A lifetime ago I spent a considerable amount of time zipping around the skies of Germany in US Army helicopters. Besides enjoying the ride, I would often test my navigational skills by trying to follow our travels on my map. Something that from the front seat of a jeep had become second nature was next to impossible from a helicopter at 500 feet. The perspective of the ground and the speed of travel threw everything off.

You get a taste of that plus some amazing views of Lowell’s geography and architecture from an entirely new perspective when you watch the 28-minute long YouTube video below which features aerial views from all over Lowell taken from a helicopter that was circling parts of our city. You don’t have to watch it straight through. Pause the clip and jump around. With each new start, see how long it takes you to identify what part of the city you’re looking at. It’s a fun little game to play. Thanks to Corey S for passing along a link to this video.

[youtube]uKc80nkLyVQ[/youtube]