Black Unmarked UH-1's etc

I figured if anyone would have any insight into the subject, it would be here. Over the past year, I have noticed a steady increase in air traffic in my area (Southern California, OC) at first I dismissed it as a new commercial route until I noticed these things where helicopters flying in either a line formation or sometimes 2x2. So I naturally thought maybe it was police training, but it went on for months and these guys tend to only have red lights on. Then I thought maybe it was fire watch, but the southern California burns to the ground without any warning and all on the local news you hear the fire authorities rant and raving about "federal helicopters" that could have been used to help put the fire out before it destroyed a lot of homes etc, but they where not allowed to leave the tarmac. The activity has increased, it used to be only at night and only once in awhile during the day, but now they can be seen during the day more often, and an even greater presence at night.

It was during the day one of these, then very rare day "patrols", that I clearly saw one of these helicopters flying about a mile from my house with my binoculars. It was then I realized these where in fact the fabled "black Huey's" with no markings on them. Since then I have seen these things patrol over the city pretty much every night along with quiet a few other "odd" appearances by other military craft including an unmarked cobra and black Blackhawk helicopters after a distinct "boom" heard by a good handful of us. I have been in this location all my life and have already become quiet acclimated to seeing normal military and commercial aircraft movements from the various bases surrounding the area, and these things seem to have a particular agenda going on different from the conventional use.

Anyone heard anything through the "grape vine" as to what could be going on in Socal? I have quiet a few different theories as to "why" a group would be doing this, ranging from the damn war on terror, or mercenary training, to our little extraterrestrial buddies but that's all they are, theories. Or maybe some one else in the air might have seen these guys flying around too...

Just thought I'd share what's going on in these parts.

I also forgot to mention that a lot of us have seen these guys running "silent" too. I didn't realize how well it actually works.

[edit on 22-1-2008 by Shakesbeer]

Actually, is there anyone who could maybe help me with identification of airplanes and helicopters? There seems to be a lot of single prop planes as well as helicopters. Most of these things are very much your standard aircraft anyone can buy technically(IE commercial Bell cosmetics). However they are definitely coordinated in terms of patrols, unmarked as far as I've been able to tell so far, and seem to have law enforcement like under carriage attachments.

I'm not a paranoid guy, so I'm honestly not assuming anything. But it would be nice to know what these people are doing literally right over my house at times....even if it's simply some rich a-holes polluting the air with their joy riding, I want to know.

[edit on 26-1-2008 by Shakesbeer]

Jane's Defense is always a good place to start.

Here is a link to a book from Jane's Aircraft recognition guide 2nd addition.

Jane's aircraft recognition

Also if you dig around on some of the search engines, there are plenty of websites that have tons of photos.

I've had some black heilo formations fly over me recently. The good thing is you hear and feel them coming a long ways off.

Here is a neat site:
guncoppters.com

If you have a camera phone take some shots of them, and go to the above link to compare.

Good Hunting.

[edit on 26-1-2008 by seawolf197]

That's a lot for the info, and replying so fast.

What about surveillance gear for helicopters? I haven't had much time to research it, but a quick google search got me no where really.

Still hunting the black guys as they have become more rare, but other military type aircraft have been around and I have not seen any markings on them either. Here are two examples, I have more but have to review them still:
Jan 28th 08

Feb 5th 08


[edit on 6-2-2008 by Shakesbeer]

It's a CH-46 and an SH/MH-60. Both shipborne. The SH/MH-60s fly off destroyer and cruiser sized ships as well as carriers and assault carriers. The CH-46s fly off larger ships, mostly assault carriers. The Seahawk is used for antisubmarine warfare, protecting ships and battlegroups.

You won't see any markings on them because they're painted low observable colors. And the "black" helicopters are usually dark green, that looks black from a distance, with black markings on them.

Here are some examples:

CH-47 (basically the same as the CH-46) look very closely on the side and you'll see the US Army markings, and on the tail to see the tailnumber.



CH-46 taken from up close to show how hard it is to see markings even close.



SH/MH-60:



"Black" UH-60:







[edit on 2/6/2008 by Zaphod58]

okay, so why would they be buzzing around neighborhoods?

oh stuff like this has been happening too apparently:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 6-2-2008 by Shakesbeer]

Because they are flying between ships and bases, and they have to go over SOMEWHERE to get there. Military pilots even fly into airports to visit the FAA and do training. There are a very large number of aircraft carriers and assault carriers that are based in San Diego, and there are multiple military bases in the region as well. When carriers are in port they don't leave the aircraft on board. They fly them to land bases where they can fly and continue to train while the ship is in port. The USS Nimitz recently went back out for qualifications with a battlegroup heading to the Western Pacific, and IIRC there is another battlegroup working up off California as well.

why would they circle specific areas for a time and hover? regularly...

[edit on 6-2-2008 by Shakesbeer]

Training, or they were helping to look for something. We used to have RF-4Cs and ER-2s come to Hawaii and fly missions over the islands looking for Marijuana in remote areas. Or maybe they saw something and were checking it out.

There are also privately owned UH-1s flying around that could be painted black. We had a few on Kauai that regularly flew with the DEA on all islands.

[edit on 2/6/2008 by Zaphod58]

so either way, would you say there appears to be a lot of quasi-military action going on around here?

No, I would say that it's early in the Fiscal year, so all the units have the budget to be flying again, so they're flying a lot more. It goes in cycles. Late in the year they horde the money they have left, and fly less. Early in the year they fly a LOT because they have to make up for not flying as much a few months before at the end of the year. We always knew when the Fiscal year restarted because we'd get almost nothing into the base, then suddenly we were having two exercises a month with other units.

Not sure if you noticed in the first post, but this has been going on for more then a year, steadily increasing(or maybe I didn't mention that).

[edit on 6-2-2008 by Shakesbeer]

I also live in California and over the last two years I've been noticing a steady increase in helicopters over the areas... And not necessarily in the beginning of the year but throughout the whole year:

These are just a few from the middle of 2007.
img.photobucket.com...
img.photobucket.com...
img.photobucket.com...
img.photobucket.com...


I mean there could be a reasonable explanation for the increase but we're just pointing out that there is a increase in military helicopter activity and we have no answers as of yet. And with this mass UFO sighting it raises another twist to the story.

Don't read too much into the helo activity in San Diego area and in Imperial county. Guess what, there is two big helo bases in the county, there is only a few areas in which they train. The pilots and aircrew need to fly to maintain a certain level of currency. It would be kind of hard to do all of the training at a military base only.

reply to post by metal92

We're fairly far from SD here and when we do see the routine troop movements etc, they're marked.

Which brings me to a new point: Zaphod got me thinking a bit, so I figured we would play a new game called "Find the markings" Below are some pictures I have taken over the past 5 days. Some I am able to get very close shots of, enough to be able to read markings (As I have photographed the CHP & Sheriff already and can post as well). I also can post original raw images as well if anyone is interested:

CH46's:









Blackhawk:



And does anyone know what kind of antenna or sensor this might be on the bottom of this guy?


I'm not making any assumptions here, just curious. I'm trying to get them from all sides too as I don't know if markings tend to be on the opposite side of what is in these photographs, or if they are on both etc.

The only people that use Chinooks and Seahawks are the military. You can tell those are Seahawks by the placement of the wheel under the fuselage. The Blackhawk has the tiny little tail wheel all the way back under the tail rotor. The Seahawk has a much bigger wheel and it's on the end of a shock absorber mounted under the the back of the fuselage. That's to save space.

The last picture, I can't tell you what the antenna is for, but it's a Hughes 500. Those are used by a very large number of people, civilian and military. The military uses them as the MH-6 Little Bird special operations gunship. Some of them have rounded noses, others have noses like in your picture.

reply to post by Zaphod58


thanks Zaphod. The Chinooks do look like they could be Marine so I'm trying to see if I can get it from more sides to confirm that.

There has been a lot of the Hugh 500's flying around too, some with those sensor/antenna thingies, some without, and other with different "ray gun" looking ones(still trying to catch one of those too). But you do see those Hugh 500s(As well as another type of commercial-type heli with the same patterns/characteristics) in tandem with the 46's often too, doing sort of intersecting circles. The other commercial-type guys like to hang around in the neighborhoods longer then the blackhawks, cobras, and chinooks do though.

The military also used the OH/AH-58 as well, which is based on the Jet Ranger helicopter. They used them for observation and light attack craft.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Haven't seen anything like that yet. The Cobras that swing around these parts from time to time look relatively stripped down too(usually grey or black).