Thursday July 12, 2007

Hey look, Onajide spotted one of those black helicopters they keep telling you don’t exist. Think, indeed.

1. kingofrance    Thu Jul 12, 12:19 PM #  
   
   

   A couple of years ago I was leaving the Fed. courthouse downtown and the security guys were talking about some unidentified small plane buzzing around downtown. By the time I walked back to my office in the Wachovia bldg. one of these things was hovering just outside. Not only do they exist, they’re not that far away.

   
   
   
2. Dano    Thu Jul 12, 09:11 PM #  
   
   

   I think it’s Wayne H’s ‘copter. What would the black ops folks be hangin’ around here for anyway? You’ve been listening to too much George Noory. Very nice and enjoyable site Mr. Houdek.

   
   
   
3. NicFitKid    Fri Jul 13, 12:57 AM #  
   
   

   Looks like a Bell 430, a very nice aircraft. Too bad the photo doesn’t show the registry, we could have looked it up. Bell’s website advertises the 430 as having law enforcement/homeland security applications, and there was a press release and a news item mentioning a contract with DHS/Border Patrol for these aircraft back in ’04.

   There are also five Bell 430’s registered in Florida to civil operators (assuming it’s local):

   N430BL
   LAGS AIR LLC
   15065 MCGREGOR BLVD STE 108
   FORT MYERS FL 33908-1902

   N430Q
   FCC EQUIPMENT FINANCING INC
   PO BOX 56347
   JACKSONVILLE FL 32241-6347

   N430WH
   SOUTHERN AIRCRAFT SERVICES INC
   450 E LAS OLAS BLVD STE 1500
   FORT LAUDERDALE FL 33301-2291

   N517JS
   AERO TOY STORE LLC
   1710 W CYPRESS CREEK RD
   FT LAUDERDALE FL 33309-1806

   N557ST
   SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA
   6300 STIRLING RD
   HOLLYWOOD FL 33024-2153

   
   
   
4. alesh    Fri Jul 13, 07:44 AM #  
   
   

   Oh yes, Nic, I recognized it. The 430 is an excellent aircraft, and a wonderful platform for customization. (Certainly beats the snot off the AH-64 Apache, one of which seems to crash every time you turn around?) Paint it black, pop in an engine silencer, and I can’t think of anything smarter for our shadow government to be using. Surely you don’t think they’re having their own stuff custom made, do you? Nah, they’re way too smart for that.

   Onajide’s post-processing stripped the EXIF data off the photo, but I wonder how fast a shutter speed you’d need to perfectly freeze the motion of a stock 430’s rotors?

   
   
   
5. A.J.    Mon Jul 23, 04:43 PM #  
   
   

   I saw a black unmarked military helicopter fly right by my neighborhood the other day.. This is in Southern Florida mind you.. They are out there folks.. Just look up.