MRH-90s over Sydney

[tartare]

Anyone know what the four ship group flying south at sunset and then returning after dark last night was doing?
I assumed it was men in black practice rappelling down ropes onto buildings and all that stuff.
Doors open, but couldn't see any operators inside.
Great noise - sounded like an invasion!

[blakmax]

Four of them serviceable at the same time? Really?

[cattletruck]

Maybe they are planning to overthrow a dictator in the South.

[tartare]

I know Blak... I was gobsmacked.
Quite possibly reclaiming The Shire.
They were tootling around today too.

[pants on fire...]

Maybe they are practicing for the farewell flyby? ;)

[SnowFella]

Straight quote from the Hills Police Area command's FB page followed by a photo of an NH90, was posted yesterday afternoon, guess it could be related.

The Australian Defence Force will conduct counter-terrorism training across NSW in October and November, 2021. A pair of Australian Army helicopters has been training over the Hills this afternoon.
The training will take place during the day and night and will involve responses to simulated terrorist scenarios.
"People who see the training should not be concerned that any of the locations are under any form of actual threat."

[tartare]

Yep - just on t'telly - nighttime CT exercise.
Cronulla is safe for the moment.

[SnowFella]

Hope they sent them out my way over the west, been years since I had anything but the all too frequent police bird or blackhawk overflight, last time I can remember seeing an NH90 out here was Royal visit some years ago that had a 2 ship of NH's come past.

[catseye]

New buyers taking them for a test run.

[Doors Off]

Good formation fly past practice for the farewell of the Blackhawk. Get put out to pasture and on sticks next month I think.

[rattman]

As said by someone else, counter terrorism training. They have also been doing boat landing at some the sydney beaches. Saw a facebook video of them coming into a beach from a RHIB

[SnowFella]

Hope they sent them out my way over the west, been years since I had anything but the all too frequent police bird or blackhawk overflight, last time I can remember seeing an NH90 out here was Royal visit some years ago that had a 2 ship of NH's come past.
Someone must of listened, just had a 4 ship come cruising past the house no more than a few minutes ago!
Going by FR24 the show started out at Holsworthy.

Edit: looks like there's a 5th one out there too, doing lazy laps around RAAF Glenbrook.
And just got another flyby, might even be a 6th one out there. Think I got detailed enough shots of 4 or 5 to get tail numbers.

[SnowFella]

Yep, if I'm to go by FR24 and the shots I got there's 6 of them out over Sydney's west.
FR24 had 40-012 doing circles over RAAF Glenbrook (never coming over my suburb) and I've got shots of 025, 033, 044, 045 and 047 going over St Clair all at once.

Edit: funny enough the 4 ship all have what seem to be taped on numbers on on of the rear the cab windows, 045 has a 1 marking, 047 a 2, 025 a 3 and 044 a 4.

[Ascend Charlie]

So the formation members can recall who the leader is...

[Vortexringshark]

So the formation members can recall who the leader is...
Until the rest just mess with the lead and change up positions without telling him.
But seriously the numbers are so the troops know which cab to get in.