# How do news and police helicopters keep from crashing into each other? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776 "2020-05-31T05:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/1 "2020-05-31T05:21:45Z")
I’m watching coverage of the civil unrest in Los Angeles and I’m just amazed that there aren’t daily disasters with helicopters. There was a building on fire and news helicopters were orbiting the scene. In addition, I think there were police helicopters monitoring the crowds of people in the area. So, how are collisions avoided? My understanding is that helicopters at that altitude are responsible for their own operation – they don’t have to get instructions from ATC for every move. Los Angeles itself is an enormous city that stretches to the horizon in all directions. At night, it is just a sea of lights. If avoidance is simply by visual contact, how can pilots even see each other against the blinding lights of the city? Are pilots communicating with each other? Do the aircraft have technology devices that help with avoidance? It just looks so random and chaotic. How do people not get killed all the time in crashes? ---
**Author:** ![sbright33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@sbright33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbright33)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/2 "2020-05-31T10:24:06Z")
Watched the first collision between 2 commercial copters in Flagstaff AZ. Rare but it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/3 "2020-05-31T10:36:39Z")
The aircraft can see and speak to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Passing\_Through](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Just\_Passing\_Through](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Passing_Through)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/4 "2020-05-31T12:21:48Z")
Good pilots. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/5 "2020-05-31T13:00:46Z")
> [@sbright33](#): > > Watched the first collision between 2 commercial copters in Flagstaff AZ. Rare but it happened. [There was a famous incident in Phoenix where a news 'copter crashed into another station’s.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_news_helicopter_collision) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/6 "2020-05-31T13:14:37Z")
I think it is quite amazing how with so many cars on the road, that white and yellow paint is enough to stop most collisions. In the sky you have far less vehicles and 3d space. So there is far less chance of collisions and much better chance to eyeball the nearby risks, but the far less chance for a collision seems to be the larger factor. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/7 "2020-05-31T13:54:44Z")
The fist time I went skydiving after my chute deployed my first reaction was “holy crap, there is SO much space up here.” We’re so used to being crammed into the 2D space on the ground it’s hard to comprehend the sheer empty 3D volume above our heads. Not to mention the helicopter pilots are there to pilot and aren’t focused on the action on the ground. More just taking cues from the camerman and where they’d like to maneuver to. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/8 "2020-05-31T15:10:33Z")
News helicopters are normally kept farther away from the action than police helicopters. The pilots talk to each other, and tend to circle areas in the same direction. News helicopters generally hover in one position to cover the scene, while police helicopters need to move around. Also, the pilots’ jobs are to Fly The Aircraft, not to cover the news. They’ll position the aircraft for a good view, but their duty is to see and avoid other aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/9 "2020-05-31T16:00:52Z")
Then sometimes [this happens](https://youtu.be/IoKjjD6RxRU). A helicopter is a machine that leaves the factory with a mission to kill everyone in and around it. Don’t believe the rotorcraft propaganda movement; this things are malevolent evil in machine form. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/10 "2020-06-01T18:04:39Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > A helicopter is a machine that leaves the factory with a mission to kill everyone in and around it. Don’t believe the rotorcraft propaganda movement; this things are malevolent evil in machine form. > > Stranger Lies! All lies! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/11 "2020-06-01T18:34:32Z")
You also have to keep in mind that you’re going to have one person flying, and only flying, and someone else (either in the helicopter or on the ground) operating the camera. It’s not that the pilot is also filming. Also, and I’m not saying this is what you were looking at, I’ve seen cases where at least some of the feeds aren’t helicopters but drones. About a year ago he had a massive fire around here. I had one the news feeds from a helicopter up on my computer screen. I realized it was a drone when it finally landed and someone walked over and picked it up. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/12 "2020-06-01T18:45:18Z")
It’s also worth noting the amazing optics on news crews recording equipment. They don’t have to get as close as you might think to get some amazing images. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/13 "2020-06-02T02:08:37Z")
The simplest way to separate aircraft, whether it’s ATC keeping big jets apart or the pilots of small planes doing it themselves, is to fly at different altitudes. In controlled airspace it is normally 500’ separation (1000’ between IFR aircraft with the VFRs slotted in between at 500’ intervals) but in uncontrolled airspace the pilots can do whatever they’re comfortable with. Personally I’d be happy with 300’ separation provided the other pilots are known quantities, this allows for some instrument and human error. If you do this then the pilots can concentrate on flying where ever the camera operator or police controller wants them without having to worry about _where_ the other aircraft are. The other thing you can do is use an obvious geographical feature. If you have six aircraft with 300’ separation you can put three one side of a large road or similar and the other three on the other side and they can all be within a 1000’ altitude band. Looks like chaos from an outsider’s perspective, but all very safe and organised in reality. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/14 "2020-06-02T02:11:01Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also, and I’m not saying this is what you were looking at, I’ve seen cases where at least some of the feeds aren’t helicopters but drones. > About a year ago he had a massive fire around here. I had one the news feeds from a helicopter up on my computer screen. I realized it was a drone when it finally landed and someone walked over and picked it up. If the footage is obviously doing straight vertical maneuvers, it’s a drone. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/15 "2020-06-02T02:20:01Z")
They know others are in the area doing the same thing so they proceed at a sedate speed where they have plenty of time to see each other and move around each other. Also, there are not a whole lot of them up there which simplifies things. I have seen video of two planes in a near head-on and at those speeds you barely see the other guy before it happens. Waaay too fast to meaningfully react. Helicopters puttering around a city for video though…not much problem. And presumably the pilots are working hard to be aware of the others. No one wants to die. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-news-and-police-helicopters-keep-from-crashing-into-each-other/854776/16 "2020-06-08T16:13:44Z")
Good luck complaining about low-flying police copters in L.A., at least: [LAPD will not pursue complaints about noise from low-flying police choppers | LAist - NPR News for Southern California - 89.3 FM](https://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/23/37399/lapd-will-not-pursue-complaints-about-noise-from-l/)