<div class="description">
<p>Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from RADARSAT-2 is analyzed for detection of soils susceptible to helicopter  brownout. Helicopter brownout occurs when downwash disturbs the dust and sand beneath the aircraft during takeoff, landing, and  low altitude operations. Brownout may lead to pilot spatial disorientation and loss of control, causing helicopter damage or  destruction, as well as personnel injury or death. The likelihood of helicopter brownout is related to soil moisture content, particle  size distribution, and surface texture. This research explores the polarimetric signatures of soils, and determines if these  characteristics can be used to predict areas that are susceptible to helicopter brownout. Preliminary results show that helicopter  brownout regions can be predicted by means of a simple threshold.
</p>
<br>Subjects:</div>
<div class="fn value">
Rabaja, Christine Kay.</div>
Internet Archive identifier