Hwy # 9 runs sometimes less than a mile from the Mexican boarder here in New Mexico (NM). The US Border Patrol has many different types of detection equipment in place to monitor movement across our border with Mexico. It extends from Texas, through New Mexico, to California.
We have aerostat dirigibles, SSW of Deming, NM. Another near Sierra Vista, AZ and possibly more toward California that I’m unaware of.
The US Border Patrol also uses infrared, vibration, microwave, (for distances to two hundred yards that produce a volumetric pattern to detect a “disturbance in the force, Luke.)
All these little gizmo's are hooked to transmitters that more than likely are received at dispatch since on the scanner I can hear, “Agent Hernandez we have a hit in zone 3B, over!”
Now that our tax money has put these detection transmitters out for us I’m sure they must get a lot of false positives due to thermal disturbance.
How about a new application for our I-phones that puts a map up to the next several thermals starting up at ground level along our flight path?
