Low-flying helicopters. Black and unmarked

I saw a couple of them today go over Billings Montana. The ones that look flat black and look like they don't have markings. Time was at approx. 5 p.m. Headead northwest, more west than north. Very low flying, and surprisingly quiet, for what they were. No camera with me to take photos at the time.

saw 4 black hawks in a line formation couple weeks ago. really freaked me out. i live in long island, new york.
the very next day i drove to the mall and opened my door to immediately freeze in sight of 3 blackhawks which proceeded to fly directly over the mall in broad daylight, blue skies. bastards

their neglect to share information with the public is scary to say the least.

a reply to: 2Chainz

What information should they be sharing? They're flying overhead doing training, like they do every day.

I live in WI about a mile from a small planes only private airport. Last week, there were several helicopter exercises that fit your description. The helicopter exercises have become routine in the past couple of years here in this tiny town of only 2500 ppl. When they first started 2 yrs ago, a lot of the elderly people were terrified and called the police to see what was going on.
As per usual, they were poo-poo'd and told this was just a normal exercise. They fly over our house regularly, sometimes one, two, four...low enough to shake the windows and make my heart race.
The disturbing thing is that now the helicopters seem to be loaded with weapons. They have long protusions on either side, recently, that they didn't have before. The other thing that bothers me is that they fly low and close enough to my house that the guys inside can see me giving them the middle finger as they fly over, rattling me, the kids, and everything else.

Maybe we are being conditioned.

Most likely more training

I don't live in America. I have no experience with Black Helicopters. I just find this interesting. I'm saying all this straight up.

If the Helicopters are flying close enough to peoples homes to shake the houses then there are safety issues that not only the home owners but the pilots and the people who are planning the flights should really take into consideration.

Also don't the military have areas to conduct flight training and training exercises? Why would they be doing this so close to civilian populations? I could understand it if you live near a military base or an airport but are the locations of all these accounts in areas like these?

Just some basic questions.

a reply to: Sezza115

As long as they remain over FAA minimums (IIRC, 500 feet over towns, and 1000 feet over cities, going by the tallest structure), then they are legally flying over the town, and it's not really a safety issue. They're just as high as small planes flying over the same area.

The military has to integrate with civilian agencies as well, so that means flying in civilian areas, and meeting with civilian agencies, including at airports, and in cities. Training sometimes has to take place near and over cities and towns, and they have to get to those training areas, which means flying over those areas.

The military has to integrate with civilian agencies as well

Zaphod58,

Your acceptance of this turn of events is quite frightening really!

Can't you see what's happening in the real world or has their conditioning worked on you.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

I grew up around this. It's been going on for over 30 years. This is no "turn of events", it's something that's gone on for decades and no one has bothered to pay attention to it.

a reply to: pheonix358

i suppose all the giant explosions i hear exploding up northern Michigan must be them training to come drop a 500 pounder on my house!

*fun fact* bombs and artillery sound just like a ruffed grouse taking off in the underbrush so being up north ruffed grouse hunting anywhere near camp grayling when they decide to start letting the fun rain down it gets pretty interesting lol.






if we saw helicopters flying over letting loose with their machine guns like that video from miami popping up all over the country then it might be time to raise an eyebrow.

just found this video on the miami case and man its hardcore, this seem normal to you zaph?

a reply to: mindseye1609

You think that training is training is training? The military went form training to fight trained waves of Soviet tanks coming through the Fulda Gap, to fighting in cities against untrained forces using irregular tactics. Which means training changes.

There were better ways they could have run that exercise, but the fact of the matter is that the mission has changed, as happens over time, so the military has had to change with it.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: mindseye1609

You think that training is training is training? The military went form training to fight trained waves of Soviet tanks coming through the Fulda Gap, to fighting in cities against untrained forces using irregular tactics. Which means training changes.

There were better ways they could have run that exercise, but the fact of the matter is that the mission has changed, as happens over time, so the military has had to change with it.

thats what pops into my mind is its gotta be just a huge boondoggle on where the exercise took place. I'm guessing its what these new "Fight cities" being built are for?

a reply to: mindseye1609

That's part of it. They train room to room and with vehicles in the "cities" when they are built.

a reply to: Zaphod58

ya much like at a "Fight house" but a larger scale. get people working on corner clearing while still being conscious of other units on other sides of walls and vehicle support and all kinds of stuff that just a single building cant do. IMO its the equivalent upgrade that a "fight house" has over a normal shooting range that a whole "Fight city" has over a "fight house". many scenarios would be able to come up and worked through that you couldn't do with just the one building.

i had a thought just now, i wonder if this highly public spectacle was on purpose to maybe grease the wheels a bit on these "fight cities"? i know they are expensive and probably had some opposition. i imagine the opposition would shut up real quick after the publicity of the Miami event.

a reply to: mindseye1609

That wouldn't surprise me in the least, and it wouldn't be the first time they've done something like that. It's usually on a smaller scale, but yeah, I wouldn't put it past someone to freak out Miami to prove the point that they need the fight cities built.

a reply to: Zaphod58

If the FAA minimum is 500 ft, the ones I have seen were damn sure in violation. I had one so close over my place I was afraid it was going to tear shingles off the roof. I would estimate its height at around 60 ft.

I also saw one with a man wearing what appeared to be some sort of military or police uniform, helmeted, all black, through an open door on the chopper looking straight at me. I gave him the middle finger and I could see the scowl on his face. Could have popped him with a sling shot.

a reply to: skunkape23

It may have changed, or it may be different for the military. It's been awhile since I read up on the FAA minimums. You can always call the local FAA office and talk to them.

a reply to: skunkape23

This isn't a military helicopter...it may police or air ambulance. Most aircraft at a distance look black even white ones. This video looks like an AS 350 and the US military doesn't use them to my knowledge.

a reply to: Zaphod58
I think the 500 foot rule only applies to airplanes but helicopters need only be at an altitude to avoid obstacles in an emergency. Helicopters can also fly in much lower visibility than airplanes. Airplanes require one mile visibility when flying under visual flight rules where helicopter only need to be clear of clouds.

a reply to: buddah6

I think you're right. I didn't deal with helos much with the FAA rules.