In the Right Ballpark
 

Or maybe in the doghouse.......

US Marine helicopters buzz Bar Harbor

BAR HARBOR — A forgotten cell phone was the impetus for two U.S. Marine Corps helicopters to fly low over Mount Desert Island around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Six Marines had stopped for lunch at the Thirsty Whale earlier in the day, and one accidentally left his cell phone behind. A little while after they left, server Jess Witherell said, the phone rang at the restaurant. The caller ID listed the Hancock County-Bar Harbor airport in Trenton.

“How far away are you from the town ball field?” the voice on the phone asked, according to Witherell.

“Well, are you walking or driving?” - “We’re landing a helicopter at the ball field.”

Bar Harbor residents are familiar with LifeFlight, a helicopter ambulance, using the town athletic fields as a landing zone. “Oh. Well if you land the helicopter and walk, then it’s about ten minutes.”

Witherell said the caller asked if anyone from the restaurant might be available to bring a cell phone the group had left behind down to the ball fields to meet them. She said the restaurant was busy, but she would ask dishwasher Bryce Lambert if he could deliver the phone. “I got chosen to be the person to go,” Lambert said. “I hopped in the car.”

The presence of the helicopters caused some alarm in the neighborhood. The noise set off at least one car alarm, according to reports.

Kate Hall Jordan was at the new Park Street Playground across the street from the athletic field with her son Finn when they heard and saw the helicopters approach. “That’s not LifeFlight,” Finn Jordan said. “That’s an attack helicopter, like an Apache.” He later identified them as a Bell AH-1W SuperCobra and a Bell UH-1Y Venom.

One of them (the SuperCobra) landed while the Venom circled the area. One person came out of the landed chopper. Lambert ran to meet him and handed off the cell phone. “He pulled the [velcro] patch off of his jacket and handed it to me” to say thanks for the help, Lambert said. Then they quickly took off again.

The Marines appear to be part of a helicopter squadron based in New Jersey. In January of this year, the NBC affiliate in Bangor reported that Marine helicopter units from North Carolina were conducting cold weather training using Brunswick as their base.

The Royal Navy had/has loads of history of taxpayers helicopters and other aircraft being used private fly-ins, deliveries or questionable use. Delivering personal items and private parties... looking for houses to buy. Visiting schools. Golf course recces. Brewery runs. Wine wholesale sellers liaisons in Jersey.... you name it,its gone on.

Navigation training exercise. Simples.

Not just the Royal Navy... RAF criticised for allowing Prince William to fly Chinook to Kate Middleton's house - Telegraph

Let's not forget the AAC. I was sent from UK to Wildenrath to buy Herforder handbags in a stripped out Scout. People also used aircraft to fly themselves to job interviews.

NEO

After the Police Air Support unit moved out of Fairoaks, there was an evening event held for some war veterans and the Police helicopter did a flypast with wingover. Unfortunately it was filmed by someone on their mobile phone and somehow was seen by someone else who was fairly senior in Surrey police.
Probably wouldn't have been so bad had he not sounded his police siren when executing the wingover.

Oz Army pilot lands Bell 47 in a vacant lot in the main street of a country town and leaves it running as he walks down to the dry cleaner to collect the General's uniform....

Back around the time Urban Cowboy was a movie, maybe just before, a few instructors flew some Hueys, with their students, from Milton to Houston and landed in Gilley's parking lot.
Long, long time ago. OPNAV 3710 has since become a bit more restrictive ...