The Low Flying Helicopters Are Back In Ocean County This Week

It was just last week that the thumping of an alarmingly low helicopter resonated through my house.

While I didn't get a chance to step outside and see what kind of chopper was checking out my neighborhood, after previous experiences with 'copters buzzing Ocean County, I made some phone calls and did some research, so I knew not to worry.

Last week, I said that the flight was likely either the Ocean County Mosquito Extermination Commission dropping pellets to keep the mosquito population in check or Jersey Central Power & Light taking a look at the power lines.

Listeners who did get a chance to check out the low hovering aircraft described the signature look of a mosquito control helicopter.

This week, however, the Brick Township Police Department has been kind enough to give residents the heads up that JCP&L inspectors will be taking to the skies this week to check out the power lines.

In a Monday afternoon Facebook post, Brick PD said that you may see the black helicopter flying low and slow around the Township's power lines and may loop back and forth a number of times:

I still think back to my conversation with a JCP&L spokesperson last year who put things pretty bluntly, saying, "if it's a low flying helicopter, low enough to make you a little uncomfortable, that's us".

You can impress your friends and tell the difference yourself, by the way.

If you see a low flying chopper with arms extending from both sides of the aircraft, that's the mosquito folks:

If you don't see the extended arms on the aircraft, it's either JCP&L or, well, a top secret government mission. But let's just go ahead and stick with the power line inspection angle.