Buzzed by DHS helicopter this morning (with pictures!)

a reply to: mysterioustranger

"Howdy, neighbor"' indeed! Not too far away from us at all. We're right by Middlebelt and Cherry Hill. And I vaguely remember that, but couldn't find anything about it online.

a reply to: MrSpad

Definitely not the first time I've seen one of these helicopters. Just the first time this far away from the Detroit River or one of the lakes.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Also, I'm kind of jealous! I was just thinking, and you probably have the big, ol' FedEx DC-10 fly right over your head every afternoon! I keep a look out for that one. It's a beauty! And you can here it coming from pretty far off most of the time.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

I suspect they won't be around much longer. Last I heard FedEx was supposed to buy 777Fs to replace them in the next few years.

And just to mess with as many people as I can, how many of you have ever noticed the arrow in the FedEx logo?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Lol, my son actually pointed that out to me while driving by a Fedex building. Never noticed it before that.

a reply to: Sammamishman

The other half hates me now. She can't not see it now.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

No telling what they were snooping around for.

And nobody can tell you "pics or it didn't happen", that's for sure!

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

I think we tend to dismiss half of what we hear when theyre flying around. We got the news and traffic choppers 2, 4 and 7, the Detroit PD, and all blue Mich State police...a green and white border patrol, and that blue and gold survival flight from U 0f M Ann Arbor.

I work in Livonia and theres that all-red chopper that hovers...kinda strange...most dont hover over anything too long...I dont have a clue what that red one is...maybe use some binoculars sometime?

PS Through channels, Ive heard due to budget constraints your Inkster Police is sharing road patrols with the County Sheriff and Mi State Police. Any combination of those guys, and I'd suspect some of those chopper flights are theirs.... Nice talkin to ya! Peace...MS

a reply to: Sammamishman

I live one block from my city's city hall and I see county Sharif dept. and other PD helicopters fly circles over my house all the time. They sometimes land st the city hall doing routine training of some kind.

Or just getting you to not notice the copters flying all over due to the "sameness" of it all........kind of like watching cars drive by. But in this case and most others it should be noted just like the OP did.

Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

You know you weren't the subject of its attentions because you were filming it outside the circle it was making.
A felony stop or assist in search mode is to keep eyes on the ground by titling the bird so the pilot or observer can see straight down without obstructing vision of events on the ground.

The circle does that. All the copper choppers do that when called to a scene.

a reply to: Iwinder

Oh, there is never a time I don't notice them, only about 100ft over my home... Lol, I'm outside with my binos every time they come by.

I know how this feels. Had one literally descend and hover over the house a couple of years ago. I mean right above it, not just flying over. I know exactly what they were doing and why they were doing it, but I don't think I am allowed to go into that on these forums. Whenever a helicopter is close though most people know how loud they are.

The guy it says it is registered to is listed as a "program manager" for the DHS. I am guessing he is over some of the border patrol activities or something. I didn't take the time to try to find him on the DHS website, but I am sure it will list more information as well.

dude send me a greetings from FEMA holiday camp card

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

Excellent pics! Star and Flag just for that great GIF and those great pics, AND the registry information too.

PRO OP.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah, I had read something about that too. It's too bad. It's a beautiful plane to see lumbering along on final!

And, yes, I am aware of the arrow in the FedEx logo. Jerk...

a reply to: mysterioustranger

I think all the news networks share a helicopter now. At least a couple of them do, I'm thinking. I know that one of them was stationed at Mettetal (I-275 and Ann Arbor Trail area) and probably still is. I know the Detroit PD are all out of City Airport, but they don't make it out this way.

I remember in Plymouth, during the summer 10-15 years ago, every day in the morning a big, heavy lift type helicopter would fly by heading north. That was always something exciting to see.

And this morning we got buzzed by the DC-3 and B-25 from the Yankee Air Force Museum. No B-17, so it was a little disappointing. They were heading your way though. They were low, moving quick, and drowned out by the neighbor's lawnmower, so I didn't have enough notice to grab the camera.

Here is another GIF of the pass it made to the north. It includes the stills from my original posting.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

The chopper that went down in Seattle recently was shared by two of the major news station here.