AAC Apache in Birmingham Park

[Ligeti]

British AAC Apache flew over Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham the other day (17th of June, only just got round to processing the pics). It landed right behind the park in a playing field which is part of the police training centre.

 

No idea why it was there, anyone else got a clue? (Armed Forces Day was a day or two after this).

 

Having this bearing down on you, even when you know it's not going to open fire, was somewhat unnerving.

 

I only had a compact camera with me, shame I didn't have one of my bigger ones with a telephoto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2016 by Ligeti

[joey45]

Seen a few in London the past few weeks along with some other helis.

[Aginor]

Thanks for the pictures!

 

That thing is a monster. Until a few years ago, from time to time some US army Apaches flew around near where I live, and even though they were just flying around they somehow looked dangerous.

They are ugly, loud, and aggressive. You immediately know that a war machine is flying over your head.

 

I wouldn't mess with them, or any other attack helicopter.

 

 

Fun story that happened during my military service (infantry):

Instructor (showing us the MG3 machine gun for the first time):

"Ok, so this is the MG3. This is the barrell, the sight, the bipod (explaining some more parts, explaining their use etc.)"

Soldier (pointing at the AA-gunsight) "What is that?"

Instructor: "That's the AA-gunsight." (opening it, showing it) "And now we'll close it again, and I'll tell you why: We. don't. shoot at. planes! And we certainly DON'T SHOOT AT ATTACK HELICOPTERS! It is unlikely you'll hit and damage it, but you will tell it where you are. And then it'll turn around its 30mm gatling cannon and make mincemeat out of you."

 

Seeing such helis in action (or even just flying by) I can only agree. Until you know exactly what you are doing, don't mess with them.

[Ligeti]

Thanks for the pictures!

 

That thing is a monster. Until a few years ago, from time to time some US army Apaches flew around near where I live, and even though they were just flying around they somehow looked dangerous.

They are ugly, loud, and aggressive. You immediately know that a war machine is flying over your head.

 

I wouldn't mess with them, or any other attack helicopter.

 

 

Fun story that happened during my military service (infantry):

Instructor (showing us the MG3 machine gun for the first time):

"Ok, so this is the MG3. This is the barrell, the sight, the bipod (explaining some more parts, explaining their use etc.)"

Soldier (pointing at the AA-gunsight) "What is that?"

Instructor: "That's the AA-gunsight." (opening it, showing it) "And now we'll close it again, and I'll tell you why: We. don't. shoot at. planes! And we certainly DON'T SHOOT AT ATTACK HELICOPTERS! It is unlikely you'll hit and damage it, but you will tell it where you are. And then it'll turn around its 30mm gatling cannon and make mincemeat out of you."

 

Seeing such helis in action (or even just flying by) I can only agree. Until you know exactly what you are doing, don't mess with them.

 

Yes they're quite threatening even without actually doing anything other than coming in to land.

 

I surprised by how quiet it was actually, obviously it was loud but not that bad, an impressive engineering feat considering how heavy and powerful it is.

 

We have Chinooks fly over here quite often and they're super-loud, the bass from the rotorwash vibrates the house. We also have the local police helicopter which is an EC135 which seems to have fairly quiet rotor blades but the engine whine is quite loud and the sound carries quite far.

 

Good story about the machine gun, which army was that? I thought helicopters were quite vulnerable to ground fire but perhaps something armoured like an Apache can withstand enough to make firing at it a mistake (the Gazelle by comparison can be downed by a few 5.56 rounds in the right place according to some stuff I've read).

[Aginor]

It was the German Army. :)

 

In fact you can use that gun against airborne targets and it can be deadly, but a simple soldier without a proper AA gunnery training is better off playing dead. The main point is that your first shots must hit it well, or it will retaliate with something much more deadly. Same as against tanks. A modern tank just needs a few seconds to see where you are firing from, turn its turret, and shove a fragmentation round up your behind. So it isn't worth shooting at it as an infanterist if you aren't confident you will disable it quickly. You keep your head down and call in heavier stuff.

 

As for the noise: I actually noticed that as well. It is loud (every heli is, since it flies by beating the air into submission :D ), but compared to a Blackhawk it really isn't THAT loud.

[Bushmanni]

Nice pictures.

 

If you want to engage an attack chopper with rifles you should have at least a platoon firing at once or even a company so that you get decent volume of fire to ensure enough hits in critical areas to make it worthwhile and to make the chopper crew to think about retreating instead of shooting back. The target chopper probably has a buddy close enough to provide support with gun and rockets so you still need to think twice what you want to do. Although unless the chopper has special equipment to detect and find you they probably don't even realize you are shooting at them unless you happen to stand in the middle of a field or use tracers. Of course hitting a fast moving chopper from farther than 200-300m range without training or tracers is unlikely.

 

You can read books about Apaches in Afghanistan and they have remarks in all of them finding bullet holes in the chopper after mission although the crew never realized they got fired on. Usually they know they are being fired on when the JTAC tells about it. You can't hear the muzzle blast (and can't see it during the day either) inside the chopper and can only faintly notice the sonic cracks if there's lots of bullets whizzing by at the same time.

 

None of the current attack choppers are immune to even 5.56 if you hit engines or tail rotor as neither is armored in any of them. Main rotor hub can also be damaged critically but as it's larger only the pitch change links are likely to be broken with rifle rounds so it takes luck (few years back AH-1 was brought down by a bird strike that broke a pitch link). Single hit is unlikely to cause critical damage regardless if you hit the engine or tail rotor but with luck it's possible.

 

The biggest threat to any chopper are MANPADS, light AAA and rifles as the chopper doesn't have any means to reliably find them until they open fire and even at that point can reliably detect and find them only with special equipment.

[Ligeti]

Interesting thanks guys.

 

Makes you realise that flying an unarmoured heli in a war zone requires a fairly hefty set of balls (figurative balls for female pilots).

[joey45]

Well.. They don't make them to look pretty on purpose......

[Cibit]

Nice pics thanks. Never seen one of these flying. Bet its quite a sight:)

 

Probably stopped for a balti;)

[Rogue Trooper]

They will pulling the Gs this weekend at fairford. along with the german BO-105s.

MI-8 is static unfortunately but the F-35 flight should make up for that.

The UK Chinook flight is always a pleaser, especially the afgan mountain maneouver.

[Ligeti]

Probably did stop for a balti.

 

Re airshow, never been to one as my parents weren't keen. Now I have my own family and am working on convincing my other half that our son would love to go one. Fingers crossed.