Message posted by RoadKill on October 27, 2009 at 20:26:28 PST:

There are several uses for the helicopters. SAR - not often, Security - routinely, and test support - often and the "most important" use.

Before the range can be used to measure critical information about any aircraft, the measurement devices must be measured. In most cases, the radars need to be calibrated using a one meter aluminum sphere. They track that and that gives them their one meter resolution - the standard for the tests.

These spheres are droped, by hand, from the helecopters at a predetermined height, based upon type and location of the radar(s). Some calibrations can be done at the same time using the same sphere, but others need to be calibrated separately.

I have seen the "used" spheres after they've been droppeed from the helos.

This is, by far, the most frequent use of the helicopters.

Thanks.
RoadKill

In Reply to: Re: Pave Hawk Helicopters posted by Peter Merlin on October 23, 2009 at 8:44:31 PST:

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