In 1974, LBC's Helicopter 417 took to the skies above the capital with reporter Bob Holness onboard keeping an eye on rush hour traffic conditions and providing live updates for listeners on their commute. Two years later, the iconic Capital Radio Flying Eye followed suit.
Analysing data from INRIX (or ROMANSE as we also used in Hampshire) is one thing, but to articulate news of a tailback you're looking at from several thousand feet above is quite the job.
Capital used twin-engined fixed wing planes which are faster and cheaper to run. G-FLYI, used first, is now based at Biggin Hill Airport and G-FLII is no longer in service.
Power and Ocean FM's Flying Eye was G-BSAW which is still operational and based at Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset.
Clyde was the last station in Scotland to offer "bird's-eye view" travel news. The chopper used, G-BUXS, is also believed to still be operational having been used as an Air Ambulance in various regions over the last decade, including temporarily by Hampshire & Isle of Wight.
The most recent example of Eye in the Sky travel that springs to mind was JACK fm Berkshire (now The Breeze) which used a helicopter for reports into the breakfast show.
No comments:
Post a Comment