Northern Ireland SAR?

[egbgstudent]

Hope you rotorheads don't mind a fixed winger like me putting a post on your pages.:ok:

Last night at approx 22:00 there was a large Helo flying around the Strangford Lough area. Does anyone know if this was a SAR operation? If so, was the outcome good?

Also, what struck me as odd was the fact that the normal Nav / Strobes were switched off, with just one high intensity red strobe working... then after a few mins, Nav lights / strobed were switched on again. Is this normal practice? (or was I witnessing something from another planet:eek::eek::eek:)

[206Fan]

Welcome to the rotorheads area, fun never stops here:E!

Was probably the CG S-61, thou i didn't see it yest or hear it go over.. It passes our house anytime its going northbound or southbound..

Il find out actually!

[egbgstudent]

Thanks for that. I am in Ballywalter, it apeared to be in the Kircubbin area of Strangford

[nodrama]

It is normal practice to turn off strobes in mist/ fog/ cloud.....or maybe he just forgot

[Bladecrack]

Could have been the chopper coppers in stealth mode with the lights off. Did it have a white strobe either side when turned on again?

[egbgstudent]

No whire strobe once turned on again. Sounded far too heavy to be your usual Bolkow etc. Sounded more Sea King type

[Hiduly Damper]

My understanding is that the 61 has pilot mirrors that badly reflect sponson mounted strobes into the pilots eyes at night. For this reason strobes are normally off when low level outside terminal areas. Normal nav lights always on unless broken