Helicopter Buzzes Wal-Mart

wrote in message

I believe the helicopter was within 100 feet of me when I took the
photo. It looks small, so you might think it is farther away.

As a former armature photographer (used to have my own darkroom and all) I
offer the following: The stock lens on that Cheap Olympus camera doesn't
distort perspective unless you are using the zoom function. The chopper is
roughly the same apparent size as the red truck seen waaaaay at the end of
the parking lot - approximately 500 to 700 feet away horizontally. My
trained eye places the chopper between 100 to 200 feet closer to you than
the red truck - 400 to 600 feet away. It's vertical height, then, is
approximately 300 to 400 feet.

If the chopper were in a rapid ascent as you claim, it was many hundreds of
feet above Wal-Mart as it flew over.

Therefore, I am sorry to say that you are simply nutso and possibly
delusional.

--
Jim Fisher

"Jim Fisher" wrote in message
.. .
wrote in message

Therefore, I am sorry to say that you are simply nutso and possibly
delusional.

Too late, Jim. I think the troll became discouraged at the extraordinary
lack of sympathy for his sensitive feelings here and has gone away.

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...

"Jim Fisher" wrote in message
.. .
wrote in message

Therefore, I am sorry to say that you are simply nutso and possibly
delusional.

Too late, Jim. I think the troll became discouraged at the extraordinary
lack of sympathy for his sensitive feelings here and has gone away.

I wonder if he EVER has seen a helicopter close up...like on a ramp or a LZ
or something, rather than just flying overhead.
--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

wrote

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.

I think your altitude estimation skills need a bit of practice. It looks
to
me like the chopper is at least 200 feet up. Anyone else have an opinion?

The rotors are typically 30 feet in diameter, so my guess is about 500-600
feet.

"Morgans" wrote in message Anyone else have an opinion?

Yeah, I have an opinion. F**K WalMart! Don't shop there. Support your local
merchants, not China.

D. (you asked :-) )

"Capt.Doug" wrote:

Yeah, I have an opinion. F**K WalMart! Don't shop there. Support
your local
merchants, not China.


Fine by me, but for Wal-Mart stores in and around the big
city,.there's hardly any local merchants left who sell the same stuff
even if better. If you want better clothing, you go to the big dept
store at the mall and hope for a sale. Even the other merchants in the
mall are often manufacturer owned. Others may be medium-sized local
companies of maybe a dozen such franchises at a bunch of malls.

Fred F.

"Capt.Doug" wrote in message
...
"Morgans" wrote in message Anyone else have an opinion?

Yeah, I have an opinion. F**K WalMart! Don't shop there. Support your
local
merchants, not China.

Geez...just a while back, high prices local merchants were accused of
"ripping people off".

BTW, the best thing that can happen to local merchants is to have a Wal-Mart
move in near by (think of traffic into the area).

And what makes you think local merchants don't carry goods made in China?

D. (you asked :-) )

You got it...back! :~)

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

Doug is a hero here.

Anyone shopping at wal-mart ought to be bitch slapped, tortured, then
burned.

As for supporting the picture, I'm not going to get technical as the others.
I've seen photos of really low flying people before turn out to where they
looked several hundred feet above the ground. Don't know how, but have
seen this happen before. 30 ft off ground can look like a couple hundred
feet.

ck


"Capt.Doug" wrote in message
...
"Morgans" wrote in message Anyone else have an opinion?

Yeah, I have an opinion. F**K WalMart! Don't shop there. Support your
local
merchants, not China.

D. (you asked :-) )

wrote in message
oups.com...
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


It is well above 70', probably closer to 400-500' AGL. Is there an airport
or hospital nearby? Could also be a police patrol.

"It is well above 70', probably closer to 400-500' AGL. Is there an
airport
or hospital nearby?"

The nearest hospital in the direction from which the helicopter came is
several miles away. I don't know of any airport in that direction.

I had the impression that the helicopter took off from the construction
site across the street, about 500 feet away, though I did not see it
actually take off. The construction is building a road through a vacant
field. In fact, most of the land in that direction for several miles is
farmland or vacant fields.

The Wal-Mart in the photo is near the intersection of Ohio Street and
121 in Plano, Texas. It should not be difficult to find that on a map.