Low-flying helicopters. Black and unmarked

I live around Champaign, IL and yesterday around 5pm I was on the patio with the family when 4 black unmarked Hueys flew overhead.
Today around 2pm we saw a pair of black unmarked Chinooks fly over our house.

I've noticed an increase in black unmarked helicopters in the past year. And seeing six in two days that were flying so low definitely grabbed my attention. Has anyone noticed an increase in their areas?

I am not trying to derail, but I have a question for military aviators. Is it a requirement to have tail numbers displayed? Does the military require a branch insignia to be prominently emblazoned across the tail and wings?

I don't understand the connection between "unmarked aircraft" and "conspiracy". Special forces likely use black helis with no markings for obvious reasons. I don't see the conspiracy, honestly.

a reply to: Pajamathief

Knowing that area fairly well from having grown up there, I'm amazed that you saw those 'coptes, especially two different types within a couple of days. There is no army base for a sizeable distance around your location. I'll be in Danville next week and will make inquiries of my country folk.

I currently live about four miles from a NG base that has 'copters coming and going. Honestly, you will never see any markings on that very dark paint as they fly around. You basically need to be standing next to one to see 'em.

a reply to: Pajamathief

I saw an Apache the other day, but that's pretty standard to below standard for North Carolina.

a reply to: Pajamathief

I'm in East Peoria Hellinios and I've seen them a bunch the last few months.

Guys on the radio(Robbins and Markley) were freaking out over it about a month ago.

a reply to: ScientiaFortisDefendit

They're painted a green that appears black from a distance. And to answer your question, yes, they're required to have the numbers displayed on the aircraft, but there is no requirement that they be large and visible from a distance. They're on there, but they're painted in low visibility, 3-6" high numbers. For a long time they had the numbers and the service name painted in higher visibility lettering, until someone decided all they were doing was giving people an aiming point.

CH-47 Chinook

Look really really closely

Huey looking black

I've had those guys circling directly over my house, sometimes so low the windows were rattling.
I took some video.
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...

a reply to: Pajamathief

Military helicopters are all black, Chinooks, Apaches, and the black-hawk. They have been painted and have no markings. The guard is quite active this time of year so no increase, just normal training.

a reply to: DJMSN

Uhm, no. They're all painted green and yes, they all have markings on them. But they're painted so you can't see them unless you're standing right next to the helicopter.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Some are painted Olive drab green, but in night operations like in Afghanistan they are painted black, never saw a green one in Afghanistan and many are now returning to the states. Some even have a radar absorbent coating on them which is also black. I have seen a few painted a darker green than the standard olive green but most are black. And no markings either, they might have a tail number not visible but as far as insgnia and such...nope...sorry bout it

a reply to: DJMSN

Black is actually a bad color to paint them for night ops. They actually stand out more being black, than being a lighter color. It's one reason for the B-2 being a dark grey instead of the black they used to be. The dark green is actually a good color for night ops, because even in daylight it's very dark.

They all have US Army (or their service) on them somewhere, as well as tail numbers. That's a requirement of the military. They've gotten away from insignias in the last 20 years or so. Now they only have US Army, or US Air Force (at least on the helicopters).

I had one fly low directly over my car on a major highway (SE USA). This was a few weeks ago. It was black. No markings. I don't know enough about helicopters to name the type. It is the first one I've seen and to be honest, until this happened I wondered if they were real or just a myth. Apparently, they are real.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Its a very flat black color... but it is black and I believe it is mostly the radar coating as I have sent many Blackhawks for reset and it includes a paint scheme. Grey is the dominant color for Chinooks I saw but a few black ones as well. As for insignia, been on more than one that did not have any tail markings and certainly no army insignia...but war zone is different. Even medevac helicopters have a very low profile nowadays, no redcross insignia on the bottom and a much smaller one on the sides, even talk of doing away with that since it means nothing to those on the ground shooting at them.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Helicopters are. Black military helicopters, not so much. Oh there are a few, but not very many. By far most of the "black" ones that are seen, are just the green used, by almost all the helicopters in service. From more than about 400 feet or so, it starts to look black, because of the coloring, and the light hitting it.

a reply to: DJMSN

Back in the 80s they went to low vis markings on all military aircraft, except medevacs, because they said that they were too easily seen from a distance (which in most cases was utter BS, but someone at the Pentagon had to make their mark so they could make General).

Grey is the best color to use for them, because it blends in both night and day flights. The AF was looking at going to a grey F-117 paint scheme at one point, but they retired them before they changed over. It was thought for a long time that black was best at night, but it turns out that it's one of the worst, because the night sky isn't truly black, so it tends to stand out under certain conditions.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: DJMSN

It was thought for a long time that black was best at night, but it turns out that it's one of the worst, because the night sky isn't truly black, so it tends to stand out under certain conditions.

Pretty sure I noticed this first hand. The craft was darker than the night sky because the area I was in wasn't lit up with surface lighting. The stars made the night sky look gray. The craft was black. I saw it from far away.

a reply to: KnightLight

That's exactly what I mean. It's kind of amazing to realize that black is a horrible color for night flying, because it seems to make sense that it would be good for it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

any kind of grayish dusk moonlit night it would stick out like a soar thumb i bet.

i live pretty well under the final approach on what i can only assume is the busyiest GD runway on the whole planet (Especially when the kid is sleeping) so i see a ton of helicopters go by, the Michigan state police goes by often as well as all kinds of other colorful private helicopters BUT the other day 2 chinooks went over banking HARD north and moving hard. they were SO LOUD it blew my mind. i ran down stairs and outside to see if some schmuck messed up his approach and was working on giving me some free shingle removal but was pleasantly surprised to see the 2 chinooks.

now heres the point of this ramble. while they were pretty well above me making the bank north they were very very loud and visible but as soon as they got just a slight angle on me they blended in well and the sound died out big time. i was able to watch them for a lot longer then i could clearly hear them. what exactly causes the sound to die out so much? I'm assuming it has to do with the way the rotors deflect the energy but is there some gadget in these things that help them? cause it was a little off putting. like the hair on the back of my neck stood up cause they went from being so Effin loud to a whisper very quickly. it wasn't a normal trailing off of the sound.

second question: anyway these guys were in flint at bishop airport for whatever reason or would they buzz by on some "Highway in the sky"? like following a flight corridor or whatever there called? i just thought it was odd to see 2 chinooks so low over flint. heading north is normal but they seemed to be banking hard from a westward heading. that would of put them right on the approach/takeoff at bishop. seems to me like they wouldnt wanna interfere with the airspace? or maybe they just keyholed it just right and got throughout between takeoff and landings? idk seemed really odd to me.

any insight?

a reply to: mindseye1609

It's the Doppler Effect. Once they get in an area where the rotors are pointing away from you somewhat, and there are buildings and trees around, the sound tends to get blocked, and distorted. I see that a lot with planes going overhead too. The plane will be a few miles ahead of where I'm hearing the sound, so I'm looking one way and it's already past where I'm looking.

Sometimes they have to visit with the FAA, and other agencies at the airport, so they'll fly in to do their meeting, or whatever. They usually try to get in where they have the least impact on airport operations, but they usually have to cross the runways, so the tower tries to squeeze them through arrivals and departures to let them cross over.

If they stay below a certain altitude, then they keep out of the way of other traffic, and it's easier for the controllers to deal with them on the way in.

a reply to: Zaphod58

bishop would probably make for a good airport to "Add" plans to last minute or meetings or whatever you have it without interrupting too much. while its pretty busy its not like a major airport or anything. thnx for the info. always the minute details that come with experience with you