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I just got back from a few days on the trail. I was waiting by the hotel pool for laundry to finish and heard helicopters, louder than usual. I looked up and saw two coming in low overhead, and the closer one had its rear door open, with somebody's bare legs hanging out. Was there a rescue or something shortly before sunset?

I saw three helicopters flying in low & slow over the 101 & I-10 interchange earlier today. Maybe there is something going on?

This thread title is a bit misleading given the subject matter.

Since I don't know if you're in Jersey, Colorado or anywhere else the "where were you" question is somewhat important to this discussion.

I'm in Phoenix. They were coming from the area of Camelback, but it could have been just about anywhere on the northeast quadrant. They were heading straight west. There have been a lot of them this evening, too.

They were likely going to the National Guard Papago Military Reservation. It's not uncommon.

@BEEBEE
They weren't military helicopters, though. My first guess was that they were traffic or news people; maybe the person hanging out was a camera operator. I thought SAR might be more likely, because unless they were landing at the hospital in Scottsdale, they were probably too low to be legal.

I was under the impression most news choppers had a remote control camera. Kinda dangerous hanging a guy out the door without a need to ...

A bit off thread here but we were heading north on I-17 yesterday and were caught in the traffic from the accident there. I noticed 3 helicopters hovering and circling. It reminded me of the tragedy a few years ago where two of them collided over down town. I thought the local TV executives learned from that one, that one helicopter is sufficient. There is no need to put people at such risk so they can sell used cars and who-knows-what-else is advertised on morning news programs.

@Sredfield Are you kidding? ;) Ratings! If it bleeds, it leads. And best if before the other guys. "Network" was not satire: It was a (accurate) prediction ...

I thought this was going to be about chemtrails.

Patrick L wrote:I thought this was going to be about chemtrails.

Let me put on my tinfoil hat. "Sheeple, have you been looking up in the air this week? We are being sprayed by chemtrails by the government on orders from the Bilderberg Group."

@kingsnake Yeah, I can't think of any truly plausible reason why someone would be hanging out the door, especially over an urban area, unless there was no other place to sit. I bet Joel wouldn't let me do that.

Ahh skid surfing.

@Nighthiker My first helicopter ride, I sat in the door. It lifted up, then turned to my side. I had no idea helicopters bank when they turn. Looking straight down at the ground and not falling out -- thank you centrifugal force! -- was quite the interesting experience ... ;)

@big_load
I would let you hang out on the skid but I know you wouldn't for fear of pictures getting back to your wife. I assume the individual was harnessed?

MtnBart01 wrote:I assume the individual was harnessed?

Not that I could see, but I wouldn't rule it out. I was mostly trying to tell if there were shoes on. (There were).