Do helicopters follow highways?

The California Highway Patrol used to rely heavily on this system of helicopters and small airplanes to monitor traffic, but these days aircraft enforcement has gone out of style. “It never was cost-effective for [helicopters] to go out and loiter over a section of freeway,” said Andrews.

Why do helicopters fly around my area?

Violent crimes in progress, pursuits, property crimes, traffic stops, and perimeters are the most common reasons why you might hear a helicopter flying overhead. Search and rescue operations are another common reason why you might see and hear a helicopter flying over residential areas.

Why did a helicopter just fly over my house?

TLDR – The most common reason why military helicopters may fly over residential properties is training. The home is likely in the flight path of the military’s training operations, which typically means that a military base or facility is nearby.

Why do helicopters circle around neighborhoods at night?

The overwhelming number of circling helicopters, day or night, are police flights searching for, then signposting* local villains, so that ground units can be vectored in to locate suspects using dogs or other appropriate specialists, or to simply secure the scene and make an arrest.

How do you know if its a police helicopter?

All police helicopters are painted in the same uniform colours (with minor variations in design) so that they can be seen by other aircraft when flying. The yellow shows up against the ground to an aircraft flying above while the dark blue contrasts against the sky to an aircraft alongside or below.

What does it mean when a helicopter is flashing red and green?

Police helicopters, and every other kind of helicopter, display red and green navigation lights (red on the left, green on the right). This is so an observer at a distance can tell whether the aircraft is headed toward or away from them.

Where is it legal to land a helicopter?

Generally, helicopters can land anywhere they can safely fit. However, local & regional regulations can prevent a helicopter from landing at a pilot’s desired location. In an emergency, a helicopter is allowed to land anywhere to ensure the safety of its occupants.