How does that happen. What kind of exercise puts those two aircraft, an attack helicopter and a long range surveillance plane, it such close proximity?
I was going to ask the same question
Here in San Diego we have the largest concentration of military. Major numbers of Marines and Navy.
San Clemente Island is off the NW coast of San Diego and is owned by the Navy.
Used for war games etc.
The Marine Chopers along with Marine Jets are based here at Marimar Marine Air Station, hedquarters of the 3rd air wing
also Camp Pendleton here with tens of thousands of Marines has Choppers based there also
I'm wondering if it was a Marine Cobra or a Navy H-60? The HSM/L squadrons conduct ASW training out on SCI. Additionally, there's a SEAL training area and a bombing range. I've been there a few times. I've never seen Cobras but that doesn't mean they couldn't be training out there as well. Lot's of live-fire exercises conducted out there.
Hmm... It's pretty quiet here on the NASNI seawall. Maybe I'll head out to the smoke pit and see what's up.
Prayers to all.
I ask the same question myself.... unless the c-130 was acting in a SAR capacity and was doing low level grid searches... but that does not explain the cobra... it is a head scratcher...
probly a joint trainning op.......we used to drop flares through the helos below us to light up the surface all night long,can get hairy
As a former Coast Guard Recue Center Controller, I can say that it appears that they were involved in a multi-unit, land and sea search and rescue operation. I planned and executed many of these operations. There is supposed to be 500 ft vertical separation as well as horizontal separation by search area. Perhaps, the target was located and the C-130 was directing the helo to the site. That would be the only reason to have both aircraft in the same area. It will be interesting to see the inquiry results.