Yet another new Ghost Squadron chopper?

This chopper doing pilot rescue training at Nellis.
www.flickr.com...

It is similar to the new chopper that buzzed me at the Tikaboo staging area.
www.lazygranch.com...

Since I was at the staging area, all I could see was the chopper go over the hill. I really don't know if it went to Groom or not. [What we need are more visitors to the range!] The one I saw in November at Bald Mountain definitely came from the base, but I didn't get the tail number. It lacked the refueling boom, just like the choppers in these photos.

Why would you call it a Ghost Squadron chopper? I presume you mean the 160th SOAR, or is it another covert unit? That chopper looks about as stealthy as a Huey wrapped in aluminum foil though. All the right angles and nothing on the outside is clean from gizmos and protrusions?

I'm interested and neat picture. I'm just not familiar with what your're suggesting it is?

That's a UH-60... also commonly known as a Black Hawk. Nothing special about em... My roommate works on em at Simmon's Army Airfield (next door to Ft. Bragg) & I've jumped outta a few of em. I don't understand what you're suggesting is special about the pics you posted.

reply to post by gariac


Have you seen the photos of the downed seal team six chopper tail?

I was expecting something more along the lines of....

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


The Ghost Squadron patrols Groom Lake. They do security patrols and presumably SAR.

The Ghost Squadron choppers weren't very active in the last few years in regards to security until the new one showed up. I suspect they were watching the hours on the existing airframes and biding their time until new helicopters could be acquired.

90-26222

90-26223 and 90-26352

On Google Earth, the Groom Lake "Jolly pad" is around
37°14'49.52"N 115°48'44.11"W

reply to post by closerseemsfurther


But does your roommate lands at Groom Lake? ;-)

reply to post by gariac

Thanks for the additional information. So that is what they use for security at the Nevada Test Site/Groom Lake huh? That explains what looks like a FLIR pod on the lower nose and the hoist rig on the side door. All the better to drop security people into remote spots to watch the watchers with.

I figured you had something in mind, and it makes sense now. Nice picture for detail. There are a couple other minor things I didn't see explained for configuration options at the Sikorsky site I'm trying to track down.

I hope this adds to the thread.... Their site had an impressive amount of real detail for how the various models differ from each other and what options are on different mission arrangments.

Sikorsky UH60M Configuration details w/ specs

Originally posted by gariac
This chopper doing pilot rescue training at Nellis.
www.flickr.com...

It is similar to the new chopper that buzzed me at the Tikaboo staging area.
www.lazygranch.com...

Since I was at the staging area, all I could see was the chopper go over the hill. I really don't know if it went to Groom or not. [What we need are more visitors to the range!] The one I saw in November at Bald Mountain definitely came from the base, but I didn't get the tail number. It lacked the refueling boom, just like the choppers in these photos.

One very interesting item that this particular UH-60 has installed, is a UES (upturned exhaust system).. That's very odd for a perimeter/SAR-functioning heli to have.

Very strange.


UPDATE: Okay, coming to find out.. This actually isn't a UH-60, this is the new HH-60.

It's factory-equipped with the upswept exhausts diffusers; downswept rotor tips of the UH-60M; new FLIR mount; and step fairings are now more squared-off than he previous -60 variants.


Very neat!

Awesome find Gariac!!

Two more:
www.flickr.com...

www.flickr.com...

I've seen one just like the photo, and I'm the exact opposite side of the country. We have a lot of new and strange looking aircraft coming and going from the local ANG base.

I think their official statement is that they only handle the C-5 Galaxy and a bunch of C-130s and that's probably true, but living next to the base for 10 years it's hard to not notice the unusual takeoff and landing sounds.

reply to post by Magnivea


What state are you in?

reply to post by weavty1


New York, near Albany.

reply to post by Magnivea


You have the following bases nearby you:

109th Airlift Wing - Scotia, NY - 20mi due west of Albany - www.109aw.ang.af.mil...

104th Fighter Wing - Westfield, MA - 80mi due southeast of Albany - www.104fw.ang.af.mil...

Westover Air Force Base - Chicopee, MA - 85mi due east-southeast of Albany - www.westover.afrc.af.mil...

105th Airlift Wing, Newburgh - NY - 90mi due south of Albany - www.105aw.ang.af.mil...

Eastern Air Defense Sector - Rome, NY - 110mi due west of Albany - www.eads.ang.af.mil...


So yeah, I could easily see a multitude of different aircraft being heard/seen in the skies above you... You live smack dab in the middle of it!!

reply to post by weavty1


Yeah, I lived next to the 109th Airlift Wing for waaaayyyyy too long. Like I said, I do believe they only have C-130s and C-5s but I have seen some strange aircraft. Like something that was far larger than a C-5 painted in a non reflective black. I don't know why, it sounded like Zeus after a Taco Bell binge during takeoff and roared 3 like C-130s taped together in flight.

I kind of ruled out stealth attempt when I saw one following the Mohawk River at around 2AM. I was driving across the Western Gateway bridge and it flew over at a couple hundred feet. I actually felt my car get pushed towards the other lane. Nothing was really visible but lights, so I figured some kind of ridiculously large cargo transport prototype.

But yeah, anyway, I think most of the strange things are only refueling stops.

This is the chopper that came out when I was at Bald Mountain. Obviously a new one (no refueling boom).

I had put the camera in manual focus for some reason, and then when the chopper showed up out of nowhere, I didn't get any shots with a tail number. Even my shot of the camo dudes in their new Raptor was screwed up.

Bald Mountain was THE place to get chopper action until the activity died off. I have some other Ghost Squadron images on the Bald Mountain page:
www.lazygranch.com...

I was thinking about the two radomes on Bald Mountain. I assume the lower radome is designed to only see the area outside the base since it would be blocked by the support structure for the upper radome. The top radome is probably the usual FAA radar. If so, then the lower radome could be for ELINT off the range, though a really top notch installation would cover their bases and perform ELINT both on and off their property.

Since cell phones are not allowed on base, it would be entertaining to attach a phone to Medlin's cow and see if base operations goes out and tracks it down.

reply to post by Magnivea


The only two I could think of that are larger than the C-5 and C-130, would be the C-17 or the B-52....

Larger than both. I'm familiar with large cargo planes, most flights into Stratton are loaded with cargo that is being transferred to LC-130Hs (skis) to be shipped to the poles. I've seen a C-130 hull pulled from a C-5. As for the B-52, it was Far larger that that.

They occasionally have 2 of whatever they are lined up with a few C-130s sitting in an area that's not really visible from the road or homes nearby. I think it's during their monthly drill, the size of the staff nearly triples in that weekend. I don't keep track of what weekend it is anymore, but I live fairly close still. This thread may be dead by then, so if you'd like I can get a few photos and email them to you. Let me know if you'd be interested and I'll PM my email address to you.

Here, I've got nothing to hide

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