NNSA’s twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter, equipped with radiation-sensing technology, will fly in a grid pattern over downtown Boston and the Boston Marathon race route April 11-15. Courtesy/NNSA

NNSA News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will conduct low-altitude helicopter flights over downtown Boston and the Boston Marathon race route, Thursday, April 11, through Monday, April 15, in preparation for the 2024 Boston Marathon.

NNSA’s Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) aircraft will measure expected background radiation as part of standard public health and safety preparations.

The public may see NNSA’s twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter, which is equipped with radiation-sensing technology. The helicopter will fly in a grid pattern over the areas at 150 feet (or higher) above the ground at a speed of approximately 80 mph. Flyovers will occur only during daylight hours and are estimated to take approximately two hours to complete per area.

These surveys are a part of preparedness activities to support security and any potential emergency response. NNSA is making the public aware of the upcoming flights so citizens who see the low-flying aircraft are not alarmed.

For more information and video footage of NNSA’s Aerial Measuring System, click here.

NEST is part of NNSA’s Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation and is an element of the Nation’s nuclear or radiological emergency response capability.