Gaia's Brain: Low Level Aerial Photosynth

Just finished a 76 image photosynth of Gaia's Brain (see preceding post). It took 2 flights to get the photographs and Microsoft's Photosynth to make sense of them. On the second flight 2 Border Patrol trucks were waiting for me. I dropped low and grabbed this photograph, waved, and start gathering photographs for this photosynth. There's me flying in circles photographing rocks and the Border Patrol watching. Kinda like watching grass grow, it could not have been very exciting. But I do like having the backup.



Here is the final product, there are at least 2 halos I've found indicating that I managed fairly good coverage of Gaia's Brain. You may also view Gaia's Brain on BAlvarius' page at the photosynth site where a larger version is available. While the original "Gaia's Brain" black and white tilt shift photographs may not appear to be aerial photographs the photosynth should put to rest any doubt (and I have witnesses).



A simple multi-image panorama may be seen here.

Intercepted or a Visit From the Expanded Aerial Emergency Services.

On the flight yesterday morning, about 10 minutes after takeoff, the aerial wing of the expanded emergency service showed up. My flight was intercepted by a Border Patrol helicopter which came from behind and passed over and close by the right wingtip. I responded by calling on the air to air frequency to make contact and ask them to stand off but received no response. Wake turbulence from helicopters can be unpredictable and could affect the flight path of a weight shift light sport aircraft. Fortunately, the helicopter made a single pass then started to head off. I only managed to get a single photograph of the departing helicopter since I was busy first trying to first contact them, then getting the camera out and turned on. What is interesting is the speed at which they showed up. I was 40 miles from Lordsburg, the closest facility with avgas so they were either already in the area at 7:00 AM or they are hiding the helicopter somewhere down in the bootheel. In either event it is good to have someone watching your back. I will test the hypothesis that they are parking the helicopter somewhere down here by flying again in the early morning and see if they quickly show up. If they are down here with the helicopter I would expect them to show up at least once every flight in the bootheel.


Departing Border Patrol helicopter

A Threat to National Security or Another day with the Personal Emergency Services

Flew for about an hour and a half this morning in Animas Valley to take photos for the project photo-documenting the bootheel of New Mexico. As I approached highway 338 heading south from Antelope Pass there they were coming towards me driving north, the emergency crews in their trucks, or were they Border Patrol, they were Border Patrol. I waved as I passed them and flew south down 338 at various altitudes getting photographs of the scenery and prominent landmarks for this project. The further south I flew the more Border Patrol vehicles I saw. As I passed each Border Patrol Vehicle I waved and when I looked behind me there they were, following me down the valley. They had dutifully turned around and were following along. My airspeed was about 70 and they started to fall behind. The highway turns to dirt partway down the valley and they fell further back once they were driving on the dirt road. I reached the Pleistocene Lake Cloverdale and dropped low for photographs of the paleo shoreline and the surrounding hills. I finished up and climbed back up a little ways and started heading back north. There in the distance were several plumes of dust from the dirt road, the emergency service vehicles had yet to catch up. I'm certainly glad I did not have any problems while photographing the Ice Age Lake Cloverdale, I would have had to wait a good while for them to reach me. I passed them still going south as the aircraft was headed north. I looked back again and they had turned around and were now all headed north. When I landed I mentioned the Border Patrol following me and found out a call from Home Land Security in Washington had been made. They want to know if I'm a legitimate target they can launch assets against. I never considered myself a particular threat to anyone but if they want to spend money "launching assets" from Washington against a weight shift control aircraft that is their business, I'm just photographing the countryside. I did feel safer with the Border Patrol following me around, but now I guess I will have to look out for flying "assets" in addition to other air traffic.

The final photos from the bootheel will appear on Flickr and at some point may appear on Google Earth.





Click to enlarge

Advantages of Being Seen as a Threat by the Border Patrol or Having a Personal Emergency Service

With the perceived increase in smuggler traffic, especially those crossing the border in light sport aircraft, flying around the Boot Heel of New Mexico can get pretty interesting at times. One of the side effects of this increase in aerial traffic is the Border Patrol’s increased awareness. Border Patrol visits are a regular occurrence at the Sky Gypsy Complex when someone is up flying. The visiting agents are generally unknowledgeable about the aircraft, its capabilities, or requirements and require some briefing before they begin to understand. What is unfortunate for them is that they get calls about us on a regular basis and an agent is dispatched to drive down from Lordsburg or up from Douglas and then around the Boot Heel looking for us. While some pilots may bristle at the idea of the Border Patrol watching them fly, there is a different way to view the situation. If I were to experience an engine failure or have some other problem that required landing out some place I can be assured that assistance will arrive promptly where ever I land, and this is a good thing. With 1200 square miles of big empty open E class airspace over the high desert, landing out in some remote area is always a possibility. But with the Border Patrol following us around watching us fly we have a built-in safety net. While I’m out Aerotrekking or taking pictures and filming in some remote area I can be assured that the Border Patrol has my back.