Helicopter looping above Santa Barbara Thursday conducting aerial scans for utility company

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A low-flying helicopter spotted repeatedly looping over parts of Santa Barbara Thursday morning was conducting LIDAR scans on behalf of Southern California Edison.

Your News Channel confirmed that the Bell JetRanger single-turboshaft helicopter with the tail number N205EH was conducting those aerial scans as a proactive safety measure after being contracted by the utility company explained Sacramento Executive Helicopters which owns and operates the aircraft.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning from small aircraft uses laser pulses to create highly detailed images of the ground below with a vertical accuracy of four inches.

The image below, courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, shows a three-dimensional image created using LIDAR scans of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.

While Thursday's helicopter has now begun its return flight to General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster, residents can expect additional low-flying loops by smaller aircraft in the future.