Orbit Cam
Thermal view of a street with a bright discarded item on the ground
Thermal view of a backyard with a bright animal near a shed
Thermal view of a backyard shed with a bright figure beside it
Thermal view of a city intersection with a vehicle in motion
Thermal view of a person hiding beside a hedge
Thermal view of a person standing at a shed door
Thermal view of a person hiding beside a tree

Fly the Sensor
Find the suspect…

You're the Tactical Flight Officer in either a Helicopter, Fixed Wing or flying a Drone. Fly airborne missions with authentic EO/IR overlays to locate hiding suspects and coordinate high-speed ground pursuits.

Choose your aircraft

Three kinds of aircraft, one sensor

Pick an aircraft and the orbit changes with it. A drone circles tight and low. A helicopter flies a wider orbit higher up. A fixed wing holds the widest orbit from 6,000 feet.

Radius, altitude, speed and field of view are all adjustable in the menu (M).

Orbit radius
Altitude
Speed
Field of view
Slant range to target
One full orbit

Two kinds of Missions

Both run in the same sim, over the same city, through the same camera.

Thermal view of a rooftop with a green ring around a small figure beside a roof structure

Search: Find the Suspect!

Press N (new scenario) and a suspect goes to ground behind a vehicle, behind a bush, or against a wall. Orbit the area, steer the reticle over the heat signature, and mark it (X).

Your score counts every find. Reveal shows you where the ones you missed were hiding.

Orbit Cam view of patrol cars with lights on along Oak Ave as a suspect runs from a stopped red car between the houses

Failure to yield: Call the pursuit

Press F (FTY) and a vehicle is fleeing. Keep the camera on it as it works through the city streets. Ground officers provide radio communications of the streets, direction, speed and traffic around it, then dispatch asks whether air will call the pursuit. It's your TURN!

Turn on auto-track and your attention is free for the radio.

Read the display like you fly it

Multiple overlays follow real EO/IR sensors: aircraft data in one corner, target in another, camera azimuth and elevation at the bottom. Street names, LPR, Moving Target Indicator, target scan and you might even find some Easter eggs waiting for you… Select a number to see what each part tells you. Let's FLY

Thermal camera view of a car on a street with the full flight display overlay

Polarity (P) is one key in the sim. Try it here: the POL button in the top bar flips this page between white-hot and black-hot.

Train on your own streets

Start with the built-in sample city, import a GeoJSON of your own area from OpenStreetMaps/Overpass-turbo, or acquire an area to upload within the CONUS. Buildings, roads, parks, trees and hedges all come through, so you rehearse the grid you actually fly over.

Authentic sounds...

Rotor beat in the helicopter, three blade props on the fixed wing, brushless motors on the drone, dispatch; it's all there.

Orbit Cam helicopter view of a residential neighborhood on Cambridge Circle, with streets, houses, trees and parked cars

Fly it from a Laptop, use a Game Controller or train on Mobile

Orbit Cam runs in the browser, so a laptop or mobile is all you need. Fly with the keyboard and mouse, or add a game controller that puts every function on a button (custom skin available). Don't worry about downloading game controller software, the emulator is baked in.

Shoulders
Radius on the left, zoom on the right.
D-pad
Polarity, street labels, geopoint and scene.
Face buttons
New scenario, mark suspect, failure to yield, view and more.
Sticks
Left moves the cursor and clicks. Right pans the sensor, and a press opens the menu or mutes.
Orbit Cam running on a laptop and a phone, with the custom-skin game controller in front
Hover the controller to zoom
Crew assignment

TFO in your choice of manned aircraft

Choose the 505, 206, H125 or P2012 SMP. Each one carries an EO/IR sensor (P2012 two), but the seat you sit in, the orbit you fly and the view of the suspect all change. Pick one below to read its brief, then launch.

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X in Orbit Cam police livery, tail number N256OC, with the EO/IR sensor mounted underneath
B505

Bell 505

The quick scout

Light, nimble and quick to launch. First over the perimeter, holding a tight orbit low over the block, with a searchlight on board.

Cruise
125kt
Range
306nm
Seats
5
Brief me on the B505
Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair in Orbit Cam police livery, tail number N256OC, with the EO/IR sensor mounted underneath
C206

Cessna 206

The long watch

Holds a wide, quiet orbit from 6,000 feet for hours. You ride in back with two displays: narrow and wide.

Cruise
161kt
Range
700nm
Seats
4
Brief me on the C206
Airbus H125 (AStar) in Orbit Cam police livery, tail number N256OC, with the EO/IR sensor mounted underneath
H125

Airbus H125

The workhorse

Power to spare on hot days and a roomy cabin. Fast enough to stay with a pursuit across the whole city, with a searchlight on board.

Cruise
137kt
Range
340nm
Seats
6
Brief me on the H125
Waypoint Aerospace Tecnam P2012 SMP with dual EO/IR sensors mounted under the cabin
P2012

Tecnam P2012 SMP

The dual-sensor twin

A twin-engine special mission platform with two EO/IR sensors. Hold one target, search for another, or go full autonomous with the second sensor and stay up to 9 hours.

Cruise
194kt
Range
850nm
Seats
11
Brief me on the P2012

Performance figures are approximate manufacturer numbers for each type, shown for context. The sim flies the B505 and H125 on its helicopter profile and the C206 and P2012 SMP on its fixed wing profile.

Orbit Cam · B505 · Helicopter

Bell 505 Light, quick, eyes on

The Jet Ranger X is the light single that gets airborne fast and arrives first. From the left seat you work the Orbit Cam sensor on a dedicated mission display while the pilot holds a tight, low orbit over the perimeter. A belly-mounted searchlight lights up the yard when the call needs eyes on the ground.

Compare aircraft
Bell 505 Jet Ranger X in Orbit Cam police livery, tail number N256OC, with the EO/IR sensor mounted underneath
Cruise
125kt
Range
306nm
Seats
5
Engine
Arrius 2R
The TFO station

Your seat: front left

The mission display hangs on the left of the panel, next to the pilot's glass. A keyboard tray sits right under it, and the radio stack is a reach away on the center console. The pilot flies. You run the sensor.

Inside the Bell 505: the TFO station with the Orbit Cam display
TrakkaBeam searchlight

Light the Night

The B505 carries a TrakkaBeam searchlight, and so does the sim. Switch it on over a dark neighborhood and the beam lights up the yards, streets and rooftops below, so you, the pilot and the units on the ground all see the scene.

Night view of a neighborhood from the B505, searchlight off The same street lit by the TrakkaBeam searchlight on a narrow beam The searchlight on a wide beam, lighting up the whole block
Suggested sim settings

Fly it tight and low

The 505's light weight and quick handling suit a tighter orbit, closer to the scene. The reticle steadies, and a backyard fills the screen at a moderate zoom. Dial these into the sim menu (M) to match.

Sim profile
Helicopter
Orbit radius
0.75mi
Altitude
1,000ft AGL
Speed
60kt
Field of view
12°
Slant range to target
0.77mi
One full orbit
4 min 43 s

Engine: Safran Arrius 2R turboshaft. Real-world figures are approximate.

Mission fit

Where the 505 shines

01

Perimeter searches

First on scene. A tight left orbit keeps the suspect's yard on your side of the aircraft the whole way round.

02

New TFOs

A simple cockpit and a short orbit period: lots of passes over the target, and lots of practice per flight.

03

Short patrol shifts

Up quickly for a call, back down quickly. Ideal for the short-notice job that needs eyes in the air.

Orbit Cam · C206 · Fixed wing

Cessna 206 The long watch

The Turbo Stationair holds a wide, quiet orbit from 6,000 feet or higher, and it stays there. You ride in the back row with two displays: a narrow field of view for detail and the full overlay for the big picture.

Compare aircraft
Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair in Orbit Cam police livery, tail number N256OC, with the EO/IR sensor mounted underneath
Cruise
161kt
Range
700nm
Seats
4
Engine
TIO-540
The TFO station

Your seat: The comfy TFO workspace

Two ergonomic mounted displays for better situational awareness. The left one holds a narrow view; the right carries the full overlay with street labels.

Inside the Cessna 206: the TFO station with the Orbit Cam display
Suggested sim settings

Fly it wide and high

Altitude and standoff keep the airplane quiet and out of mind on the ground, at the cost of a longer slant range. That means leaning on zoom, and a steady hand on the reticle. Dial these into the sim menu (M) to match.

Sim profile
Fixed wing
Orbit radius
2.00mi
Altitude
6,000ft AGL
Speed
100kt
Slant range to target
2.30mi
One full orbit
7 min 32 s

Engine: Lycoming TIO-540, 310 hp. Real-world figures are approximate.

Mission fit

Where the 206 shines

01

Long surveillance

Hours on station without a fuel stop. Stay overhead while the ground units set up and wait.

02

Wide-area pursuits

A 2-mile orbit or more covers a lot of city. The vehicle can run a long way before it leaves your circle. You're first on scene with most calls.

03

Quiet overwatch

From 6,000 feet the engine is hard to hear on the street. The suspect you are watching doesn't know you are there.

Orbit Cam · H125 · Helicopter

Airbus H125 Power for the long shift

The H125, the AStar, brings power to spare and a roomy cabin. The Orbit Cam display sits front and center on the panel, and the big door glass is right beside you for eyes outside. A searchlight under the aft fuselage puts a beam on the suspect while the sensor holds the track.

Compare aircraft
Airbus H125 (AStar) in Orbit Cam police livery, tail number N256OC, with the EO/IR sensor mounted underneath
Cruise
137kt
Range
340nm
Seats
6
Engine
Arriel 2D
The TFO station

Your seat: front left, center stage

The mission display takes the middle of the panel, with the pilot's engine and flight instruments to the right and the mission console below. The door glass beside you is for when you need to look outside before you bring the sensor in.

Inside the Airbus H125: the TFO station with the Orbit Cam display
TrakkaBeam searchlight

It's as real as it gets

The H125 carries a TrakkaBeam searchlight, and so does the sim. Switch it on over a dark neighborhood and the beam lights up the yards, streets and rooftops below, so you, the pilot and the units on the ground all see the scene.

Night view of a neighborhood from the H125, searchlight off The same street lit by the TrakkaBeam searchlight on a narrow beam The searchlight on a wide beam, lighting up the whole block
Suggested sim settings

A balanced orbit, with power in reserve

A one-mile orbit at 1,500 feet balances standoff and detail, and the H125 has the speed to break off and chase when the call changes. Dial these into the sim menu (M) to match.

Sim profile
Helicopter
Orbit radius
1.00mi
Altitude
1,500ft AGL
Speed
70kt
Field of view
12°
Slant range to target
1.04mi
One full orbit
5 min 23 s

Engine: Safran Arriel 2D turboshaft. Real-world figures are approximate.

Mission fit

Where the H125 shines

01

Failure to yield

Fast enough to keep up with a fleeing vehicle and still hold the camera on it through the turns.

02

Hot days, heavy loads

Plenty of power in reserve when it is hot out, or when the cabin is full.

03

Two-TFO crews

Room in the cabin for a second TFO or an instructor in the back.

Orbit Cam · P2012 SMP · Fixed wing · Dual EO/IR

Tecnam P2012 SMP Two sensors, one orbit

Waypoint Aerospace's special mission twin carries dual EO/IR sensors under the cabin. One sensor holds the target while the other searches, follows a second vehicle or watches the perimeter. You work from a cabin console with three stacked displays.

Compare aircraft
Waypoint Aerospace Tecnam P2012 SMP with dual EO/IR sensors mounted under the cabin
Cruise
194kt
Range
850nm
Seats
11
Engine
TEO-540 ×2
The TFO station

Your seat: at the mission console

A cabin console with three stacked displays: sensor 1 narrow view on top, sensor 1 wide overlay in the middle and sensor 2 below. The pilots get the picture too, on a MFD up front.

Inside the Tecnam P2012 SMP: the TFO station with the Orbit Cam display
Suggested sim settings

Fly it wide, watch two things at once

Twin engines and long endurance suit a wide orbit at altitude. With two sensors, one holds the target while the other covers the perimeter or a second vehicle. Dial these into the sim menu (M) to match.

Sim profile
Fixed wing
Orbit radius
2.00mi
Altitude
10,000ft AGL
Speed
100kt
Field of view
12°
Slant range to target
2.75mi
One full orbit
7 min 32 s

Engine: Two Lycoming TEO-540 piston engines. Real-world figures are approximate.

Mission fit

Where the P2012 shines

01

Dual-sensor ops

Two independent EO/IR sensors. Hold the suspect with one and search for the accomplice with the other.

02

All-day endurance

Up to 9 hours on station. Long enough to cover an entire operation, from briefing to arrest.

03

Multi-crew cabin

Room for two TFOs and an instructor, each working from their own display.

Side by side

Compare the aircraft

Same sensor, same city, same missions. Pick your seat and launch.

AircraftTypeCruiseRangeSeatsSuggested orbit
B505Bell 505 Jet Ranger XHelicopter125 kt306 nm50.75 mi · 1,000 ft · 60 kt
C206Cessna T206H Turbo StationairFixed wing161 kt700 nm42.00 mi · 6,000 ft · 100 kt
H125Airbus H125 (AStar)Helicopter137 kt340 nm61.00 mi · 1,500 ft · 70 kt
P2012Waypoint Aerospace Tecnam P2012 SMPFixed wing194 kt850 nm112.00 mi · 10,000 ft · 100 kt

Make your first Orbit

Orbit Cam badge: airborne law enforcement training simulator

Open the simulator in your browser. Press N for a new scenario and start searching.