Is it illegal to spotlight a helicopter?

Any distraction to the pilot can cause devastating consequences, including fatal crashes. As a result, shining a light at an aircraft in order to impair its operation is illegal pursuant to California Penal Code Section 248 PC.

Do police use helicopters for surveillance?

In contrast, law enforcement agencies have used helicopters in aerial surveys and monitoring for decades. “People think of police helicopters as traffic copters, but they’re so much more than that,” DDoSecrets’ Best wrote. “They carry technology that lets police watch people who have no idea they’re being watched.

How do you block a thermal camera?

How Can You Hide From Thermal Imaging Technology?

1. Glass. One of the most effective methods to block IR is to conceal behind glass; if you are okay with carrying around a pane of glass, great!
2. “Space blanket”
3. Woolen blanket.
4. Choose the right background.
5. Warm clothes.
6. Burn it out.
7. Thick Netting.

Are police helicopters armed?

Do Police Helicopters Have Guns? Police helicopters do not come equipped with guns. In North America, sworn-in police officers who form the crew are usually armed along with any specialist law enforcement team carried on board.

Is it illegal to point a flashlight in the sky?

No, it’s not. It is, however, illegal to point a last pointer or laser itself at anywhere an aircraft might be. You’ll get singed right proper (i.e., federally) for that. Definition – flashlight – a device for lighting up your surroundings involving and expanding cone of light.

What does it mean when a police helicopter is circling?

What does it mean when a police helicopter is circling? – Quora. It means that they are fying around in a circle. A whole host of reasons for circling a helicopter, like searching a specific area, providing aerial views for an area, marking an area of interest for ground personnel, photography, surveillance, etc.

How fast can a police helicopter go?

Specifications & Dimensions

Helicopter	R66 Turbine Police Helicopter
Pilot, Passengers, and Cargo with Max Fuel	774 lb (331 kg)
Cruise Speed at Maximum Gross Weight	up to 110 kts (127 mph)
Hover Ceiling IGE at Maximum Gross Weight	over 10,000 ft
Hover Ceiling OGE at Maximum Gross Weight	over 10,000 ft

How do I block FLIR?

A simpler and still effective method to block IR is an ordinary “space blanket” or thermal blanket of Mylar foil. The foil will block the IR heat signature behind it….It’s all pretty much common sense:

1. Reduce.
2. Disperse.
3. Cover the sources of heat.

Why do police helicopters hover in circles?

I’ve often seen my local police helicopter hovering. There are a few reasons you might have seen police helicopters flying in circles:- Not all types of helicopter can hover out of ground effect. It might be that the police helicopters in your area can’t hover at the heights they work at, with the weight of their usual equipment.

What is the difference between a police helicopter and news helicopter?

Police helicopters often circle to search an area for a fugitive or casualty using thermal imaging cameras. News helicopters tend to either follow a vehicle or hover to get a steady camera shot of a news event.

Can a police helicopter land safely if the engine fails?

In the event of an engine failure, they can autorotate to land safely, but they need to have some airspeed to be able to do this. The required airspeed depends on height (see the chart in the linked question), so if your news helicopters are usually operated higher up than police helicopters, they may be able to hover safely.

How can I find out if the cops have called in choppers?

If the cops have called in the choppers, it’s likely an incident that reporters have been monitoring. If not, they’ll be interested and will probably thank you for cluing them in to a big story. Find the phone number for the newsroom on the Internet or on the inside front page of the newspaper and ask for a police reporter or the city desk.