Helicopters all day from WH going north?

[Anonymous]

Not sure where to ask this. Anyone know what's going on with all the helicopters all day today from WH going north and back. At least it feels this way. And they are army greenish in color and not presidential. More curious than anything.

[jsteele]

I noticed this too. I think everyone of them went directly over my house. I have no idea what they are doing, but this is not something you are imagining.

[Anonymous]

Also curious. We live near the beltway and Connecticut, and the helicopter traffic has been insane since mid-afternoon. The most typical pattern has been two helicopters flying in close formation. Hard to tell if it's the same team, or repeat teams flying by. We've also seen a few with spotlights on the ground tonight.

[Anonymous]

There’s a Twitter bot @helicoptersofDC that tracks this stuff, might give you an answer.

[Anonymous]

I'm really hoping that when Trump leaves the copters go with him. It's been so much worse...

[Anonymous]

Apparently someone was shot, which might explain all the police copters.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps a continuation of the baseline radiation survey - helicopters doing this were flying in a grid pattern over Shepherd Park and Chevy Chase a few weeks ago.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/low-flying-helicopter-spotted-over-dc-area-is-mapping-natural-nuclear-radiation/2020/10/19/8901e658-1241-11eb-ba42-ec6a580836ed_story.html

[Anonymous]

I noticed them too in Kensington.

[Anonymous]

Whoa we noticed them in Arlington too. Saw like 5 in 30 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Hearing them again tonight in “North Bethesda”.

[Anonymous]

We have them in NE Capitol Hill right now.

[Anonymous]

Just saw this via Twitter:
https://www.sourceofthespring.com/silver-spring/normal-air-traffic/

[Anonymous]

Helicopters take this route because they are required to. They follow the river to the beltway and then follow the beltway or 95 to wherever they are going. It is supposed to limit noise to a large extent. In DC we do not see these impacts as much because we are in special airspace.

As for the traffic today, it is probably tied to various veteran's day ceremonies up and down the mid Atlantic. For the various wreath layings etc, there are only so many General officers and they have to be back at work tomorrow once they are done with their ceremonial duties today. So figure that between Arlington, and the other veterans cemeteries within a few hundred miles I can see helicopters being used to transport them rather than taking their chances on the highway.

Also recall that Camp David is also in easy helo range as well as Belvoir, Quantico and JBAB which are all busy today supporting Veteran's day responsibilities.

Somebody mentioned it earlier, but the President is getting a new helicopter. The VH-3D currently used and older than most of us in DC is being replaced by an S-92 variant (VH-92). It will be larger but might actually be a little quieter as it has a bit more blade dampening technology. No guarantees though. It should be seen around here conducting test flights in about a year and then start replacing the VH-3D in 2023.

The aircraft has been delayed quite a bit after it was famously cancelled by the previous administration.

[Anonymous]

Yes as PP said, the two bladed Army helicopters and Air Force UH-1's are flying the old two bladed very loud design. It is inexpensive to fly but loud. More modern updated blades are four bladed. Better harmonics. Unfortunately new VIP aircraft cost money and the same people complaining about the noise would complain about replacing all of the old aircraft with new ones. So they stick to the beltway and the river for the most part. The inexcusable one is the Coast Guards Dolfin they insist on flying over the city despite it having no operational relevance. But then again, they are at the back of the line for helicopter upgrades and better to use it to carry VIPs than attempt to hoist somebody from the water with it.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Helicopters take this route because they are required to. They follow the river to the beltway and then follow the beltway or 95 to wherever they are going. It is supposed to limit noise to a large extent. In DC we do not see these impacts as much because we are in special airspace.

I don't think this was the sort of traffic the OP was talking about. It definitely was not what I was describing. Helicopters tend to use Rock Creek Park as a flight path, but the ones I was seeing the other day were to the East of there. I don't think they were as active yesterday.