Helo, Tennessee Video

 

This video was shot on April 27, 2007 around Smyrna, TN in a helicopter..

 

PHOTO CREDITS: VScreen captures provided by Bill Appleton, Chief Technology Officer of DreamFactory Software, Inc. of California


Analysis provided by Research Director David Gay:

"I've been studying the YouTube version of the 90-second video clip frame by frame and continue to be interested in the suspicious figure being seen in this video.

During the first pass of the creature, it appears to stand still and possibly crouches down when the helicopter passes overhead. The aircraft makes a quick loop and and the creature is seen again some 20 or 30 yards from its original location. On the third pass and best viewing, the creature has reversed direction and is heading back quickly in the direction it was originally coming from.

The figure is seen walking first one direction and then back the direction it came along a fence row parallel with a 2-rut lane that runs around the perimeter of the airport.

The best frames are between 1:09 and 1:13 when the videographer is zoomed in during an approach of the walking figure from its left side. The motion of the dark figure's legs is easily seen in contrast to the pale vegetation of the surroundings. The figure is observed quickly walking a distance equal to 3 times the height of the nearest trees during these 4 seconds.

As for determining the location of the video clip, the best match I am coming up with is Middle Tennessee Aviation's air strip at Lebanon, Tennessee. The use of the term "helo" apparently refers to a helicopter field and is not the proper name of a geographic area.
 

This sequence of screen captures from the 1:12 point in the 90-second video clip show the suspicious figure carrying what appears to be a stick in its right hand.

Based on these screen captures, some viewers are suggesting this is a hiker using a cane. If this figure was a backpacker, indigent wanderer or hunter in a ghillie suit, why is the person walking in the grass along the fence row instead of walking on the 2-rut roadway?

The figure is not observed turning its head and looking up toward the helicopter on any of the helicopter's 3 passes over the figure in the video clip. And nothing about the figure shows any change in coloration where it would be expected for someone wearing a hat, backpack, gloves, pants or shoes. Also, the figure is observed covering distances at what would be running speed for a human being (10-12 mph) but its body posture never changes from what looks like a walking stance (a much slower 3-4 mph for human beings).

The videographer's statement is that the figure entered a swampy area southeast of the airport after the sequence in the 90-second video clip was obtained.

ON THE OTHER HAND, it is the midst of the 6-week spring turkey hunting season in Tennessee. Hunters are allowed to bag up to four bearded wild turkeys from counties statewide between March 31 and May 13. It would be difficult to prove that the figure being seen is NOT a spring turkey hunter wearing a full camouflage "ghillie" suit."

I researched the going rates for chartering a helicopter in central Tennessee and found the following prices from a Nashville company named Fly-N-Dollar (sounds expensive already):
 

Fly-N-Dollar is a FAA approved flight training school authorized to provide a wide range of courses from Private to Commercial Pilot levels.

The rate for our air-conditioned R-44 Raven II is $435.00 per hour. We also offer block rates as low at $375.00 per hour.

The rate for our R-22 Betta II is $250.00 per hour. We also offer block rates as low at $175.00 per hour.

SOURCE: http://www.aviationschoolsonline.com/school-info/Fly-N-Dollar-Helicopter-Service/353/604/F/3.php

The block rate prices are for customers or students who contract for helicopter flight time on a volume discount basis.

Whoever it was riding as passenger in the helicopter who captured the video clip in question with a camera was spending some serious money at the time. Unless you've been in military service with Uncle Sam paying the tab, few folks can afford to be taking helicopter rides

I received the following private message from the videographer:

"My crew mate noticed it upon arrival at Smyrna Airport. Being a unit within the Army National Guard, a thorough DOD investigation has been initiated.
This type thing has happened before in the same area. The video is poor, but we got close and it did not appear to be a bear, as it did not get on all fours. Although the comments on YouTube are critical, we did hover, but got no good shots before the thing went into the swamp." - Doug
 

Based on the videographer's testimony, we now know that his video clip was taken during an Air National Guard helicopter operation at the airport in Smyrna, Tennessee.

   

The above aerial photographs show glimpses of the wooded wetlands southeast of the airport where the figure reportedly headed after the action recorded in the video clip. "

 

Thanks David for such a thorough report on the location and information on the video.

On July 15, 2007 we received an email from "Vickie" from Tennessee that offered us the following, and after some research she could be also right on the money,

"Mr. Kulls, Thank you for your website.  I find it very interesting to
read and listen to. I would like to pass on some information concerning
the report from analysis Mr. David Gay. First that's not Lebanon airport
(Middle TN Aviation). I live one street away and have watched many
aircraft land as they come over my house to land on the grass strip.
That topography is not located around here. One of those sweep the pilot
makes would show Home Depot and lots of houses. And there's no "swampy"
area. It's all developed and growing.

I don't believe it was filmed at Syria Airport either. I can't match the
markings on the runway with the video. Also there's a lot of sand roads,
not common in Middle TN. We usually import our sand for softball/
baseball fields. Also there a roundabout at the end of the runway. Most
of the small airports have taxi ways and squared end runways.

Smyrna Airport is a general avaiation status airport, with a beginning
National Guard training facility. I don't think the D O D would be
called in to investigate an intruder on the property. I think the
Homeland Security for Tennessee or the TBI might be contacted but most
likely airport security would have been (or should have been) contacted
immediately. Might have been a hunter, or a bigfoot or worst a
terrorist. Also the airport is South east of the water not the other way
around.

I did a little investigating on my own and I believe that this video was
actually shot in the FT Campbell Military Reserve. I found a promising
site on Google map/ satellite image. Please check for confirmation if
you get a chance. If this is from Ft Campbell, I hope it pulled before
somebody gets in trouble for putting military property on You tube.
Also that would answer why the guy doesn't really run, it could be a
sniper finishing maneuvers."
 

If more develops we'll keep the good folks in cyberspace updated!!! I believe however, unfortunately we are NOT looking at a Sasquatch.

 

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