketched it, and sent a letter from the JT post office to the FAA.   I'll let you know when they get back to me.

[Hollis]

Robert, any chance you can take an image of it (snap a Polaroid)? 

Might make it easier to ID.
You can use the image in Google Image search to narrow the possibilities down.

That Flight Tracker site sure is busy, lots of emissions pumped right into the upper atmosphere 

Hollis, I did better than that,  I sketched it, and sent a letter from the JT post office to the FAA.   I'll let you know when they get back to me.

That should keep the FAA busy for a while 

Reminds me of this story :O)

https://27bslash6.com/overdue.html