Helicopter & activity on Mott Dock + Winter Study flights

[RedLeg]

Lookie what I found everyone! Not the first trip apparently

[RedLeg]

No active ADS-B transponder aboard & I watched 17h of ADS-B flight history

[RedLeg]

The New Ranger IV has arrived at Moss Island for 2025

[RedLeg]

Just left...

[RedLeg]

While looking over the radar history in the area this came up, looks like Winter Study flights when you go through the aircraft flight history

[Midwest Ed]

They were active last Thursday as well. I wonder what they are moving.

[RedLeg]

Interesting! I wonder if they are moving some basic supplies over to Rock Harbor to get the first few LEO/Rangers going? Maybe DOGE has sent a force forward to protect our northern border from incursion from all the migrant boats that cross lake superior this time of year? <grin>

The flights the bird seems to be making in and out today are relatively short, so the taking supplies to RH might be what they're doing.

[Midwest Ed]

They are moving pallets that have been sitting there since last October.

[RedLeg]

I just saw that same pic of the helicopter sideways, amazing grab

[RedLeg]

here they are in the middle of a pick

[RedLeg]

They are moving pallets that have been sitting there since last October.

ISRO Mott Island2503081332.jpg

Possibly some pallets of appropriate food storage bins that came in from NPS stock?

[Ingo]

They are moving pallets that have been sitting there since last October.

Possibly some pallets of appropriate food storage bins that came in from NPS stock?

Makes sense that they're the new food storage lockers for the campgrounds. And that they'd try to get them at least to the CGs before folks arrive, although I imagine it will take some manpower to move them into place once dropped. Hope I'm right and there won't be helicopters flying around this summer. Although it certainly doesn't look like enough for the whole island, so who knows?

[RedLeg]

I'm thinking dock height is the issue and potentially without the ranger or the barge they won't have the ability to get them off the dock without the crane. In this scenario they can at least pick them off the high dock and over to Rock Harbor where they can be individually loaded on to boats (even with light manpower) and at least drop them at the docks (again if there isn't enough manpower to properly set/base them at each camp.