4 Helicopters, 2 blacked out... need some help Zaphod58

I'm hoping that Zaphod58 will know more about the aircraft operating in my area.

Last night (5/23/16) at about 9pm, my wife and I heard very loud helicopter noise close to our land out in MIneral Wells Texas, this isn't unusual as often times we see and hear military aircraft in the area, helicopters as well as jets, I think they play out here as it is a very low population area.

This time wa a bit different, I saw and heard two helicopters, they appeared to be Blackhawks from the profile and silhouette making wide circles above my 4 acres and surrounding area, I watched for about 10 mins as they got closer and then something happened that kinda got my heart racing.

As the first helicopter came around almost directly overhead I could see port and starboard running lights (normal) , I could also see the 4th (didn't know it was 4th at the time) aircraft starting it's bank around, that's when I noticed that there were two (#2 and #3) other aircraft performing the same bank around overheard between the 1st and 4th aircraft, but these had no running lights

I know from experience the silhouette of the Blackhawks, but I have no idea what I was looking at for aircraft #2 and #3, the silhouette appeared to be different, even hard to make out.

The aircraft exited the area after that go round and flew off to the southeast and then southwest, that's it. no time to grab a camera and its such a usual occurrence that I normally don't even go out.

Any idea Zaphod?

Probably test flying some Special Operations helos. The two Blackhawks with lights were there as safety guards in case another aircraft go too close.

a reply to: deadbang

No idea, but it was a solid account and I'm sure someone will chime in with the (un)usual suspects

a reply to: deadbang

Possibly gunships on NVGs with Blackhawks playing escort for safety. The two blacked out were almost certainly doing NVG training. They usually fly with one or two with lights on that fly behind them to keep from blinding the ones on goggles as well as to let others flying in the area know where they are.

originally posted by: deadbang
I'm hoping that Zaphod58 will know more about the aircraft operating in my area.

Last night (5/23/16) at about 9pm, my wife and I heard very loud helicopter noise close to our land out in MIneral Wells Texas, this isn't unusual as often times we see and hear military aircraft in the area, helicopters as well as jets, I think they play out here as it is a very low population area.

This time wa a bit different, I saw and heard two helicopters, they appeared to be Blackhawks from the profile and silhouette making wide circles above my 4 acres and surrounding area, I watched for about 10 mins as they got closer and then something happened that kinda got my heart racing.

As the first helicopter came around almost directly overhead I could see port and starboard running lights (normal) , I could also see the 4th (didn't know it was 4th at the time) aircraft starting it's bank around, that's when I noticed that there were two (#2 and #3) other aircraft performing the same bank around overheard between the 1st and 4th aircraft, but these had no running lights

I know from experience the silhouette of the Blackhawks, but I have no idea what I was looking at for aircraft #2 and #3, the silhouette appeared to be different, even hard to make out.

The aircraft exited the area after that go round and flew off to the southeast and then southwest, that's it. no time to grab a camera and its such a usual occurrence that I normally don't even go out.

Any idea Zaphod?

----

I'll just chime in before Zaphod58 and ask what the
SIZE of the blacked out choppers were? Were they
smaller or larger than the Pave Lows?

If they were SMALLER I will suggest that there
WERE no windows at all and that they said helos
were POSSIBLY remotely operated helos that LIKELY
has wide-field-of-view nightvision systems on board.
Did you see a large cylindral bulge or a ball-like object
hanging underneath the front of the craft?

Was it's outline similar to these two?
Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout:
en.wikipedia.org...

and

Boeing A160 Hummingbird:
en.wikipedia.org...

It could also be similar to this craft:
Piasecki X49
en.wikipedia.org...

or

Sikorsky X2:
en.wikipedia.org...

and an oldie but goodie:

Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
en.wikipedia.org...


If the craft were LARGER than the Pave Lows (Blackhawk-style),
then it could be the newer Sikorsky King Stallion craft.

en.wikipedia.org...


----

Hope that helps!

a reply to: StargateSG7

None of those jump out at me (it was dark) but after seeing the Comanche I remember I did kinda hear the sound of a fenestron , I worked at Aerospatiale (Grand Prairie, TX) in the late 80s on the Coast Guard HH-65, that squeal is kinda hard to miss.

Other than that, it was really hard to make out the shape of the aircraft.

thanks for the info.

originally posted by: deadbang
a reply to: StargateSG7

None of those jump out at me (it was dark) but after seeing the Comanche I remember I did kinda hear the sound of a fenestron , I worked at Aerospatiale (Grand Prairie, TX) in the late 80s on the Coast Guard HH-65, that squeal is kinda hard to miss.

Other than that, it was really hard to make out the shape of the aircraft.

thanks for the info.

---

Hmmm...based on the sound, could you be thinking
a NOTAR craft (No Tail Rotor) like below?

MD Helicopters MD 600N:
en.wikipedia.org...


Sounds like something interesting is in the helo pipeline!
If you heard a squeal, then it could even be jet assisted!

Cue Darpa Lightning-Strike:

www.aurora.aero...

See video:
www.youtube.com...


AND FINALLY:

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) VTOL Simulation

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: StargateSG7

For a bit more on the exotic side I like THIS ONE:

A/C 604 Dragon VTOL:
www.youtube.com...

and they REALLY should be
SCALING THIS BABY UPWARDS TO FULL SIZE:

www.youtube.com...

They moved a buncha apcs and tanks through the rails recently in Uvalde TX. I posted a fb video in another thread about it. Does the train go through mineral wells? I know it forks outside of El Paso, one line comes South and through Uvalde and San Antonio. The other goes East through Dallas. If the train goes through mineral wells then perhaps there was just some precious cargo coming through that needed an escort. Just a thought.

And Hello fellow Texan! I live in a low populated area of South Texas, there's always something going on overhead around here too. I hear jets overhead at least 2-3 times a day. Helicopters more often in the past couple years than before. Once recently a jet literally shook my house with a low fly by. Scared the crap out of everyone! Lol

a reply to: deadbang

This is tactical formation flight training. Multiship.

Did a ton of these.

Afterward flight ops would get phone calls.

originally posted by: JIMC5499
Probably test flying some Special Operations helos. The two Blackhawks with lights were there as safety guards in case another aircraft go too close.

COULD be, but the Ft Worth area isn't a hotbed for 160th.

a reply to: Bedlam


It is a hotbed for air traffic though. Gov/Commercial aircraft overhead all the time. You can look up all night in FW. Honestly, these types of things aren't rare. Even in areas like Myrtle Beach, SC there are constant overflights of choppers with no lights on, A-10s, constant C-17s, etc. And the AF base is supposed to of closed two decades ago. With how much they stop and go here they should of left it open.


OP shame you didn't get a picture. Sounds like you had some time to observe all this. No picture/video/sound?

originally posted by: Caughtlurking
a reply to: Bedlam
It is a hotbed for air traffic though. Gov/Commercial aircraft overhead all the time.

Oh, I don't doubt that it happened, I just don't think it was SF doing night training.

The UK just announced a "partnership" with the US on a future medium lift helo but we are talking 2030 and it was pointed out the US would field something newer which was either the sikorski or the other one that has been posted on here (sorry I have sh1t for brains) before that future requirement.

I wonder how many of the Usama choppers there are, you know what I love and hate about this forum and military tech, its so damn exciting that it is the forefront of technology but so secret you may not ever hear about it in your life.

I think I relayed this story before but a mate of mine was a painter and was workin at our factory, he told me of these secret tunnels and technology that was being worked on.

I said mate, I work there, I buy the parts that we are rapid prototyping, I work in commercial, there is no way they could build an aircraft in secret. 2 years later Replica was announced to the amazement of everyone I knew at the company. I was like...how can that happen.

A year or so after that I was working on Typhoon and I was asked to divert parts to use for Taranis. My best mate who I used to go fishing with for weeks at a time was on the project and would not tell me anything. IM like mate, Im buying the bloody parts for it....cant talk about it, sorry!

Its a great industry!

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: Caughtlurking
a reply to: Bedlam
It is a hotbed for air traffic though. Gov/Commercial aircraft overhead all the time.

Oh, I don't doubt that it happened, I just don't think it was SF doing night training.

===

These babies in larger form might also be one of the ones
that was seen. I know they're not manned choppers but the
general planform and whining sound might cause them to be
mistaken for larger systems under the right conditions:

Desert Hawk:
www.lockheedmartin.ca...

Indago UAS:
www.lockheedmartin.com...

I would defer to Zaphod58 and Bedlam on their opinions of that though.... ;-) :-)

Is it anyone of these?

the-trumpet-online.com...

or

theaviationist.com...

Happened again last night, this time it was only two helicopters, both Blackhawks. First helo was normally lit for night operations, the following aircraft was blacked out. I'm now inclined to agree with Zaphod this is night ops training.

Still though, when its directly above you its pretty cool and gets the pulse racing.