High Flying Fun at FLIR

I had a unique opportunity at work this week to participate in the test flight of a new camera system. The camera we were testing is a High Definition TV camera typically used on TV news helicopters. (Similar to this one: http://www.cvs.flir.com/aviation/products/ultramediahd.cfm )

I'd never flown in a helicopter before, so this was a fun experience as well as an opportunity for me to see how FLIR's products are used in the field. I even got an opportunity to run the camera in the air, which would definitely require a lot more practice if I wanted to become proficient.

The aircraft we used for this particular test flight was a UH-1H Huey from Sunset Helicopters in Aurora http://www.sunsethelicopters.com/rates.shtml. This is a relatively large helicopter, so we could fit 5 people + the pilot. The first flight was a bit chilly, as we had both doors all the way open and I was sitting on the outside seat. It was a surprisingly smooth ride and not too windy, until you put an arm out the door!