For motorists 800 feet below, it's another story. With an hour to go before dawn, headlights from commuters heading south on I-85 stretch like a glittering ribbon almost to the horizon. To their right, six lanes of red lights crawl north. The radio crackles. There's a four-car accident on Ga. 400 northbound.
Provost swings the chopper to the west.
Barrigar adjusts the toggle on a laptop remote, connected to a gyro-stabilized camera that's attached to the belly of the chopper. The zoom on the camera is so deep and crisp you could read the license plates on a Dodge Neon. The four-car wreck on 400 has been cleared to the side, but traffic still just inches past. Provost keeps the chopper in a hover, fighting a stiff wind, while Barrigar zooms in on the scene and Kalland zips off a 15-second update for viewers. 400 North used to be clear.