DOE to conduct low-altitude helicopter flights over Vegas Strip on New Year’s Eve
In preparation for New Year’s Eve celebrations in the city, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted low-altitude helicopter flights over the Las Vegas Strip on Dec. 29 and plan to do so again on Dec. 31.
Through the flights, the NNSA’s Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) aircraft will measure expected background radiation as part of standard preparations to protect public health and safety on the day of an event. NEST is part of NNSA’s Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation Program/ It is an element of the nation’s nuclear or radiological emergency response capability.
The Las Vegas public may see NNSA’s twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter, which is equipped with radiation-sensing technology.
The plan is to have the helicopter fly in a grid pattern over the areas at an elevation of 150 feet (or higher) above the ground at a speed of approximately 80 mph. The flyovers will occur only during daylight hours and are estimated to take about two hours to complete in each area.
These types of surveys are a normal part of security and emergency preparedness activities for the NNSA. The NNSA is simply making the public aware of the upcoming flights so that citizens who see the low-flying aircraft are not alarmed.
