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By Greg Bartlett

In some areas of the U.S. a great deal of natural gas exploration is taking place. One of the tricks used to locate unproven gas reserves is a seismological examination of what is below the surface of the earth. These tests are performed using very sensitive seismological equipment and many miles of sensor laden cables that connect to several computer terminals in a network to compare the readings obtained on one computer to those on another to for a sort of 3D picture. These cables and computer terminal boxes must be moved from one location to another quickly and efficiently.

Many of the areas where crews are working to lay out these sensor cables and set these computer terminals are very rural, overgrown, and impossible to reach in a ground vehicle. Most of this equipment is far too heavy to lug in by hand and try to walk in these areas of heavy growth. For this reason, helicopters are used on an almost daily basis to pick up bags of cables and terminals from one location and fly them to another to be dropped to a crew waiting on the ground.

How do the pilots know where to locate these ground crews, especially if working in thickly grown forest areas? The answer is simple. The ground crews are equipped with GPS locators that transmit a signal picked up by a computer on board the helicopter that gives the pilot the coordinates for the next drop. One man is on site at the next pick up area with a similar device to direct the pilot to the location for the next bag pick up. This is a very time saving method of moving this equipment from one location to another. It makes it possible for pilots to fly by the most direct routes between points without having to search for markers or people to signal them where to go.

When one considers the cost of aviation fuel and a pilot’s salary, it makes perfect sense to use every advantage available to maximize the benefit of having the helicopter to pick up, transport, and drop off sensitive and bulky equipment. GPS tracking allows the pilot to know exactly where he/she is going from each pick up or drop off point to the next so that there is no flying in circles looking for the ground crews.