Turning left all night

[NoHeat]

I’ve been hearing a plane circling the nearby football stadium during tonight’s Iowa-Michigan State football game, so I checked FlightAware. It’s a HT-295. Here’s the track at halftime:

 

[Gilbert Buettner]

Many years ago, I was hired to fly a photographer for the first night game at Waldo Stadium, the home field of Western Michigan University. My flight path probably looked like this.

 

[midwestpa24]

Helio Couriers are sometimes used instead of blimps for the overhead shots during the game. They can loiter slow enough most wouldn't know the difference.

 

[NoHeat]

This plane’s previous gig was in Green Bay, where the orbit was more circular. I’m guessing that in Iowa City they’re elongated the orbit to avoid overflying a couple of hospitals near the stadium.

 

[Albany Tom]

From the title, I thought maybe one of the members was now driving for NASCAR.

 

[aterry1067]

Maybe he’s just a student pilot practicing turns around a point.

 

[asicer]

From the title, I thought maybe one of the members was now driving for NASCAR.

If they hired that plane to cover a race then the cars would look like they're all standing still.

 

[Gary Ward]

Do they use a AP to fly those?

 

[Arm3]

Do they use a AP to fly those?

I’ve never flown that type of plane, when I flew a lot of left hand orbits we had the autopilot hold altitude and hand flew the lateral portion.

 

[flyingron]

I think they also use these things to relay from portable cameras.

 

[mandm]

I hope it was half left turns and half right turns to even it out.

 

[Domenick]

I did that once while breaking in a new engine over my home drome.
After, I walked with a list to port for a week.

 

[Witmo]

What about the TFR?

 

[Cykoguy]

What about the TFR?

It's just a stadium TFR.

 

[NoHeat]

The same plane N5387G repositioned to Minneapolis today. Probably for the Michigan-Minnesota college game tomorrow night on NBC. But if it stays an extra night it can watch the Chiefs at the Vikings.

 

[Albany Tom]

I hope it was half left turns and half right turns to even it out.

Little known fact, that's why light aircraft tires are bias ply, not radial. So you can safely rotate them left/right to even out that "flying in left circles" wear.

 

[Gilbert Buettner]

The same plane N5387G repositioned to Minneapolis today.... But if it stays an extra night it can watch the Chiefs at the Vikings.

Isn't that game in a fixed roof stadium?

 

[NoHeat]

z

Isn't that game in a fixed roof stadium?

Oops, well, maybe they won't be staying for the Vikings game after all. But the Minnesota Gophers do play outdoors, right?