Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Helicopter Downwash

Posted by Alex Turnbull, Tuesday, 14th November 2006

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Please note that some or all of the objects mentioned in this post are no longer visible on Google Earth or Google Maps.

Check out this incredible image of a helicopter skimming the surface of the pacific, several miles off the coast of Baja California Norte, Mexico. How cool is the disturbance in the water from the helicopter’s downwash!

14 Responses to 'Helicopter Downwash'

  1. Hamish Hoggington says:

    Interesting!!

  2. Lee says:

    Ok seriously, how the hell did you find you?

  3. Patrick says:

    WOW….GS is now 2 for 2 in incredible posts. What will you do to top yourselves?

  4. Rob says:

    It looks like this is still in the US. Right on the border. Probably border patrol…

  5. The original rob says:

    How very trusting…much more likely drug running.

  6. js says:

    Probably more like the US Coast Guard doing drills/practice. Their San Diego airbase is just slightly to the north of this near Lindbergh Field. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/lindbergh-field.htm

  7. B says:

    This is a U.S. Navy helicopter training area. Just east of here is the Outlaying Landing Field (OLF) for NAS North Island. There is a helicopter conducting a clearing turn on one of the land pads.

    Great find…

  8. Dan says:

    Is this a submarine, sort of due east from the chopper?

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  9. Dan says:

    Or a whale-shaped submarine!

  10. Alex says:

    Where is it. I have been trying to find it on google earth for 3 hours now. what are the corditates?

  11. Dan says:

    Do you mean my whale submarine, Alex? Didn’t the link take you there?

  12. Rob says:

    Interesting – the camera must have a very fast shutter speed to freeze the helicopter rotors like that!

  13. Cireelim says:

    The submarine/whale/shadow: 32°33′0.46″N 117°16′4.86″W