# Black Helicopters

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-helicopters/4747>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 30, 1999, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-helicopters/4747 "1999-03-30T09:06:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![The\_LION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_LION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_LION)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 1999, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-helicopters/4747/21 "1999-11-15T04:39:00Z")

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Untill about six months ago I lived close to Hook’s airport in Tomball Tx. just northwest of Houston.  
The D.E.A. based a UH-60 Blackhawk heliopter painted flat black at that airport.  
I used to see it arriving or departing all the time.  
I also overheard there radio communications with the airport tower on my ham radios many times.

Peace  
t lion

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 1999, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-helicopters/4747/22 "1999-11-16T00:35:00Z")

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I work at an airport, near a military facilty. Military & gov. aircraft of all types come through here; from hurricane chasing aircraft to combat fighters to a-10 Warthogs to Air Force ! (&2, now that Gore has moved his campaign HQ). I’ve seen LOTS of planes.  
It’s often harder than you think to locate ID/insignia. Light levels, weather conditions, & even color schemes can create a ‘black’ appearance.

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Is an appreciation of beauty a function of the human soul?

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**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 1999, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-helicopters/4747/23 "1999-11-16T00:59:00Z")

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Thanks to the Lion, I found these [pictures](http://www.sikorsky.com/gallery/blackhawk/index.html) on the Sikorsky website.

The first one is particularly interesting in that it is well lighted and there do not seem to be any markings. If there are, you’d probably have to be alot closer to see them.

These are army helicopters, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the DEA used the same thing.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 1999, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-helicopters/4747/24 "1999-11-16T01:19:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> One more thing though: Is there anyone else in the LA area that remembers the news report about the black helicopter landing on the beach?

I remember seeing an item about a helicopter landing on the beach. I don’t remember the colour of the helicopter, but I do remember that the personnel wore black uniforms with no markings. This was, IIRC, on KCAL (channel 9 in the greater LA area.) But it was more than “a couple of years ago”, I thought. I moved to California in 1985, so it would have been after that.

Also I have once seen helicopters that seemed black to me when I was on the beach in San Clemente.

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La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit.  
H. de Livry

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