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Chopper 2 is CBS 2's eye in the sky for traffic reports and breaking news coverage, and frequently flies through the sky at over one hundred miles an hour. The Bell 206L4 LongRanger is based at Linden Airport in New Jersey, and its registration and tail number is N27M. Captains Ed Baker and Terry Crane rotate their piloting shifts. Jim Smith is the morning chopper reporter, while Joe Biermann comes on duty in the afternoon and evening. Smith and Biermann control the cameras with equipment located in the rear cabin. Chopper 2's main camera is mounted on its nose, and small "lipstick cameras" are located inside to show either the reporter or pilot.
In the fall of 1997, Chopper 2 gained exclusive Infrared imaging equipment. This can help tell stories when showing how hot a fire is and can look through trees covering the ground. Because of this, Chopper 2 is occasionally used by the authorities such as the Police and Fire Departments to find suspects or get a better look inside the smoke of a fire.
Chopper 2 has been on top of many big stories. On April 16, 1998, Chopper 2 was the only helicopter to be overhead as a motorcyclist tried to evade the police. Joe Biermann provided the dramatic pictures live during the 5:00 newscast. Because the ground patrols weren't able to keep up with the motorcyle, the police were telling them via the radios to turn to Channel 2 for live coverage. For this coverage, Chopper 2 won an award from the New York City Press Club.
Chopper 2 has also provided many camera shots for the CBS Television Network, including the CBS Evening News, The Early Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, and football games for the NFL on CBS.
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