When you hear the thumping of military helicopters this weekend, don’t panic: It’s not a Red Dawn-style invasion — it’s Air Force training that will be going on from Saturday, April 21, through Thursday, April 26.
The 20th Special Operations Squadron, also known as the Green Hornets, runs low-level infiltration missions, often with soldiers rappelling out of helicopters. The crews will be training in three MH-53 helicopters and one C-130 transport aircraft , and training will take place during day- and night-time hours.
Asheville Regional Airport Director David Edwards has asked for understanding by those awakened by the flyovers.
“We ask residents of the area to please be patient and understand that the 20th SOS needs to train in order to protect the freedoms we enjoy in our country,” he said in the press release. “While this may mean a few hours of lost sleep, I’m sure local residents have a great appreciation for the fact that military personnel lose many more hours of rest while serving our country.”
As Xpress reported in an article called “Who’s in Charge Here?”, Army special-operations training in Asheville in late 2004 came as a noisy, late-night surprise to many city residents.
No further information was available as to the exact location of this round of training. Feel free to report your sightings/observations on the training in the comment field below.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
Sometimes I worry that the black helicopters are coming for me.
a bit disappointed – no sightings? I haven’t heard a peep… our dog generally goes bonkers when something as quite as MAMA flies over.
I could almost rationalize a stealth black copter going unnoticed, but a C-130 is like two whales tied to a four-pack of turboprops… not exactly something you’d miss if it were barrelling over the mountains on a “low-level infilitration mission”.
… or is this just taking place in the southwest part of town (by the airport)?