NOAA King Air aircraft team surveys the coast of the U.S. Virgin Islands
NOAA King Air pilots Lt. Colleen Conley, Lt. Rick de Triquet (middle) and Physical Scientist Andrew Halbach in Ellington Field, Texas, in January 2020.
The crew of NOAA King Air 350 CER N68RF conducted coastal mapping missions for NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) in the U.S. Virgin Islands during a two-week mission earlier this year. The team used the aircraft's onboard remote sensing technology to collect shoreline imagery prior to hurricane season. The imagery will serve as a baseline in the event that any of these areas are damaged by a hurricane or tropical storm this coming season. By comparing the before-and-after aerial imagery, response agencies can better assess damage to major ports and waterways, coastlines, critical infrastructure and coastal communities. The King Air's crew, which typically includes two NOAA Corps pilots and an NGS sensor operator, flies these missions at 1,500-5,500 feet. After the aircraft lands, the imagery is posted online for the public to access. Learn more about this process at: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/geodesy/aerialphotos/
