Nation IN BRIEF : GEORGIA : Choppers to Cover Atlanta for Games

The federal government unveiled a state-of-the-art urban air transit system that will allow satellite-guided helicopters to thread the skies over Atlanta during this summer’s Olympic Games. The $10-million research project, the Atlanta Short Haul Transportation System, employs global positioning technology that can guide as many as 50 helicopters across the urban landscape at altitudes too low for conventional air traffic control. The flights will shorten a one-hour cross-town trip to just 12 minutes.