Helicopter Buzzes Wal-Mart

wrote:
I was shopping at a Wal-Mart on December 17, 2004, when I noticed
outside a helicopter flying just over the tops of the parked vehicles
in front of the store. It was flying towards me, about 20 feet above
the ground and climbing. I got a photograph of it when it was about 50
to 70 feet in the air. It quickly flew up past me and over the top of
the building.

I realize that helicopters have a lot of flight freedom, but it is
still shocking to see one flying directly towards oneself like this.

Coincidentally, an assistant manager at that store told me last week
that I was not allowed to bring my camera inside the store. He cited
security risk, and made a vague reference to the cameras they sell in
the Electronics Department. So, it may be difficult to get photos like
the one I took, at least from that store.
http://members.aol.com/rekgallery/WM_Heli/WM_Heli.html

Helos are used to police major power lines in my area. My guess is
they are less than 50 feet above the lines. Everytime I see them fly
by I just give thanks that I don't have that job.

William W. Plummer wrote:


Helos are used to police major power lines in my area. My guess is
they are less than 50 feet above the lines. Everytime I see them fly
by I just give thanks that I don't have that job.

They don't police the power lines they check them and it's a great job.
My mechanic has the contract for two pipelines that he flies with his
cub. He makes a killing.

"Newps" wrote in message
...
They don't police the power lines they check them

Please describe the difference between "police" and "check". To me, there
is none in this context. You've never "policed" your campground before
leaving? "Police" doesn't necessarily mean you're looking for criminals.

Peter Duniho wrote:
"Newps" wrote in message
...

They don't police the power lines they check them


Please describe the difference between "police" and "check". To me, there
is none in this context. You've never "policed" your campground before
leaving? "Police" doesn't necessarily mean you're looking for criminals.


Always looking for a fight, eh.

tr.v. po·liced, po·lic·ing, po·lic·es

1. To regulate, control, or keep in order with or as if with a law
enforcement agency.
2. To make (a military area, for example) neat in appearance:
policed the barracks.


My guess is they are interested in kids drinking in their trucks in the
power line right of way, brush which is overgrowning the area, and
whatever the abutters might be doing to interfere with operations.

William W. Plummer wrote:

Peter Duniho wrote:

"Newps" wrote in message
...

They don't police the power lines they check them



Please describe the difference between "police" and "check". To me,
there is none in this context. You've never "policed" your campground
before leaving? "Police" doesn't necessarily mean you're looking for
criminals.

Always looking for a fight, eh.

tr.v. po·liced, po·lic·ing, po·lic·es

1. To regulate, control, or keep in order with or as if with a law
enforcement agency.
2. To make (a military area, for example) neat in appearance: policed
the barracks.


My guess is they are interested in kids drinking in their trucks in the
power line right of way, brush which is overgrowning the area, and
whatever the abutters might be doing to interfere with operations.

Duniho is an idiot, always has been. Anywho...there are a very few
powerlines or pipelines that they actually police. A pipeline patrol
checks many things. They check for leaks, although it's hard to imagine
the pilot finding the leak first as the pressure drop would be
immediately apparent. They look for Bubba out there with the backhoe
digging his new foundation without a permit. They look for trees laying
against the towers or the pipeline. They look for rockslides. Pretty
much anything that could affect the integrity of the line. My mechanic
flies two lines, they each have to be flown once every two weeks. He
makes about $1500 per patrol and each is about 600 air miles long. He
uses mogas so it costs less than $100 per flight. He's an IA so there's
no labor cost on the maintenence.

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:21:41 -0700, Newps wrote
in ::

Duniho is an idiot, always has been.

In my experience, Mr. Duniho is far from an idiot. He's a computer
programmer. In a programmer's world everything must be absolutely
precise and zero-sum. If you've ever attempted to create any computer
software, you'll appreciate that necessity for precision. It's only
when the importance of that desire for absolute order compulsively
overshadows the task at hand (polite conversation in this case) that
it can be accurately characterized as neurotic.

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:21:41 -0700, Newps wrote
in ::

Duniho is an idiot, always has been.

In my experience, Mr. Duniho is far from an idiot. He's a computer
programmer.

In a programmer's world everything must be absolutely
precise and zero-sum.

Are you kidding? Have you ever run Windows?

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
...
Always looking for a fight, eh.

Who? The person posting as "Newps" is the one who arbitrarily decided your
post needed contesting.

Personally, I think your original post is just fine as is and was defending
it. I see that "Newps" is ever-ready with his snap judgments and
oh-so-sharp wit, but his reply still doesn't explain why you shouldn't have
used the word "police".

Pete

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:55:17 -0800, "Peter Duniho"
wrote:

Please describe the difference between "police" and "check". To me, there
is none in this context. You've never "policed" your campground before
leaving? "Police" doesn't necessarily mean you're looking for criminals.

Well, in that sense it means picking up trash, as in "Awright! Saddle
up! Police your butts!"


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
...

Helos are used to police major power lines in my area. My guess is
they are less than 50 feet above the lines. Everytime I see them fly
by I just give thanks that I don't have that job.

Like these? http://mdhelicopters.com/gallery/MD5...0_SCE_0012.jpg
http://mdhelicopters.com/gallery/MD5...0_SCE_0007.jpg
http://mdhelicopters.com/gallery/MD5...0_SCE_0087.jpg


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO