If You See Helicopters Over Southwest Michigan This Summer, Here’s What’s Actually Happening

West Michigan residents are no stranger to low-flying helicopters going back and forth.

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I can't tell you how many times I've seen a person ask online something to the effect of "Does anyone know why a helicopter is flying around so low?"

Sometimes it's a medical helicopter transferring a patient to the hospital, or a police helicopter looking for a missing person or a wanted criminal and coming up later this month it will be for an entirely different reason.

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Starting soon and going through most of the summer months, 16 different counties in Southwest Michigan will be having helicopter flying low over the areas with a strange looking piece of equipment.

These daytime flights will help Michigan counties to map geology and aquifers.

That's according to the Michigan Department of Environment.

The low level survey flights will cover all or part of Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties.

How Low Will They Be Flying

These helicopter will be about 200 feet from the ground which for many might seem uncomfortably close.

Hanging about 100 feet below the helicopter will be a giant hoop-like frame on a cable.

This instrument helps measure differences in Earth’s electrical properties and magnetic field created by different rock types across the survey area.

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This information is able to help them see the amount and movement of groundwater.

You can get more information here.