Helicopters

Author
Discussion

Mattygooner

Original Poster:

5,301 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above

biglepton

5,042 posts

216 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
WAH-64 or AH-64?

ff5317

453 posts

240 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above
How could you tell he was hoovering? Must be quite difficult in a helicopter.

clonmult

10,529 posts

224 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
ff5317 said:
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above
How could you tell he was hoovering? Must be quite difficult in a helicopter.
Must have been one helluva pilot. Bet Dyson wish people would say "Dysoning" rather than "hoovering".

BoozyHughesy

2,425 posts

234 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Maybe it was one of those dirt devil ones, you know, the small ones for cars, that'd make more sense.

Mattygooner

Original Poster:

5,301 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
I could tell because the pilot was a woman and instead of a helmet had a flowery head bandana tied round the front on.......

Not sure the exact model but it was a longbow.

markh1

2,846 posts

224 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
I often see Chinoks fly over the Isle of Dogs. I think they are usually on exercise around that area - terroist prevention stuff. I know the SAS play around the Thames barrier at night sometimes as its seen as quite a big target.

Semi hemi

1,801 posts

213 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above
Sure it was one of these?

Maybe making sure Ken had left the building

Edited by Semi hemi on Thursday 5th June 16:21

Mattygooner

Original Poster:

5,301 posts

219 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Semi hemi said:
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above
Sure it was one of these?

Maybe making sure Ken had left the building

Edited by Semi hemi on Thursday 5th June 16:21
Definately one of those, with the longbow on top, but without the chaps hanging on the side. He was circling around in a figure of 8 and seemed to be enjoying himself as he scared stless everyone below, couldn't see if the old chain gun was moving around.

speedtwelve

3,528 posts

288 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
There's a low-level route for military rotary through the centre of the city up the river. It's quite popular if you need to get your AH from say Wattisham in Suffolk out towards somewhere in the west, and is often more 'fun' and direct as an alternative to going the long way round the city.

The gun on the AH as you probably know can be slaved to the crews' helmets. The 'gunner' in the front seat (usually the mission commander in British Army AHs) just has to look at a target through the helmet-mounted monocle and the gun will point at it. Maybe the crew thought that Ken was still around and were fully tooled-up with 30mm and Hellfire?

I remember a few years ago the Wattisham AH regt successfully completed an exercise in the West country resulting in them being declared combat-ready. We heard that they were due to come via my work on their way home, and at the allotted time we went outside to see about 8 AH accompanied by as many Lynx appear low on the horizon looking like a 21st century guaranteed-death version of Apocalypse Now. As they approached I reckoned that if I was in a cave wearing a dish-dash I'd be $hitting myself about now. It was pretty impressive.

Edited by speedtwelve on Thursday 5th June 23:28

Vixpy1

42,686 posts

279 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
They are flying almost daily down the M3, right over our unit biggrin

Angelique

510 posts

206 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above
I thought that was interesting too.

Dibble

13,124 posts

255 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Vixpy1 said:
WHoC-T are flying almost daily, right over the local Pikey market stalls.
EFA

Vixpy1

42,686 posts

279 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Dibble said:
Vixpy1 said:
WHoC-T are flying almost daily, right over the local Pikey market stalls.
EFA
shoutGet Out and got and get your Police car fixed Dibble.

hehe

Dibble

13,124 posts

255 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Vixpy1 said:
Dibble said:
Vixpy1 said:
WHoC-T are flying almost daily, right over the local Pikey market stalls.
EFA
shoutGet Out and got and get your Police car fixed Dibble.

hehe
rofl !

Police State

4,228 posts

235 months

Thursday 5th June 2008
quotequote all
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,

As a fan of everything mechanical especially cars and planes / Helocopters, i do enjoy the London skyline as of late as it is generally full of interesting things happening.

Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public). And about half an hour ago what looked likea display team flying in formation around South London in a group of 4.

All in all, quite interesting from the usual police chopper above
I watched them too, the leader was breaking away and the other 3 were making runs at him. They looked more like cop copters than military.

Talksteer

5,280 posts

248 months

Friday 6th June 2008
quotequote all
Mattygooner said:
Howdy,
Just wondered if anyone knows of anything happening to account for a joy riding apache over the southbank last night, generaly they fly straight through but this fella was circling and hoovering for quite a while, surely no VIPs need that sort of protection (perhaps Gordon Brown does from the public).
Being that the Apaches least lethal weapon is equivalent to throwing 500 hand grenades a minute at a target I would question its use as an anti-terror weapon in London, though they did deploy light tanks to Heathrow airport to defend against the Al-Qaeda armoured cavalry division so I wouldn't rule it out.

As for the military needing a reason to joy ride in their expensive toys, I'm not sure they need one, ref Prince William.

normalbloke

8,070 posts

234 months

Friday 6th June 2008
quotequote all
Dyson nicked his cyclonic bagless idea thingy from helicopter particle separators!

I'll just be off with my anorak now....

BLUETHUNDER

7,881 posts

275 months

Friday 6th June 2008
quotequote all
Dont forget Biggin Hill airshow is on this weekend.Some stuff going in to Biggin use the west/east corridor.One of the Wattisham mob........