Chopper watchers: Get ready for the annual pre-Marathon background-radiation check
![The helicopter that will fly along the Marathon route](https://www.universalhub.com/files/styles/main_image/public/images/2023/nucleochopper.jpg?itok=-nec6Xv4)
The helicopter you might see - and hear.
In what has become an annual tradition, the National Nuclear Security Administration will fly a helicopter low - and loud - along the Boston Marathon route Friday and over the weekend.
Devices onboard will record background radiation readings that would aid in response to any nuclear incident during the Marathon. In describing last year's flyover, the agency described the mission:
The helicopter will fly in a grid pattern over the areas at 150 feet (or higher) above the ground at a speed of approximately 80 mph. Flyovers will occur only during daylight hours and are estimated to take approximately two hours to complete per area.
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Comments
Are their readings published?
It would be interesting to see what parts of the region are more radioactive than others.
Naturally occuring
I'm not sure how much would be detectable from the air, but here's a link to some maps of where Uranium in well water is a potential issue: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/arsenic-uranium-bedrock-well-study#map...
There are also some radon maps, but EPA tends to work with county level data so they aren't very local: https://matracking.ehs.state.ma.us/Environmental-Data/radon/radon-risks-...
Chopper Noises
I heard chopper noises and wondered "is this the annual background check"?
So I came to UHub and ... bingo!
It says tomorrow and the weekend
You heard chopper noises?
They might be coming for you...
But it may have just been a tour out of Norwood:
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a5cf4e&lat=42...
Zdeno Chara will be running
Zdeno Chara will be running in this year's marathon. Watch your head, Big Z!
It's here!
https://www.flightradar24.com/N412DE/2fe60638