? Helicopter

[Everytime]

Did anyone notice the mysterious helicopter flying along the shoreline Thursday afternoon? We first saw it flying over U.S. 98 in the Miramar/Destin area towards KDTS, then later (around 3 or 4 in the afternoon) flying east and then west above the coastline in Seagrove. It appeared to be a 1960s or 1970s era military transport or search & rescue helicopter, possibly a Sikorsky CH-3 or HH3, or a Russian Mil Mi-8. It had no military markings, butit did have a "?" on the side and a tail number which I mistakenly typed as N171BW. It looked like something off of LOST.

 

[Geo]

Did anyone notice the mysterious helicopter flying along the shoreline Thursday afternoon? We first saw it flying over U.S. 98 in the Miramar/Destin area towards KDTS, then later (around 3 or 4 in the afternoon) flying east and then west above the coastline in Seagrove. It appeared to be a 1960s or 1970s era military transport or search & rescue helicopter, possibly a Sikorsky CH-3 or HH3, or a Russian Mil Mi-8. It had no military markings, butit did have a "?" on the side and a tail number which I mistakenly typed as N171BW. It looked like something off of LOST.

Was it white? If so, I saw it too.

 

[jodiFL]

I think Tyndall is having its open house this weekend (or next) so there will probably be all sorts of cool flying things around here in the next few days. As for the ? question mark.....that is an odd one, but it would be cool if The Island popped up around here one episode.

 

[FloridaBuckeye]

Forget the name

My husband and I saw it yesterday too. He knew the name of it, but I don't remember. I'll reply again if I remember to ask him!

 

[FloridaBuckeye]

Osprey

Not sure if this is what you saw, but my husband and I saw a VTOL V-22 Osprey. Looks like part plane part helicopter.

My husband and I saw it yesterday too. He knew the name of it, but I don't remember. I'll reply again if I remember to ask him!

 

[Smiling JOe]

[FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Air Rescue HU16

[/SIZE][/FONT]H-34 "Choctaw" (US Army designation) or "Seahorse" (USMC designation)


Was it similar to these, but painted light green and white-washed? If so, I saw it heading east toward Tyndall AFB on Thursday. Pretty different from the usuals, but as noted, Tyndall is having an air show (I thought next weekend, but maybe it is this weekend) -- free admission and free parking. The Navy's Blue Angels (although two pilots are from the Marines) will also be there.

 

[Everytime]

Geo & Smiling JOe: I was thinking it was white, but it may have been a very light "whitewashed" green. There may have been some type of national or military emblem on the tail rutter. Smiling JOe, it was within that genre of helicopter, but I can't be certain as to which one it was. I mentioned the Russian Mi-8 because, like the H-34s you posted, it does not have the short side "wings" like the H-3s have. I'm now thinking it was an Mi-8 or H-34.

jodiFL, if I can follow the bearing of 305 on my kayak trip today, I hope to find the island.

FlordaBuckeye, it wasn't an Osprey, but I have seen those strange things down here! They are stationed at Hurlburt with Special Ops.

~Everytime

 

[rdelong43065]

I caught a quick glimpse of it. It looked like a Russian type to me. It made quit a different sound from all the other aircraft that fly by my place. You do know when an Osprey is coming. It has a very distinct sound.

 

[Will B]

It has been a while since I have flown out of Destin, but the last time I did fly out of there I saw a M-8 or a variant parked on the north end of the ramp area beyond the T hangars. It may have been that. It was white-ish, BTW...

 

[StoneyJ]

Sounds like the Russian MI-8 that I have seen at Destin on several occasions. There is a private defense contractor that has an MI-8 HIp and an MI-24 Hind that support a special squadron at Hurlburt Field. I went out to Destin airport a while back and poked around to learn about the company. Bottom line is that the unit at Hurlburt is trained to fly other aircraft of "countries of interest". So this private contractor maintains and flies these aircraft to train them.