March 24, 2009
Media Advisory -- Chinook helicopter
Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to join Southern Illinois University Carbondale students this morning (March 24) for an up-close look at a U.S. Army MH-47G Chinook helicopter. The helicopter is scheduled to arrive at Southern Illinois Airport, between Carbondale and Murphysboro, at approximately 11 a.m. There is a slight possibility the flight could be postponed due to weather.
The helicopter is scheduled to land at the J.A. Schafer Helicopter Facility, situated on the western edge of the airport. To get to the helicopter facility, turn left before reaching the aviation technology building and follow the road for about one-eighth of a mile. Camera operators should keep considerable distance between themselves and the helicopter as it generates an unusually large amount of rotor wash. Media personnel should also refrain from having loose articles near the running helicopter, such as hats and unsecured notebooks.
Among those on board the Chinook helicopter is U.S. Army Major Jerry Mathis, who obtained his Federal Aviation Administration graduate certificates from SIUC’s Department of Aviation Technologies in the 1980s. Mathis and the other seven or eight Army personnel are expected to meet with aviation technology faculty and students.
For more information, contact Charles L. Rodriguez, an assistant professor in the aviation technologies department, at 618/536-3371.