SkyNews 4 (N104TV) is the most technologically sophisticated piece of newsgathering equipment used by News 4 WOAI. The chopper is a Bell Jet Ranger 206 B III.
SkyNews 4 can send live video and audio back to the station from nearly all parts of South Texas. The chopper seats up to four people, but two are usually aboard for news coverage.
SkyNews4 has a star-studded career. Here are some of the movies and shows she has participated in:
- Butcher's Wife
- Sleeping with the Enemy
- Patriot Games
- Real McCoy
- Crazy People
- Radioland Murders
- Empire Records
- Now & Then
- Black Rainbow
- Terminal Bliss
- Stephen King's: Golden Years
- Nightmare in Columbia County
- Smokey & the Bandit Series
SkyNews 4 by the numbers:
- Aircraft: Bell Jet Ranger 206 B III
- Date acquired by News 4: January 2000
- Cruise Airspeed: 100 Knots
- Maximum Airspeed: 150 Knots
- Fuel Capacity: 97 Gallons
- Fuel Burn: 25 Gallons per hour
- Standard Fuel Endurance: 3 1/2 hours / 97 gallons
- Maximum Altitude: 20,000 feet
- Engine Horsepower: 420 shaft horsepower
- Seating Capacity: Four
- External Camera: FLIR Systems, Inc. Ultramedia RS camera system. Nose-mounted, spherical gyro-stabilized camera turret with 360-degree continuous panning ability. Sony video camera with Cannon 33X lens and motorized 2X extender.
- Internal Camera: Sony
- In Flight Camera
- Tail-Fin Camera
- Sony Digital Recording Deck
- Lighting Systems: Daytime & Nighttime lighting for on-air talent on board
- Communication Systems: 1 cellphone, 1 Motorola UHF Radio, 1 scanner with 200-channel memory, 6 communication radios: 2 aircraft VHF
- Mapping System: Garmin 195 GPS Finder
