subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sun, Nov 22 2009 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Hank Jenks, aircraft division, prepares to fly out of the Tahlequah Municipal Airport, a daily endeavor.
Josh Newton /


These road markers, placed every half-mile, help OHP troopers determine a vehicle’s speed.
Josh Newton /


Published August 29, 2008 11:20 am - Nearly every morning, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Hank Jenks loads into his Cessna 182 and flies out of the Tahlequah Municipal Airport.

Analysis from the air
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers often watch from the air, making it easier to spot and prevent dangerous situations. Hank Jenks explains how they do their calculations.

By JOSH NEWTON

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS

Nearly every morning, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Hank Jenks loads into his Cessna 182 and flies out of the Tahlequah Municipal Airport.

Jenks’ aircraft has a few more gadgets than similar planes, but they all play an important part while he’s cruising at 3,000 feet above the earth’s surface.

The Cessna 182 is only one of approximately 10 used by the state law enforcement agency’s aircraft division to assist in manhunts, an occasional transportation, search and rescue – and, yes, traffic enforcement, which helps make the road a little safer for drivers.

“We have two airplanes assigned to the Tahlequah area,” said Jenks.

Pilots try to work a traffic assignment every day. Drivers familiar with the Tahlequah area know one of the most frequently enforced areas is between here and Muskogee, on U.S. Highway 62.

Most drivers cruise down the highway, never paying attention to the white road markers to the side. These markers are placed every half-mile, or 2,640 feet, according to Jenks, and they help air troopers calculate a driver’s speed.

Here’s one way to do the math: The road markers help determine how many feet a vehicle is traveling per second by dividing the total feet – 2,640 in a half mile – by how long it takes to travel that distance. If it takes 24 seconds, that’s 110 feet per second. Multiply feet per second by 3,600 (the number of seconds in one hour), which turns out to be 396,000 feet per hour. Divide the total feet, 5,280 in a mile, by feet per hour to get miles per hour – in this case, 75 mph.

A document dropped off at the Daily Press by a local citizen claims some road markers on U.S. 62 are between 70 and 76 feet short of a half-mile. Jenks said because the road is not straight, he would have to see how the stretch was measured to get those readings before he could determine if they are marked correctly.

Jenks said he intends to have the markers in question measured, and also noted it may depend on which side of the road the markers were measured, as pilots generally use the east-bound markers to determine speed.

“The way we check speed from the air is pretty much with a chronograph and a set distance,” said Jenks.

A chronographs is, in basic terms, a timekeeping watch. Troopers begin calculating time when a driver passes one road marker, and stop calculating time at the next mile marker, which is a half-mile away. Troopers use the time it takes to get from one marker to another to determine a velocity in feet per second, and break that down to determine miles per hour.

Ground forces work with pilots to test the system between the plane’s chronograph system and calibrated radar guns on the ground unit.

“We try to get multiple speed checks on a person, though that doesn’t always happen,” said Jenks. “We always lean on the side of the public. If I get three different speeds, I’ll give that person a break [and go with the lesser speed]. The speed we give is an average speed over that distance.”

This means, for example, a driver who receives a citation for going 77 mph may have been traveling approximately 75 mph and 80 mph at some point during the half-mile measured by a pilot.

Despite what many people think, pilots don’t simply fly around off the cuff, seeking traffic violators wherever they go. Instead, Jenks said, there’s usually a planned enforcement event, scheduled around the availability of ground forces.



print this story    email this story   






autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide
Premium Jobs

Help Wanted
RN Quality Manager We are looking for a RN to fill a position in our Long Term care Nursing Home as part of a Quality Ma...>MORE

Help Wanted
LPN/ Wound Care Nurse: We need a LPN for a full-time position for our Wound Care Nurse. Experience in Long Term Care a...>MORE

Help Wanted
LPN: 10pm To 6am position open for our Long Term Care/ Medicare Facility. We offer competitive salary, 401k, health be...>MORE

Help Wanted
Medical Technologist needed in Tahlequah, OK to, under limited supervision, perform blood tests in all areas of the labo...>MORE

Help Wanted
Skelly School- Accepting applications for an Elementary Physical Education Teacher for the remainder of the 2009-10 scho...>MORE

See all ads

Premium cars

Used Trucks for Sale
1992 Dodge Dakota $2,200. Call 207-2270...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Homes

Doublewide Mobile Home For Sale:
2002 Skyline 32x48 Doublewide, 3bdr, 2ba, huge kitchen, brand new carpet, nice!! Torn down, ready to move on axles and ...>MORE

Mobiles for Rent
2-3bdrm 2B, Mobile Keys Area. 456-6813...>MORE

House for Rent
Lease Purchase 3bdrm, 2ba, 2 car garage 2600 sf in Teehee Addition. 918-530-6113...>MORE

House for Rent
Located in Town: Two bedroom, one bath $400 431-1154...>MORE

Mobile Homes For Rent
2,3,4bdrm, 1219 West Choctaw, accept HUD, 708-5889...>MORE

Apartment for Rent
The Views- Nice 1bdrm. $375 W&D 918-261-4957...>MORE

Apartments for Rent
Efficiency across from NSU, 2bdrm all bills paid. $480 month. 456-4423
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Extras

Camper for Sale
Camper Truck asking $3,500.00 call 918-207-9740...>MORE

Acreage For Sale:
3Acres +/- , Available for site built or new mobile home. Several tracts to choose from 6 miles +/- NW of Tahlequah H...>MORE

Acreage for Lease
apx 15 acres in town call 918-822-7084, 918-456-9424....>MORE

Commercial Property
Ed’s Service Station, 901 E. Downing, available for lease January 1, 2010. Contact Jim McSpadden (918)931-0227 or (918)...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index