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Everytime

Beach Fanatic
Jul 9, 2005
439
113
Shelby County, Alabama
Did anyone notice the mysterious helicopter flying along the shoreline Thursday afternoon? We first saw it flying over U.S. 98 in the Miramar/Destin area towards KDTS, then later (around 3 or 4 in the afternoon) flying east and then west above the coastline in Seagrove. It appeared to be a 1960s or 1970s era military transport or search & rescue helicopter, possibly a Sikorsky CH-3 or HH3, or a Russian Mil Mi-8. It had no military markings, butit did have a "?" on the side and a tail number which I mistakenly typed as N171BW. It looked like something off of LOST.
 

Geo

Beach Fanatic
Dec 24, 2006
2,750
2,782
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Did anyone notice the mysterious helicopter flying along the shoreline Thursday afternoon? We first saw it flying over U.S. 98 in the Miramar/Destin area towards KDTS, then later (around 3 or 4 in the afternoon) flying east and then west above the coastline in Seagrove. It appeared to be a 1960s or 1970s era military transport or search & rescue helicopter, possibly a Sikorsky CH-3 or HH3, or a Russian Mil Mi-8. It had no military markings, butit did have a "?" on the side and a tail number which I mistakenly typed as N171BW. It looked like something off of LOST.

Was it white? If so, I saw it too.
 

jodiFL

Beach Fanatic
Jul 28, 2007
2,476
733
SOWAL,FL
I think Tyndall is having its open house this weekend (or next) so there will probably be all sorts of cool flying things around here in the next few days. As for the ? question mark.....that is an odd one, but it would be cool if The Island popped up around here one episode.
 

FloridaBuckeye

Beach Lover
Sep 4, 2008
164
16
Forget the name

My husband and I saw it yesterday too. He knew the name of it, but I don't remember. I'll reply again if I remember to ask him!
 

FloridaBuckeye

Beach Lover
Sep 4, 2008
164
16
Osprey

Not sure if this is what you saw, but my husband and I saw a VTOL V-22 Osprey. Looks like part plane part helicopter.



My husband and I saw it yesterday too. He knew the name of it, but I don't remember. I'll reply again if I remember to ask him!
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
ap41helicopter.jpg

[FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Air Rescue HU16

2385447925_b92610d092.jpg


h-34_05.jpg

[/SIZE][/FONT]H-34 "Choctaw" (US Army designation) or "Seahorse" (USMC designation)


Was it similar to these, but painted light green and white-washed? If so, I saw it heading east toward Tyndall AFB on Thursday. Pretty different from the usuals, but as noted, Tyndall is having an air show (I thought next weekend, but maybe it is this weekend) -- free admission and free parking. The Navy's Blue Angels (although two pilots are from the Marines) will also be there.
 

Everytime

Beach Fanatic
Jul 9, 2005
439
113
Shelby County, Alabama
Geo & Smiling JOe: I was thinking it was white, but it may have been a very light "whitewashed" green. There may have been some type of national or military emblem on the tail rutter. Smiling JOe, it was within that genre of helicopter, but I can't be certain as to which one it was. I mentioned the Russian Mi-8 because, like the H-34s you posted, it does not have the short side "wings" like the H-3s have. I'm now thinking it was an Mi-8 or H-34.

jodiFL, if I can follow the bearing of 305 on my kayak trip today, I hope to find the island.

FlordaBuckeye, it wasn't an Osprey, but I have seen those strange things down here! They are stationed at Hurlburt with Special Ops.

~Everytime
 

rdelong43065

Beach Fanatic
May 28, 2007
678
121
58
Seagrove
I caught a quick glimpse of it. It looked like a Russian type to me. It made quit a different sound from all the other aircraft that fly by my place. You do know when an Osprey is coming. It has a very distinct sound.
 

Will B

Moderator
Jan 5, 2006
4,530
1,279
Atlanta, GA
It has been a while since I have flown out of Destin, but the last time I did fly out of there I saw a M-8 or a variant parked on the north end of the ramp area beyond the T hangars. It may have been that. It was white-ish, BTW...
 

StoneyJ

Beach Comber
May 19, 2005
16
10
PhotosFlorida.com
Sounds like the Russian MI-8 that I have seen at Destin on several occasions. There is a private defense contractor that has an MI-8 HIp and an MI-24 Hind that support a special squadron at Hurlburt Field. I went out to Destin airport a while back and poked around to learn about the company. Bottom line is that the unit at Hurlburt is trained to fly other aircraft of "countries of interest". So this private contractor maintains and flies these aircraft to train them.
 
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