VIDEO: A drone spotted in the Elgin area on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

A man with a video camera at a soccer field in Elgin, Illinois has claimed to have captured on May 12, 2012 what appears to be a drone Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that he says was flying toward Chicago the weekend before the NATO Summit. The aircraft appears to be an MQ-1 Predator. The reported appearance of the aircraft has many people speculating that the aircraft is working in the area for the upcoming NATO Summit.

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VIDEO: A drone UAV spotted in the Elgin area on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

A man with a video camera at a soccer field in Elgin, Illinois has captured on May 12, 2012 what appears to be a drone unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that he reports was flying toward Chicago the weekend before the NATO Summit.

See also … The Cardinal NATO Drone Chicago: MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper Over Elgin?

Critics have claimed that the video is fake because the aircraft is banking left, but traveling straight. However, the flight behavior might be what you would see in a flight that was experiencing steady winds from the northeast. The weather station at O’Hare International Airport reported steady winds in the 12.7 mph to 18.4 mph range and gusts in the 19.6 mph to 25.3 mph range on Sunday May 12, 2012. Also, steady winds in the 8.1 to 12.7 mph range and gusts in the 19.6 to 20.7 mph range were reported on May 12, 2012 — a little closer to Elgin at DuPage Airport.

There is also some skepticism because the video camera was not panned to the right to follow the aircraft — something critics say fakers would do if they did not have a posterior-oblique image of the aircraft to superimpose. However, the camera man might have lost sight of it in the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display, decided he had a good enough shot already, and then enjoyed watching the rest of the flight with his own eyes. It is not easy to catch small objects in the viewfinder of a camera, and a videographer doesn’t have much time to capture the moving image — especially if it wasn’t expected or if the camera operator isn’t used to tracking aircraft with a camera. It is common to zoom in and out to find the aircraft in the field of vision, or to try to get it in focus when autofocus is on. It is hard enough to capture some aircraft — even when they are expected.

The sound of the UAV has also been questioned. Up close, UAV aircraft have a distinct propeller engine sound — especially from behind. The sound of the aircraft over Elgin does not have a distinct propeller engine sound, but it is at a considerable distance at constant speed with the associated aerodynamic noise of air flow around the blades louder than the propeller engine noise.

Up close video of MQ-1 Predator MQ-9 Reaper UAV Operations in 2011 with distinct prop sound. However, sound at 0:53 is air rushing aerodynamic noise without propeller engine noise.

MORE ON DRONES …
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Singapore Air Cargo Boeing 747 passes over Arlington Heights.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday unveiled a $200 million International Cargo Project that he claims will create 1,200 construction jobs, 1,200 permanent on-site cargo jobs and another 10,000 regional jobs over the course of a decade-long development. The cargo center could boost the Chicago economy if plans succeed.

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Following is a press release from Metra released Friday May 11 that outlines restrictions related to the NATO Summit.

Most Metra riders will not see service changes as a result of the NATO Summit on May 19-21, even most riders of the Metra Electric Line, which passes under the summit facility at McCormick Place.

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In a split vote, the Arlington Heights Village Board approved the opening of one of two exits proposed for opening along Kirchhoff Road. The west driveway will be opened for at least a nine-month period while the hospital executives and attorneys are likely to pursue opening of the east exit.

Voting in favor of the proposal from the village staff to open one exit …
Village President Arlene Mulder
Trustee Carol Blackwood
Trustee Norman Breyer
Trustee Thomas Hayes
Trustee John Scaletta
Trustee Mike Sidor

Opposed to the opening were …
Trustee Thomas Glasgow
Trustee Bert Rosenberg
Trustee Joseph Farwell, who was most active in opposing the opening, and lives in the area affected by the traffic changes — just north of the hospital.

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UDPATE: CDC is not using the term ‘quarantine’ for this aircraft incident.

Delta Flight 3163 was quarantined at a gate at Midway International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was holding a Delta Airlines aircraft at the gate Thursday afternoon while analyzing a report that a female with a rash and possible contagious disease was onboard the aircraft.

The aircraft arrived at Midway International Airport at 3:36 p.m. CDT Thursday after departing from Metro Airport in Detroit, Michigan at 3:29 p.m. EDT. As of about 5:50 p.m. CDT Thursday, the aircraft was at the gate, but the jetway was not connected to the aircraft.

Passengers were allowed to leave the Canadair Regional Jet aircraft at about 6:10 p.m. CDT after the jetway and aircraft were connected. Forty-three passengers were onboard. The aircraft is capable of being configured with up to 78 seats.

Witnesses reported two Chicago Fire Department paramedics boarded the aircraft first, and then CDC officials in personal protective suits boarded the aircraft.

Subject: CDC Response to Sick Passenger on Delta Plane in Chicago

CDC received a report earlier this evening of a passenger on a plane at Midway Airport who had a rash. Since the passenger had been in Africa, a family member had reported concerns that the rash might be monkeypox. The passenger was evaluated by Chicago Emergency Medical Services. Medical staff at CDC and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reviewed the case and, based on the patient’s symptoms and photographs of the rash, it does not appear that the signs and symptoms are consistent with a monkeypox infection. The ill passenger was advised to seek medical care and the rest of the passengers were released from the plane. CDC and CDPH believe there is very little risk to other passengers. However, out of an abundance of caution, the airline will be collecting contact information for other passengers should CDC need to contact them in the future.

– Centers for Disease Control (April 26, 2012)

The CDC has apparently declared that the subject with the rash did not have a contagious disease. The female with the rash was originally reported by some media sources as a ‘male’ from Ghana or Uganda. The subject’s native country has not yet been confirmed.

See also …
cdc.gov/media