Low Flying Apache, Tennessee
 

Saw this in the news. Been a while since I reviewed the Army's rules on flying helicopters in the vicinity of urban areas and public gatherings, but in the OPNAV Instructions (NAVY), there was a fairly tight guideline as regards altitude and lateral separation from large public gatherings unless one had prior coordination and authorization.
One basically avoided them if one wanted to avoid that phone call from the CO.

Maybe they were dropping off some Bud light? :E

If the homeowner was happy - the guy in the video seems grateful, then: nothing to see here?

When it is paid for by the tax payer, indulging the president’s buddy/mediocre singer, is likely to raise questions, since different standards apply to the services.
But this is the US, and they don’t follow a conventional orbit so best not to expect accepted norms apply.

Crews suspended then re-instated shortly after.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gx2rw87e9o

Imagine the uproar by the MAGA-Crowd if they did a flyby at Bruce Springsteen's house.... including a suspension and public shaming by Trump and Hegseth themselves :rolleyes:

At least nobody got hurt, so at this point it's back to :mad: and general nonsense.

Bearing in mind some of the irrational decisions recently made by the higher ups Mr Springsteen might have good reason to be slightly nervous if 2 Apaches appeared on the horizon in his backyard!

He'd probably write a song about it.

Merica! Western civilizations last stand……

Don't think anyone cares about Bruce's opinion on world affairs. Just another old man shouting at clouds.

The same should be able to be said about Donald Trump.
Unfortunately, a bizarre set of circumstances has put him with his finger on the nuclear button. While he rants about the clouds, then denies they exist.

Elsewhere I have seen/heard folks say how unsafe this was….
The house appears to be on a hill and the helicopters appear to be operating over a valley.
If they had lost an engine in the hover how much of a dropdown would an unarmed ( light ) Apache need to nose down, gain OEI Vbroc and climb away?

What is located on the Valley floor below? Built up area or shrub-land?

No longer important as Pete has awarded them a “Get out of Jail Free Card” not to mention the probable DFC and promotion.

Well I care about Bruce’s opinion more than the old man with colored hair in the White House. Honesty over deceitful imbecility.

I'm surprised that nobody has questioned what two possibly armed Apache helicopters where doing flying over a No Kings Rally?

If you did that in the US EMS world, it would make for some very unhappy people and one of them would be unemployed as well. How happy and grateful the homeowner is would not factor into the decision.

But that’s a budget thing?

The Military crew were flying for training/currency anyway (one would assume). If they flew somewhere else - same cost.
Unless there was something unsafe, intimidatory, it seems a big story over nothing was my conjecture.

Unplanned airshows can have repercussions.

Bob Hoover was the original pilot assigned to the X-1 program but a privately arranged air show in the P-80 brought about his reassignment as chase pilot, and Chuck Yeager being given the prime slot.

Wouldn't a consideration for peace-time mission planning include the question "If there is a crash is there a justification that made that event worthwhile?"

Buzzing a protest against the President or show-boating for a friend of the President don't seem like they would justify the risk.

OTOH - Being ordered to do so by the Administration and providing cover to hide that order? Would not doubt that at all.