Funny how the mind works, I was going from job to job tonight ( I own a Janitorial Business) between jobs I stopped at the video store, upon returning to my truck I was shocked to see an Apache hovering overhead, now don't judge me, but the first thing that came to mind was to grab the binoculars to see if it was armed (which it wasn't)at least as far as I could tell, I don't think there is a way to tell if the chain gun is loaded or not at least not from the distance it was hovering at (aprox 500-1000 feet) then the mind went into overdrive, thinking, why is this guy up there, did he just get his permit and not know what to do next, did he take it for a test drive and want to show it to his DW before he bought it, maybe an ex postal worker. I don't know, all I know was I was thinking what am I going to do if things go south, I mean you never know right? Terrorists,police state,martial law etc. Thankfully he only hovered over the city for about 20 min then left.

I believe that we will be seeing more, stranger, sights soon.

Is it unusual to see military helicopters hovering above towns or cities?

Over my city it is and esp that low. Not that I thought that it was unusual just how the mind works sometimes. I wouldn't have been as surprised if it had been some sort of a transport helo.

Having hovered more than once in a military chopper, for one very important reason, I've gotta wonder, was there a "nudist" camp nearby? I have quite a few bootleg hours hovering, so that the pilot could get his look too...

Generally, yes, especially gunships, unless you are next to a military base. Big difference I suppose between the US and most of Europe- we've got space.

Don't worry Shadow- I spent several years living about three miles off the runway that had B-52s launching from it. I learned probably a little too young what the implications of white missiles are- I can't see a military aircraft without checking the pylons for that reason.

As for what he was doing... Check flight, probably.

Reminds me of the day of the US raid on Lybia

I was watching TV with Dad, and they were reporting from the UK on how the US was doing a show of force with their F-111s

I was watching the ordinance guys loading the F-111s in the background, and the takeoff footage, and I turned to Dad and said "show of force? Bull - those are LIVE GBUs - notice they aren't BLUE. We're bombing Lybia tonight, probably as we speak" - 30 minutes later, the President came on TV and announced the raid..

That was my first thought too.

Checking out ex-girlfriend/boyfriend's house, nude sunbathing, honeys "hanging out" at the apartment swimming pool/hot tub, scaring the hell outta some who tailgated him on the way to work... (the possiblities are endless).

Oh the fun one can have with military hardware.

Martial law? the US armed forces can't successfully occupy a country of 23 million Iraqis. How are they going to keep 300 million americans in line? This stuff about a 'new order' is fantasy.
simon

A conspiracy theorist would argue that the terrorists in Iraq are receiving help from other hostile countries in the region, while there would be no such help forthcoming for American freedom fighters, thus making it much easier for the government to seize control.

I personally agree that it's all a bit far-fetched, to put it kindly.

The Nudist Camp comment reminded me of " Blue Thunder" But then Downtown Meadville doesn't have any Nudist Camps that I'm aware of, maybe closet ones.....LOL
Check flight I dunno, their aren't any bases around here that have Apache's. Probably never know.

We had a B2 fly over our house one day on its way to opening day in Foxboro. It did several passes around the area. My girlfriend, having never seen one, started flipping out. She thought we were being invaded by aliens. Took me a while to get her calmed down, I actually had to show her a picture of one to prove what it was.

I live a block and one-half (for over 30 years) from the front gate of Ft. Detrick, the helio-pad is another 50 yards from the gate, USAMRIID (think of the movie “Hot Zone”) is another 50 yards past the helio-pad, the Maryland State Police-Medivac uses the area for it’s flight path to the trauma center to our west and we are close to the flight path for Camp David, so we hear and feel helicopters all the time.

While not super common, we have military vehicles travel down our street heading to the front gate. If the windows are open, we hear Revelry, Retreat and Taps every day and night.

My family and I view these events and sounds with a sense of pride and the feeling of protection and comfort. We have know the risks of living so close to the potential source of a major Haz-Mat incident, a terrorist attack, aircraft accident, etc. and what bothers us the most is the increase in traffic, uncontrolled growth, increased taxes and local crime.

Pete

Here's the Story


Published October 25, 2007 11:06 pm - Anyone in Meadville who wanted to know what the U.S. Army’s primary attack helicopter looks like from an attackee’s perspective only had to look skyward early Thursday night, as an AH-64 Apache made an unexpected visit and alarmed enough people that about 100 concerned calls were placed to local law enforcement.

Apache helicopter causes concern throughout Meadville



By Mary Spicer

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

Anyone in Meadville who wanted to know what the U.S. Army’s primary attack helicopter looks like from an attackee’s perspective only had to look skyward early Thursday night, as an AH-64 Apache made an unexpected visit and alarmed enough people that about 100 concerned calls were placed to local law enforcement.

Beginning around 6 p.m., the AH-64 Apache helicopter hovered over downtown for approximately an hour, checking out the area in preparation for a formal visit scheduled for Nov. 8.

At the invitation of Fred Cunningham of the Crawford County Office of Veterans Services, the Johnstown-based 1st Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment of the Army National Guard will be sending at least one AH-64 to Meadville for a fly-over kicking off the three-day “Through a Veteran’s Eye” salute Nov. 8 to 10 at the Community Center of Crawford County.

The next time an Apache is expected over Meadville is Nov. 8 at 8:45 a.m., Cunningham said Thursday night. “It took a little finagling, but I finally got one lined up. I’ve been working on it for months.”

What Cunningham didn’t know was that a practice run was scheduled for Thursday.

Neither did Meadville Police Department, where the phone literally rang off the hook for as long as the helicopter stayed in the sky. Pennsylvania State Police’s Meadville barracks was also deluged with calls.

According to City Police Dispatcher Terry Coleman, approximately 100 calls were received, many from parents who said they weren’t going to let their children go trick-or-treating with the giant helicopter hovering in the air. Shortly before 7 p.m., Detective Sgt. Craig Gump advised the Tribune that the chopper was “apparently part of a National Guard training mission out of Johnstown — probably some type of homeland-security-type training.”

Multiple phone calls of our own later, the Tribune was able to reach Chief Warrant Officer Steven Price in Johnstown, who revealed the rest of the story.

There are good reasons people responded to the mysterious appearance with concern. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the twin-engine, four-bladed, multi-mission Apache attack helicopter was designed to serve as a highly-stable aerial weapons-delivery platform. Designed to fight during the day, at night and in whatever adverse weather conditions the world can throw at it, the Apache’s principal mission, according to the federation, is the destruction of high-value targets with the deadly Hellfire missile. Each Apache can carry up to 16 Hellfires, each with a range of more than 8,000 meters. The Hellfire is used primarily for the destruction of hard material targets such as tanks and armored vehicles.

I know what you mean. Same thing happened in Manchester, England in 1952. Apparently there was quite a panic by the residents.

I don't know Norad.

The French helped us out when we rebelled against the British.

They might be willing to forget that whole unpleasant Freedom Fries thing and jump into the fray just to tick us off (how's that for circular logic?).

Just in case anyone from the Justice Dept, Homeland Security, FBI, CIA, IRS, Future Homemakers of America, etc are snooping around here, NO I AM NOT ADVOCATING REBELLION. (at least not until after the current season of Heros is completed...)

Freedom Fries ?? ... no problemo ... allready forgotten...

But banning "foie gras" ? now, that's a completely different story

You had a B2 fly over Manchester in 1952! Wow!!!

Oh, I hope who ever wrote that last paragraph get's their fingers slammed in the drawer. That was tantamount to accusing the NG to reckless endangerment.

Personally, I've always liked the things- they look like big dragonflies.

Wow, I'm so glad I date geek girls. The only reason they get hyper is becuase they want to take things like that apart, or figure out the secret to the paint, or fly it...

It was the first flight of the prototype.

I guess that makes the V-2 the prototype for the Saturn V. And the Sopwith Camel was the prototype for the F-22....

Hi Norad45

I'm not talking about the American B2 (the one thats made out of MDF, with parts cobbled from civilian jets) but this one,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlKMY6nVVyI
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/vulcan/history.html

Ah, I see the old "bentirran" is back. No matter what Americans achieve, there's always some obscure Scotsman somewhere who did it first and better. Your posts bring to mind the immortal words of General Chang: "Shakespeare is best when heard in the original Klingon."

They'll get my foie gras when they pry it from my cold, dead hands!

Again I say funny how the mind works, this topic started out about an apache flying over a American city, and how it brought to mind survival instincts and now its about MDF board B52's back in 1952. Seems all the topics end up off topic in one way or the other, guess its just human nature.

Truly an amusing thread. Ya'll are worried when you see a military helicopter overhead? Wow, I find it comforting - sound of freedom and all that. But then I am a former Naval Aviator and I know the kind of guys who fly Apaches. I kind of see it as being afraid of a very loyal Saint Bernard - you know, the dog who will let your kids ride him like a horse and would literally die to protect them. Instead of getting worried next time, look them up after they land and buy them a beer.

I wasn't worried so to speak, more of surprise (never saw an attack copter over our city)wasn't scared(more like concerned what if) I have seen plenty of copters fly over, even Apache's but never hover for an hour over a city. I wasn't alone in being concerned, if the full story is read from the paper I posted everyone will see that even parents were not going to let their children go out for trick or treat. With the way things are going from bad to worse now days, one never knows whats going to happen, with the mind set of being prepared and knowing how governments do as they please I couldn't help but wonder "what if" you can't tell me when other people see or hear something out of the ordinary that their mind doesn't shift to the survival mode so to speak or the cautious mode, concerned etc. Also if the article is read you will see that local officials were not even informed, and talking to some of them in the past few days I learned they too were concerned and wondered what if.

Why would local officials need to be "informed?" There are essentally no FAA restrictions on helicopter flights over populated areas. I have flown for "hours" over cities -- hovered even -- as both a military and a civilian helicopter pilot as part of various missions. In 20 years of being a helicopter pilot, I have never - not once - informed any local official of anything. And as most helicopter flights are under Visual Flight Rules, I almost never informed even the FAA.

Again, I am amused at the idea that "things are going from bad to worse" and that our servicemen and their equipment are objects of fear. More like ignorance - on your part and on that of your "local officials." Like I said, see if you can find the guys who were flying and have a beer with them. I think it will ease your mind. To quote Tolkien, "Little do they know of our long labour for the safekeeping of their borders, and yet I grudge it not."

There are B2's, and then there are B.2's...

Did I say they had to be informed all I said was they were not and that they the officials were alarmed as well curious whatever you want to call it you all are making this out to be more than it was intended to be, is was supposed to be the way a mind thinks in certain situations nothing more nothing less its not about military helos flying over any damn city I used that as an example because it happened that night it could just as well been a freekin brown paper bag left at a mall and you guys would have blown it out of context.........geezzzzzz seee if I ever post on here again.

You know I want to say a lot more in response but I'm going to bite my tongue, I'm sure you'll take offense to this and twist it around but I really don't care at this point, its not worth my time.

How come this got appended to my last comment? Mellow out dude...

Nothing to do with you oldbaldguy, asfried made the comment that broke the camels back so to speak and I will mellow when I'm ready, just upsets me when people blow things out of context, and I have every right to respond.

If its not appended or whatever thats my bad I just replied to a comment made sorry about the order it was received in.

Meh, don’t stress about it, Shadow. Seeing an AH-64 Apache gunship hovering over a metro area would certainly get my attention, and would certainly get most people’s attention. It would be a “Hell, yeah! Where’s the airshow?” moment for sure. In fact, the only thing more intriguing I can think of would be a saucer shaped silver disc hovering over a city. Now that would get some attention!

I understand the concern you felt. Every time I drive to the office on the Palisade Interstate Parkway and I see the little black NEST helos flying down the Hudson or circling Manhattan, I let my wife know by cell phone, turn on the radio to the news channel and mentally check my emergency supplies/plans. Must be a hangover from 9/11.

Them Apaches were better'n a security blanket at night in Baghdad. When they were up flying, no one was trying to shoot rockets or mortars at us. Nothing sounded sweeter after a mortar barrage than the sound of an Apache Gat or a hellfire ripping through the sky; if they were shooting, bad guys were definitely dying.

There's a reason why we always referred to a fully loaded Apache as BAMF, I'll let you decipher the Acronym. The Cobras were also nice, and you could tell when they were on patrol cuz they sound like a real chopper, just like a big Harley idling down the street. Never did get to hear them fire anything off, but we always called them "MR. Death". It got to where I couldn't fall asleep at night if it was quiet. You knew sooner or later something would start falling from the sky. Helos on patrol was much better, even if the big Chinooks did bounce you outta your bunk on approach.

Oh yeah, and if we ever had civil issues with our government, you can be darned sure there'd be foreigners coming out of the woodwork in droves to render us aid. You think they got a border control problem now, if we were ever forced to revolt against our own government, the insurgency in Iraq would look like a game of Red Rover on the playground comparatively.

It ain't what people have in their gun safes that might keep them politicos from exercising martial law on us, it's what's buried deep out in the middle of wheat fields and BLM wasteland that will put a sting in any "civil disobedience" effort. I seen enough of what is in some of them crates to know our govt would have to go to using Nukes pretty quick if they expected to stay in office for long after sicking the dogs on us.

Ewww!!!!

Granted the goverment woudn't be able to do it without help but you know those guys at the UN in thier baby glue hats would help them out. You know that a goverment of the people by the people and for the people, is a bit scary for them and goes against everything they stand for.