Author Topic: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!  (Read 5410 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Angry Turnip

  • Global Moderator
  • Marshal of the Air Force
  • *****
  • Posts: 13980
  • Gender: Male
  • Local Airport: BFS
  • Favourite Aircraft: Hawker Hunter/Harrier
  • Camera Used: NIKON D7200
  • A-P.net Photos: 1
Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« on: March 27, 2009, 12:07:23 AM »
A large and noisey Heli just passed over my house near Ballinderry at 12.03am,very loud sounded like a SeaKing or S-61 possibly.

Didn`t sound like a Puma or the police EC135-nice thud to it ;D

Offline casper

  • Administrator
  • Marshal of the Air Force
  • *****
  • Posts: 6650
  • Gender: Male
    • Northern Ireland Aviation
  • Local Airport: Aldergrove EGAA
  • Favourite Aircraft: F-14 Tomcat
  • Camera Used: Canon EOS7D
  • Airliners.net Photos: 8
  • Jetphotos.net Photos: 54
  • A-P.net Photos: 510
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2009, 08:57:18 AM »
Nice one. Pity it was in the dark :(

vortex003

  • Guest
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2009, 04:48:12 PM »
The Irish Air Corps AW139 could be another possibility.M-ERIT (AW139) is a noisy beast when it is close by (i'm not complaining though :D ;))

Offline Angry Turnip

  • Global Moderator
  • Marshal of the Air Force
  • *****
  • Posts: 13980
  • Gender: Male
  • Local Airport: BFS
  • Favourite Aircraft: Hawker Hunter/Harrier
  • Camera Used: NIKON D7200
  • A-P.net Photos: 1
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2009, 03:43:37 PM »
Not the AW139,your right they are kinda noisey,but this was a big heli,was hoping somebody might have known from a SBS or AirNav.

Seaking,Commando,(Special Forces ?)or S-61 still the most likely I think.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2009, 03:44:25 PM by Angry Turnip »

vortex003

  • Guest
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2009, 04:08:49 PM »
None of the Irish Coastguard S61s' show up on the SBS/Airnav,and mine is switched off at night so i can't help further.You'll have to get yourself a cheap scanner Angry - and you'll hear them talking to Aldergrove / Dublin / Shannon ;) ;)

Offline Angry Turnip

  • Global Moderator
  • Marshal of the Air Force
  • *****
  • Posts: 13980
  • Gender: Male
  • Local Airport: BFS
  • Favourite Aircraft: Hawker Hunter/Harrier
  • Camera Used: NIKON D7200
  • A-P.net Photos: 1
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2009, 08:51:34 PM »
I have a very cheap scanner but it doesnt pick up military stuff unfortunatly :(

The heli I heard was very low and sounded a bit like a Chinnook,made the windows vibrate,but when I looked out I couldnt see anything which makes me think it was a military type-no anti-collision lights were visable.

A freind of mine still works at Aldergrove so I will pick his brains and see if he knows what it was.

Will let you all know if I find out what it was.

vortex003

  • Guest
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2009, 09:13:12 PM »
The last Wokka i saw was out of Grosvenor and overhead my house back in 2005 i think :'( :'( :'(

I've a ball of footage on various camcorder tapes which i'd like to transfer to digital some time,(when i figure out how to do it)  ;)

Offline String

  • Air Marshal
  • *
  • Posts: 2099
  • Gender: Male
    • bann wildlife
  • Local Airport: city of derry
  • Favourite Aircraft: vulcan bomber
  • Camera Used: Sony Handycam & Sony A200 18-70mm & 75-300mm lens & Sigma 150-500mm lens
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2009, 10:25:37 AM »
This is the system i use to convert video to digital
the software is called Instant DVD Recorder by PINNACLE.
Here is some photo's
Image 1&2 are the connection stuff.
image 3 is the program running.

[attachment deleted by admin]
All theese worlds are yours except EUROPA

Offline String

  • Air Marshal
  • *
  • Posts: 2099
  • Gender: Male
    • bann wildlife
  • Local Airport: city of derry
  • Favourite Aircraft: vulcan bomber
  • Camera Used: Sony Handycam & Sony A200 18-70mm & 75-300mm lens & Sigma 150-500mm lens
All theese worlds are yours except EUROPA

vortex003

  • Guest
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2009, 11:19:46 AM »
Thanks Stu  8)- i'll have a look at it ;) ;)

Offline greglloyd

  • Wing Commander
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Local Airport: EGAA
  • Favourite Aircraft: SR-71
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2009, 12:42:23 PM »
Somebody in NI flies a Bell 222 (Airwolf). I've seen it fly over Banbridge before. It sounds very similar to a Chinook with the two big fat rotors!

vortex003

  • Guest
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2009, 03:02:25 PM »
It's more than likely N901RL which is a black Bell 430 (which looks much the same as the 222 from a distance).There are a few pics of it on my website if you enter the reg in the search box.

Offline String

  • Air Marshal
  • *
  • Posts: 2099
  • Gender: Male
    • bann wildlife
  • Local Airport: city of derry
  • Favourite Aircraft: vulcan bomber
  • Camera Used: Sony Handycam & Sony A200 18-70mm & 75-300mm lens & Sigma 150-500mm lens
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2009, 03:09:43 PM »
fantastic looking beastie.
All theese worlds are yours except EUROPA

Offline greglloyd

  • Wing Commander
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Local Airport: EGAA
  • Favourite Aircraft: SR-71
Re: Big Helicopter over Ballinderry now!
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2009, 07:14:13 PM »
That's her! The exact one.

I see it actually has 4 rotors - yet it has such a Chinook / Bell UH-1 type of thudding from the rotors on it's approach!