Seen Over Your House Today

[Scooterman]

See, man!  The Black Helicopters are EVERYwhere, man!   

[GTX]

I've had to put up with RSAF F-16s all week flying low and fast at work...

Regards,

Greg

[PR19_Kit]

It was an all black SH-3 Sea King with no markings (that I could see anyway), had a radar pod sticking out of the nose (left side), and no pontoons for the main gear.  The main gear was like a Royal Marine version with the fixed metal framed gear supports.  It was rather strange and friggin awesome at the same time    Anyone know who might have been flying it?  There was a British oiler of the RFA docked at Norfolk over the weekend but last I checked they didn't fly Sea Kings.

Cliffy,

AFAIK none of the Commandos flown by the Support NASs have offset radar pods that you mention, but that doesn't mean they don't exist of course.

Was it normal fuselage length, or perhaps longer? It could have been a civvie S-61L, which don't have the side floats and quite a few have the offset radar. But black? Maybe Hugh Hefner has one?  

The two newest RFA oilers, Wave Prince and Wave Ruler, are large enough to operate Sea Kings AFAIK, but I don't think they are operated 'as standard'.

[hurricanemk1c]

Saw an Air France A380 at FL380!

[lancer]

I've had to put up with RSAF F-16s all week flying low and fast at work...

Regards,

Greg

That must've been a real hardship Greg...

[Cliffy B]

Cliffy,

AFAIK none of the Commandos flown by the Support NASs have offset radar pods that you mention, but that doesn't mean they don't exist of course.

Was it normal fuselage length, or perhaps longer? It could have been a civvie S-61L, which don't have the side floats and quite a few have the offset radar. But black? Maybe Hugh Hefner has one?  

The two newest RFA oilers, Wave Prince and Wave Ruler, are large enough to operate Sea Kings AFAIK, but I don't think they are operated 'as standard'.

Well the oiler that was in port was the Wave Ruler and according to the internets, they carry one Merlin helo in the hangar.  I'm pretty sure it had a standard fuselage.  The engines though sounded a bit high-pitched, closer to a jet turbine on a fighter than the standard helo sound.  I've heard many an SH-60 fly over and they always sound deeper, with more bass, even when going at high speeds.  I know the two use different engines but its still an observation.  The initial sound through me for a loop anyway until I heard the "whup, whup, whup" 

It was a CIA helo, I'm sure of it!  The black helos are coming, run!!!!!! 

[Logan Hartke]

Was working outside yesterday with Dad and I heard a helo coming our way.  Having a veritable forest for a backyard I eagerly followed my ears and spotted the helo as it emerged into the open.  What I saw was rather confusing.  It was an all black SH-3 Sea King with no markings (that I could see anyway), had a radar pod sticking out of the nose (left side), and no pontoons for the main gear.  The main gear was like a Royal Marine version with the fixed metal framed gear supports.  It was rather strange and friggin awesome at the same time    Anyone know who might have been flying it?  There was a British oiler of the RFA docked at Norfolk over the weekend but last I checked they didn't fly Sea Kings.

Well, it's not exactly black, and it's not exactly a radar pod, this photo fits your description to my eye (and I think it's the most likely explanation).



http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Navy/Westland-Sea-King/1707884/L/

...although, when I put my tin foil hat on, I think it's really this...

*begin conspiracy theory*

U.S. State Department to Purchase Sikorsky S-61T Helicopters for Use in Afghanistan

U.S. State Department Accepts Modernized S-61 Helicopters for Use in Afghanistan

Sikorsky S-61T gains new life in State Department program



The S-61T has no floats/pontoons, can be equipped with radar, wouldn't have military markings, and wouldn't likely be painted like the demonstrator.  To my knowledge, there are no pictures on the web of the first delivered examples, so I do not know how they were painted or what their exact equipment is.  Since they were ordered by the State Department, the CIA is probably the actual operator.  They ordered 110(!) converted military helicopters very similar to the configuration used by the Royal Marines and converted by the same company that updated the "Junglies"!  What could the State Department possibly need that many updated Commando transports for other than covert operations?  That's almost three times the number of the same type of helos that the Royal Marines need (~37)!!!  Anybody wonder why there aren't any pictures of the newly-delivered helicopters?

*end conspiracy theory*

All that having been said, I think it far more likely that you saw one of the many dark green Westland Sea King HC.4s tootling around the UK than one of the two S-61T Tritons in use by the State Department for saving money transporting VIPs that may or may not be painted black, may or may not be equipped with a weather radar, and may or may not be transiting through the UK.

Cheers,

Logan

[PR19_Kit]

But Cliffy B is in the USA..........

In Virginia, not far from Langley and similar places.  

[Later]

Well lookee here, what do we have..............? 

[Cliffy B]

But Cliffy B is in the USA..........

In Virginia, not far from Langley and similar places.  

Indeed I am, South Eastern VA to be exact.  Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from all of the USN bases in the area.  The Black helo was flying North West if that matters, towards either NAS Oceana or the Atlantic  

[PR19_Kit]

See added piccie above...........

[Logan Hartke]

But Cliffy B is in the USA..........

In Virginia, not far from Langley and similar places. 

Ah, that's right.  Well, who knows then...

Anyway, you've seen my two guesses.

I see military helos all the time in my neck of the woods.  UH-60s, SH-60s (all variants including B/F/R/S), HH-65s, UH-1Ns, UH-1Ys, AH-1Ws, AH-1Zs, and CH-53Es have all overflown me at some point at the beach or on the road.

[Later]

Well lookee here, what do we have..............? 

But it also has floats.  Not our bird.

Cheers,

Logan

[kitnut617]

[Later]

Well lookee here, what do we have..............?  

Only that is a Canadian one which once operated out of BC, the other side of the continent  

EDIT:::  And it's an S-61N too, but the registration has been transfered to a Learjet now.

Here it is now, photographed early last year in Georgia so it could be one Cliffy saw, it doesn't have the floats now either --

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Sikorsky-S-61N-MkII/1476305/&sid=c24cdcd8535944a2581630f6921cd8a4

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Driffield?  That's pretty close, although I thought it was closed some time ago & I don't know of any AAC presence.  Daft question mate, but you don't mean Dishforth do you?

Yep, sorry simon, my bad 

Ian

[GTX]

I've had to put up with RSAF F-16s all week flying low and fast at work...

Regards,

Greg

That must've been a real hardship Greg...

They're actually a pain when you're on the phone - so noisy!!!

Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Driffield?  That's pretty close, although I thought it was closed some time ago & I don't know of any AAC presence.  Daft question mate, but you don't mean Dishforth do you?

Yep, sorry simon, my bad 

Ian

No probs mate, you got my hopes up for a minute, I was thinking about getting 'lost' on the way into York via Driffiled one day!  Didn't realise they were at Dishforth though, you answered my question in a round about way!