Department of Energy helicopters to test Glendale radiation ahead of Super Bowl LVII

PHOENIX — The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration will measure background radiation Sunday-Wednesday using low-flying helicopters over Glendale.

The Nuclear Emergency Support Team’s aircraft will make the safety inspections in preparation for Super Bowl LVII, which will be played at State Farm Stadium on Feb. 12, the Department of Energy said in a press release.

The Bell 412 helicopters with radiation sensors will fly on a grid pattern at 150 feet above the ground or higher at 80 mph. These flights will only occur during daylight hours and are planned to take two hours to complete per monitored area.

The aircraft will look like this:

The Department of Energy said the inspections are routine for security and emergency preparedness ahead of major events such as the Super Bowl, national political party conventions and the presidential inauguration.

NNSA’s Aerial Measuring System has specialized equipment to provide real-time measurements of air and ground radiation contamination. It is deployable in case of nuclear incidents in the U.S. and overseas, with the Bell 412 helicopters stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

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