Since this post got lost on Sunday, I'm reposting it.
(addendum: moving to the new board has placed the attachments below the post) ----------------------------------------------------------------
How many helicopter flights were we presented "live"? by Grace » Sun Feb 06, 2011 4:45 pm
This has been an interesting part of the journey... I stumbled upon the many versions of "live" media reports distributed to several country news stations and broadcasted from there.
I have not counted how many filming helis were present - all taking their videos from different angles, close-ups and heights.
But I think it is safe to say that we witnessed at least 3 versions of the Sheriff chopper Rescue #5 flight - all identified by the public as being the same ride because a man was standing in the door - this small hence important identification part was included only to incorporate pure illusion. Let's see why the heli ride was an illusion.
This is a very interesting overview map for the events in Michael Jackson's life and death, all credits to LA Times, giving Carolwood mansion and UCLA (red frame) and the coroner's office (blue frame):
[attachment=3]LA Times map.jpg[/attachment]
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LoginSo the main task for the heli ride was to get from place A (red frame) to place B ( blue frame) - literally going from west to east. We did not quite see that straight approach in the videos though.
1) Let's start with a video broadcasted by French television.
Watch the shadows. The heli is located at the western heli port of UCLA, Ronald Reagan Medical center. Its front is pointing to southeast (pink arrow), sunlight is full on its door-open side, yet low as it's late afternoon. We have long shadows. On the other heli port there's a second small helicopter (green arrow).
[attachment=4]UCLA heliport.jpg[/attachment]
We would expect the heli to take off and go straight to the east, right? (Green arrow in map 2 below.) The french reporters however state that the chopper is taking off to the west (blue arrow in map above) and they are even indicating it is heading towards the "rich quarters" of Los Angeles, to "West Hollywood, Malibu". Watch the heli turn to the west, showing his left side to the bright sun, and watch for the shadows for the entire flight:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jModUKEKww[/youtube]
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LoginThe flight direction however changes from west to north-east - now the heli is flying "with the sun", thus having it shine on its back tail. The two pink arrows in map 2 are giving this "take-off" to the west and then to the north-east from UCLA heliport.
[attachment=2]LA Times map2.jpg[/attachment]
2) We were watching the arrival at the Coroner's - actually it is a heliport close to USC Medical center and likely to be shared by both facilities.
The chopper arrived from north-west, landing position was again with the open door in full sunlight (pink arrow) and the van would take the blue arrow path (notice how many garbage bins are there). Credit to FoxNews.
[attachment=1]Coroner map.jpg[/attachment]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp95YX7OEPo[/youtube]
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LoginNow why would the chopper have to do this detour and remarkable sightseeing tour over the "beautiful quarters"?
Was there any reason to avoid directly following Wilshire Blvd or downtown L.A. (blue ring on map 2)?
No, there wasn't any reason to avoid downtown L.A. as we notice watching the following videos.
3) This video showing the broadcast of BBC has the chopper passing by downtown
AON tower (see 1:12, video posted June 25, 2009).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL4BY-FL2Vs[/youtube]
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LoginAON tower is located between 6th street and Wilshire Blvd, as we may search on this map (type AON tower and click on it):
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Login 4) However, in this video, the chopper is passing by downtown
KPMG tower, which is located between 3rd and 4th street (see 0:04) - credit to SkyNews:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e7w4a5kE9U[/youtube]
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LoginIt is impossible to pass by AON tower and KPMG at the same time as both are located almost in parallel flight routes coming from the west (red and yellow line on map 2).
In addition L.A. downtown streets are directing to south-east and not to east and a chopper going that direction will end up somewhere in East Los Angeles (or at the filming location of the Thriller video).
[attachment=0]Downtown LA.jpg[/attachment]
So which of the 3 versions (coming in to the coroner from the north, from AON tower or from KPMG tower) is the true video we are supposed to believe ?
Seems a sheriff's chopper in a movie does not always mean it's all real and true.