Radioactive surveying from a helicopter (abridged version)

Created 17/10/2025

Updated 17/10/2025

In connection with the use of airborne equipment for the detection of deposits of radio-active minerals, the Bureau has successfully used a DC.3 aircraft for the rapid coverage of large areas. It has been frequently suggested that a helicopter would have the following advantages over a conventional aircraft: (i) It can fly safely at lower heights and slower speeds than an ordinary aircraft, thus obtaining greater sensitivity from the detecting apparatus; (ii) It can be used effectively and safely in mountainous areas, in which low flying by a conventional aircraft would be impossible; (iii) It would enable the observer to locate exactly and identify from the air any small area on the ground showing radio-activity. In order to assess the performance of helicopters, a programme of test helicopter-mounted equipment over selected areas in New South Wales was carried out during March, 1953. The areas selected were: (i) Carcoar. This is a hilly area, but not timbered; (ii) Wunglebung, near Tenterfield. This is a mountainous, heavily timbered area; (iii) Broken Hill. This is a relatively flat featureless area; (iv) A test run was also made over Plen's deposit at Toongi, near Dubbo, in order to obtain and check on the sensitivity of the detecting instrument. The survey techniques used and the results obtained in the several areas are discussed in detail below.

Files and APIs

Tags

Additional Info

Field Value
Title Radioactive surveying from a helicopter (abridged version)
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/d7e59eda-fb0d-4bac-8235-63de61551d98
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 22/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        141.0,
        -33.7
      ],
      [
        152.4,
        -33.7
      ],
      [
        152.4,
        -29.0
      ],
      [
        141.0,
        -29.0
      ],
      [
        141.0,
        -33.7
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Radioactive surveying from a helicopter (abridged version)". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/radioactive-surveying-from-a-helicopter-abridged-version