UH-60 and CH-53

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
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Ack...city life
I believe the US Army does not operate the CH-53 in OD green. If that is correct the Stallions are Marine. But the Marines do not operate UH-60.

I can only wonder what these two types are doing flying between 200-500 agl over congested city. For the past several hours their route has been north and south presumably following 57 freeway in N Orange County (California)
 
My brother in Victorville just texted to say they've been buzzing by his house.

Other brother drove up from San Diego and started seeing them around Anaheim.

Speculation is either advanced planning for VIP TFR or they're scoping for a terrorist. The mil assets don't launch for the ordinary bank robber.

USMC Stallions and Pave Black Hawk (Army or NG) joint mission?
 
The Navy has SH-60's, could be those rather than Army ones?
 
Richard said:
I believe the US Army does not operate the CH-53 in OD green. If that is correct the Stallions are Marine. But the Marines do not operate UH-60.

I can only wonder what these two types are doing flying between 200-500 agl over congested city. For the past several hours their route has been north and south presumably following 57 freeway in N Orange County (California)
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FWIW, USMC CH-53s are typically grey, not green.

The Navy operates MH-53s that are dark green, although they are all based in Norfolk, Bahrain and Korea. Not sure why there would be any in your neck of the woods.

Just thinking....Aside from the USN MH-53s, the only green -53s that I know of these days are VIP birds. That could explain why you saw them and a green H-60.
 
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Did it look like this?

412ebdac54f072a4037aec2e5da53f0e.jpg
 
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KSCessnaDriver said:
The Navy has SH-60's, could be those rather than Army ones?
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The Stallions were OD green. From that I deduced they must be USMC since I believe Army does not operate CH-53.

But the Uh-60 was also OD green. And I believe only the Army operates UH-60 in that livery.

I see Fearless said that Navy has Stallions in OD green. But I remain confused why separate branches would be involved in same mission.
 
Richard said:
Yes, like that except no flag on nacelles and definitely not shiny paint. OD green is flat sheen as you know.
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If it wasn't shiny, it probably wasn't a VIP bird. The Navy MH-53s are the only flat sheen ones I know if these days.

Interesting.
 
Richard said:
The Stallions were OD green. From that I deduced they must be USMC since I believe Army does not operate CH-53.

But the Uh-60 was also OD green. And I believe only the Army operates UH-60 in that livery.

I see Fearless said that Navy has Stallions in OD green. But I remain confused why separate branches would be involved in same mission.
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Not sure exactly what you saw, but you are correct. The Army does not have 53s. My only guess would be as stated before the VIP fleet is -22s, 53s, and -60s.

We do have joint ops all the time though.
 
I think this fact got glossed over here; there were numerous aircraft involved. The most I saw at any one time was three aircraft, 2 Stallions and a 'Hawk. Given reports I received that same type aircraft were seen at points miles from here at roughly the same time I say there were more than those 3 aircraft involved.


This morning my phone calls to two newspapers, two police departments, the county Sheriff, Sheriff dispatch, State HQ highway patrol, sector highway patrol have all claiming they know nothing. I have a call on file with the local airport manager as well as Hawthorne. I think it's need to know basis and we don't need to know. But everyone I have spoken with this morning claims no disaster or such thing.

One of the newspapers told me to report back to them if I find out anything. :rolleyes2:
 
Okay, here's the information. The UH-60s were involved in an orientation event with the CSUF ROTC. It was the 11th Aviation Command out of Los Alamitos AAF providing rides for the ROTC cadets and officers.

The CH-53s were confirmed to be USMC and simply transiting the airspace along the same routing and not participating in the ROTC orientation.

Confirmation came from KFUL aprt mgr and the university ROTC office.

It is not unusual to see -53s transiting the area with multiple aircraft either in trail or multiple 4 ship diamond formations. But the coincidence of the orientation exercise with multiple transiting -53s flying north and south along the same routing is what confused me.
 
That's the cover story, kinda like the weather balloon at Roswell...
 
Fearless Tower said:
If it wasn't shiny, it probably wasn't a VIP bird. The Navy MH-53s are the only flat sheen ones I know if these days.

Interesting.
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I remember my on wing in primary (an MH-53 Navy guy) had a lot of stories about doing presidential VIP flights in S. America. They obviously didn't carry him, but they they would do advance party kind of stuff....."inserts" if you will. Can't see any reason why this would be the case in CONUS, but who knows.

edit: nevermind, read the update. Probably Miramar **itters just doing whatever it is that they do
 
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