Magic Helicopter Flies without Moving Blades

Judging by the fact that people don't understand this very simply principle, and seem to lack the imagination to propose how it might be accomplished (camera synchronized by radio to the helicopter, or simply synchronized to the sound of the helicopter) explains why we have people willing to believe in anthropogenic global warming.

Based on this lack of understanding, people are willing to cede their liberty to a power-hungry political elite.

"I'd read that the camera was synched via a radio link so that the blades could be observed under load."

Don't know if it's true, but would explain why the effect would continue with changes in the speed of the rotors.

"That the frame rate was just right, I can only imagine to be coincidence, because it would be a huge amount of math just to compute the needed rate."

No, because pro video cameras have variable shutter speeds (not frame rates), so you can just dial it in. As you do, you would observe the rotors "slowing down" until they "stop". As you went past that point, they would seem to begin to rotate in the opposite direction. The aforementioned wagon-wheel effect. I've done the same thing myself w/ hummingbird wings. You can dial it in where it just looks like it's floating with its wings stationary.

As to the comment of it being fake because it would be dark, ....uh, this is shot in broad daylight. There's plenty of light. You can hardly get a brighter setting. And why would someone invent a function on a camera that couldn't make a useable picture? Silly.

No comment to the real/fake nature of the video, but for an easy example of the "Stroboscopic" effect that would have the same result, all you need is a strobe light (with adjustable speed) and a ceiling fan. Turn off the lights and mess with the speed of the strobe light until the fan seems to be staying still (or going backwards, etc).

RickyBeats:

If the helicopter was spinning in an opposing direction at 1 revolution in 17 seconds (which it appears to be doing), this would mean a change in 0.059 revolutions per second. If the rotor was spinning at 6 revolutions per second, we're talking about a 0.9% variance.

Anyway, watch the video particularly right at the end. Keep an eye on one blade and its position relative to the helicopter tail (the "back" two are a good idea). At one point, the tail bisects the space between the back two blades. The setup changes and then one blade is almost parallel to the tail. At the very end the helicopter rotates while the blades do not, returning the setup to the "bisecting" position.

Like I said, doesn't mean it's real, but the issues that have been pointed out are more subjective than objective.

It's on the Internet. Therefore, it's fake.

D-uh.