I was home this weekend on easter break, and I was hanging out at my friends house sitting in the drive and all of the sudden there were two blackhawk helicopters maybe a few hundred yards overhead. Just curious why these helos would be flying directly over residential areas. This wasnt over the city, but in the outskirts, which is still heavily populated and has lots of businesses and hte such. So why would they be flying over a suburban area like that? Anyone got a clue?

Depends on where bases are in the area. They also could have been ANG untis as well. In the SF Bay Area we see them often as they are operating out of Moffet and they are from time to time the HH-60G variant aka the PAVE HAWK belonging to the 129th Rescue Group

Thanks, but I'm not aware of any military installations in the immediate vicinity of Charlotte, Ive been there all of my life. Never once seen one. I mean we have medical and news helicopters around all the time, as well as police ones, but never a military one. Here at my school, seeing an AH-1 isnt uncommon at all, as they are constantly running maneuvers over our campus. But never in Charlotte.

If I remember correctly from looking at the NC aeronautical chart there is an MOA around charlotte, MOAs are millitary operations areas, in which military aircraft, including helos train, this is more than likely what was happening, but not certain though.

I live in the Charlotte area and have seen Blackhawks on many occasions in the area.

I've seen them flying in groups of three. Normally toward the Charlotte-Douglas airport where there is a Nation Guard base. If I had to guess, I say they are on training missions and sometimes stop at CLT for fuel.

I live north of Charlotte up by the McQuire Nuclear Power plant. And have seen them flying in that area out over Lake Norman. I even saw a V22 Osprey flying in the area last year. It flew directly over my house at what looked like 500 ft AGL.

Originally posted by ludaChris
Thanks, but I'm not aware of any military installations in the immediate vicinity of Charlotte, Ive been there all of my life. Never once seen one. I mean we have medical and news helicopters around all the time, as well as police ones, but never a military one. Here at my school, seeing an AH-1 isnt uncommon at all, as they are constantly running maneuvers over our campus. But never in Charlotte.

your kidding right? lived there all your life and never noticed the air national guard base that shares charlotte international? never noticed all the military bases within 100 miles of charlotte? pope afb? the 82nd airborne division at fort bragg? do a little research for crying out loud.

Originally posted by snafu7700
your kidding right? lived there all your life and never noticed the air national guard base that shares charlotte international? never noticed all the military bases within 100 miles of charlotte? pope afb? the 82nd airborne division at fort bragg? do a little research for crying out loud.

Pope AFB is in Eastern NC and is 137 Miles east of Charlotte. So is Seymour Johnson AFB and is 219 Miles East of Charlotte. Fort Brag is in the same area as Pope AFB. This is all according to map quest, not exact but its a good ballpark number. Dont act like I know nothing of my own state. Camp Lejune is on the Coast of NC, which is around 250 miles from Charlotte down Hwy. 74. I didnt know about the NG at Douglas Intl. because Ive only flown out of that airport once and neve saw any military there. But I guess that would be the best explanation. No reason to get snippy about it. MCAS Cherry point is almost 300 miles from Charlotte so thats ruled out. But thanks for the info. This matter is closed I guess.

kinda reminds me of when I was a kid and saw a crapload of uh-60's and ch-47's flying over my school. they weren't particularly low or anything just posting to get my points out of the negatives

Originally posted by nb25
exactly. thank you. I live 60 miles away from Charlotte, yet this guy claims to have never heard of any military bases in the area....Fort Bragg & Pope AFB, Camp Lejune??? Never heard of them LudaChris??

I guess you negelected to read my previous posts, but I guess YOUVE failed to notice the fact that I have acknowledeged each of the bases you have mentioned in previous posts(and the fact that they all are at least 130 miles from Charlotte). So maybe you want to retract your previous statement and not TRY to insult me. I said I didnt know about hte NG base at Charlotte Douglas International. I was completely unaware of it. So stop tyring to belittle my knowledge of my own city and maybe you could answer my questions in a bit of a more polite way?

I've only ever seen the C-130's at CLT (145th AW I think), never any Helos.
However, I have heard plenty of low flying helicopters in the area, heavies too, not the usual Jetrangers of local police or news outfits. It's difficult to see anything though as there are too many trees where I usually stay in Matthews.

yes, there are no helos at the ANG base in Charlotte, only 130's. Im pretty sure this is helo training though, I know there is an MOA airspace near charlotte.

A NCNG unit was flying that weekend. They commonly fly low and do false insertions, which is where they let the aircraft get 15-20 feet above the ground, as practice for air assault insertions.

Maybe they were simply on some sort of maneuvers with a local National Guard Unit. Then again Ft. Bragg is only about 100 miles east-northeast of Charlotte so they could have just been doing some training exercise.

If you want to see some eerie stuff, come over to the Florida panhandle. I live in Pensacola, FL where we have the Pensacola Naval Air Station, N.A.S Whiting Field, Eglin AFB, and Tyndall AFB all within a 100 mile radius.

N.A.S Pensacola and N.A.S Whiting Field is where all primary training takes place for naval aviators.

Eglin AFB is one of the largest air force bases in the world where weapon development and evaluation occur (the MOAB bomb and deep penetrators being some of the most recent) and home to all of the AC-130 Spectre Gunships as well as other special operations groups.

Tyndall AFB is home to one of the first operational F-22 Raptor wings and also conducts Air-to-Air combat training using small drones as well as QF-4 Phantom drones over the Gulf of Mexico.

It is not uncommon around here to see PaveHawk, PaveLow, and AC-130 gunships performing nightime maneuvers in our area including practice targeting maneuvers of AC-130's high above the city of Pensacola at night.

I actually sleep well at night knowing these guys are in close proximity short of the threat of nuclear war in which these are sure to be primary targets.

W.E.S.B.