# Fake helicopter noise



## brentster (Jul 12, 2007)

I figured as much when I was watching the Giro, but now I'm almost certain of it. 

The picture jumps from the aerial view to another shot and the noise fades out afterwards.

The noise sounds EXACTLY the same, every time - the same RPM for every shot for years now.

I just thought maybe you guys should know.


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

It's actually Phil pounding on his chest......


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## FastFred (Aug 12, 2003)

yeah I've noticed that too...I always wondered what the exact reason was for it. Obviously we know the pictures are coming from a helicopter without having to hear the noise!


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

Probably just for effect. It's like on TV when there are car chases on dirt roads and tires are squealing.


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## EMB145 Driver (Aug 17, 2006)

If the rotor RPM changes very much, the helicopter will become the big news item of the day!!


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

Speaking of strange noises - am I the only one who hears a squeaking chair intermittently during the coverage?


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## lnin0 (Apr 8, 2002)

The Giro was not on VS - it was on NBA/US - so how would you compare the two? You think both networks are adding that to the feed or do you think Italy and France are both adding that to the feed before sending it out to the world?

At least in the Grio it actually sounded like a live feed of the crowds clapping and cheering. In past TdFs the clapping and yelling are added in a loop. Haven't paid much attention to this years TdF so maybe they (whoever it was) stopped adding it. It used to clearly be a loop of crowd cheering.


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## saird (Aug 19, 2008)

It's a conspiracy!


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

I heard Paul or Phil's chair creaking today for sure. As for the helo, they run at a constant RPM. They change power by blade angle settings. They make the same noise all the time. The only time it would vary is if you put heavy loading on the blades such as a high G turn or lifting. Not like a jet where the engine noise changes with power setting.


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## 5500OCLV (Jul 11, 2009)

spookyload said:


> As for the helo, they run at a constant RPM. They change power by blade angle settings. They make the same noise all the time. The only time it would vary is if you put heavy loading on the blades such as a high G turn or lifting. Not like a jet where the engine noise changes with power setting.



Yes, that is pretty much true. 

As an avionics guy... Helicopters do have throttles on the collective that allow the RPMs of the engines to change. There are three main types of controls that are used to control the helicopter. These are the cyclic stick, the collective lever, and the anti-torque pedals. Depending on the complexity of the helicopter, the cyclic and collective may be linked together by a mixing unit, a mechanical or hydraulic device that combines the inputs from both and then sends along the "mixed" input to the control surfaces to achieve the desired result. The manual throttle may also be considered a flight control because it is needed to maintain rotor RPM on smaller helicopters without governors. 

A helicopter pilot manipulates the helicopter flight controls in order to achieve controlled aerodynamic flight. The changes made to the flight controls are transmitted mechanically to the rotor, producing aerodynamic effects on the helicopter's rotor blades which allow the helicopter to be controlled. For tilting forward and back (pitch), or tilting sideways (roll), the angle of attack of the main rotor blades is altered cyclically during rotation, creating differing amounts of lift at different points in the cycle. For increasing or decreasing overall lift, the angle of attack for all blades is collectively altered by equal amounts at the same time resulting in ascents, descents, acceleration and deceleration.

A helicopter pilot manipulates the helicopter flight controls in order to achieve controlled aerodynamic flight. The changes made to the flight controls are transmitted mechanically to the rotor, producing aerodynamic effects on the helicopter's rotor blades which allow the helicopter to be controlled. For tilting forward and back (pitch), or tilting sideways (roll), the angle of attack of the main rotor blades is altered cyclically during rotation, creating differing amounts of lift at different points in the cycle. For nose side to side motion (yaw) the anti-torque pedals are used, and those also control RPMs but less than the throttle on the collective. For increasing or decreasing overall lift, the angle of attack for all blades is collectively altered by equal amounts at the same time resulting in ascents, descents, acceleration and deceleration.

However, you are correct that the RPMs are usually kept at the same rate during flight.


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## brentster (Jul 12, 2007)

lnin0 said:


> The Giro was not on VS - it was on NBA/US - so how would you compare the two? You think both networks are adding that to the feed or do you think Italy and France are both adding that to the feed before sending it out to the world?


Please forgive me. It must have been the Dauphne / Libre.

After my OP, I was watching the rest of the stage and they'd even switch from one helicopter view straight to another and the noise stayed constant.

Its no biggie.


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

natedg200202 said:


> Speaking of strange noises - am I the only one who hears a squeaking chair intermittently during the coverage?


The mics seem to pick up too much. You can faintly hear Phil in the background doing his Versus promo lines with the online feed.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2009)

EMB145 Driver said:


> If the rotor RPM changes very much, the helicopter will become the big news item of the day!!


And the next thing we'll hear on the tape might be:

R-R-R-R-R-rooootoooor RPM!!


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Has anyone else noticed that the helicopters are black?


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