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Home Page/KMBC-TV/NewsChopper 9/Story
NewsChopper 9
KMBC Flies High with NewsChopper 9
KMBC Channel 9 is getting a whole new angle on the news in Kansas City with NewsChopper 9. Since its introduction in April 2000, NewsChopper 9 has been covering the traffic and news, providing the most advanced newsgathering technology available.
The NewsChopper is a Bell 206 BIII JetRanger, equipped with four cameras -- two mounted inside the chopper and two mounted externally.
The cameras inside the chopper allow reporters to broadcast live over the scene of the news, while the two outside cameras focus on the action on the ground. One of the exterior cameras is mounted near the rear of the aircraft, while the other -- a larger, gyro-stabilized camera -- is mounted on the nose of the craft. The larger camera is equipped with a 1-33 zoom, the area's most powerful zoom lens.
Its cameras and state-of-the-art video technology make NewsChopper 9 a virtual flying studio. "KMBC's goal has always been to provide the viewer with the most comprehensive coverage of breaking new stories," KMBC news director Michael Sipes says. "NewsChopper 9 is one more way that we will do that."
The NewsChopper 9 pilot is Gregg Bourdon, a veteran helicopter pilot who spent the early years of his career piloting helicopters in the Army. He's flown Hueys and Cobras, and currently flies Chinooks with the Army Reserve in Olathe.
"The technology and advanced systems of this aircraft make it stand out in Kansas City," Bourdon says. "Plus, the safety and performance records of the Bell JetRanger are among the best in the industry."
Prior to joining the staff at Channel 9, Bourdon flew life flight operations for eight years, transporting critical care patients to hospitals in the Kansas City area.
"This is a fascinating perspective -- to be a part of gathering and reporting breaking news," Bourdon said.
NewsChopper 9 provides a bird's-eye view of the morning traffic situation. Traffic reporter Taunia Hottman flies with Bourdon to cover FirstNews traffic from the air while veteran traffic reporter Bill Grady works the angle from the ground to provide the most up-to-the-minute reports of road conditions and action.
Additionally, the chopper gives Channel 9 viewers a different angle on breaking news. "NewsChopper 9 is another tool for us to use in news coverage," Sipes says. "It provides a terrific option for getting to a story and delivering live pictures to our audience.
"There are times when a helicopter can provide a better view of a broader story such as flooding or storm damage. When you combine that ability with the seasoned and talented staff of our journalists at KMBC, it gives us the advantage to provide expanded news coverage that other stations can't."
Copyright 2002 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.