# Why did an Apache helicopter just circle my house? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505 "2007-08-14T00:42:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/21 "2007-08-14T11:51:55Z")
FHA roof inspection? ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/22 "2007-08-14T12:15:37Z")
Searching for tread killers? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/23 "2007-08-14T12:17:28Z")
[QUOTE=flyboy88] Two guesses, off the top of my head: 2) ATC gave them a few penalty turns for whatever reason [/QUOTE] _snerk_ On a related note: The pilot said something rude, and was put in ‘time out.’ Other possibilities: - Lawn inspectiosn for the local Compliance Officer… - Someone was cooking something that smelled _real_ good… - It was a random “mess with folks’ minds” excercise… - They were house hunting… \<- Parse that one as many ways as you can! - The county is trialling new ways of demolishing condemned buildings… ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/24 "2007-08-14T12:29:06Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] Hot neighbor lady is a nude sunbather, eh? [/QUOTE] Google Earth confirms that. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/25 "2007-08-14T12:30:30Z")
Might be time for new blinds for the bathrooms & bedrooms upstairs at your house. As for who up there was so strikingly hot that they could stop an Apache in its tracks, that’s up to the Op in a different thread. “Well, there goes operation ‘Thor’…” ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/26 "2007-08-14T12:59:09Z")
You.aww nothing. It was a pocket of swamp has that exploded. Maybe it was ball lightning. You should have used your Apache-be-gon. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/27 "2007-08-14T13:16:22Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Was it a British Apache or an American one? [/Quote] Pretty sure it was American. It wasn’t right-hand drive.\* \*yes, I know Apaches have tandem seating. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/28 "2007-08-14T13:16:55Z")
[QUOTE=RandMcnally] When they’re cloaked (lights off)… [/QUOTE] So _that’s_ what cloaking is? They just turn the lights off? There goes decades of science fiction down the tubes. “Did you forget to pay your electricity bill?” “Stupid, puny Earthling! I am CLOAKED!” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/29 "2007-08-14T13:19:36Z")
1.) Don’t worry – they do that to all Paranoids 2.) They’re checking you out so they can arrest you when you try to drive your mule to the airport. Just like Henry Hill. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/30 "2007-08-14T13:27:35Z")
[QUOTE=MEBuckner] :dubious: You’re not Osama bin Laden, are you? [/QUOTE] Curse you, infidel! Now I’ll have to move my secret lair again. And there was great Vietnamese place just up the street. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/31 "2007-08-14T14:01:19Z")
Not an Apache, more like a Bell 430 followed me across Lake Dallas. I had just launched my boat at the ramp near the old Lake Dallas dam, it’s a 14’ aluminum fishing boat. Nothing conspicuous. No more than got under way and this solid black helicopter comes popping over the dam and is right on me. I’m trying to ignore it, but I can’t figure out any other explanation other than he’s following me. My boat will do maybe 25 tops, it’s not like he’d have to strain to pass on over. My buddy lived on Lake Dallas, maybe a mile from the ramp, and I just go ahead and go there, it was my destination all along. The chopper makes a couple of circles and leaves. No big deal, just a little on the odd side. I mention it to my buddy, we laugh and make all the “black helicopter” jokes. Until the next day. Me, him, and his son are out messing arond in the boat. A little fishing, a little swimming, just goofing off. And here come the helicopter again. This time it comes flying right up to us, kinda circles a little, and lands on the bank not 100 yards away. Now I’m more than a little curious so I head the boat over to the bank, I’m going to ask them what the deal is. As soon as we reach the bank, somebody gets back in on the far side and it takes off and leaves the area. Maybe somebody needed to take a leak. We did get a pretty good look at it, and it had one of those globe mounted cameras under the nose, never even thought to get the N number (buddy didn’t have internet at that place, anyway). Looking back, I’m sure it had to be just a series of coincidences, but at the time it was pretty unusual. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/32 "2007-08-14T14:30:06Z")
[Quote=Quartz] BTW I’ve been up close and personal with an Apache and they’re surprisingly small. [/Quote] They are, and yet, they still ooze badassness. Like seriously, those things are just so friggin cool. I got the chance to fly with them a few months back. Damn…I’m unable to find some of the pictures that were taken. They must be on the other computer. [QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] So _that’s_ what cloaking is? They just turn the lights off? There goes decades of science fiction down the tubes. “Did you forget to pay your electricity bill?” “Stupid, puny Earthling! I am CLOAKED!” [/QUOTE] Yeah, but there’s still the ‘stealth’ and ‘whisper’ modes. Sorry, I can’t tell you about those, highly classified. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/33 "2007-08-14T14:38:48Z")
Because it’s much, _much_ harder for your house to circle an Apache helicopter. Thanks, you’ve been a great audience. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/34 "2007-08-14T16:21:53Z")
Do you have any really, _really_ strong magnets in the upper rooms of the house? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/35 "2007-08-14T16:31:59Z")
Perhaps it was a drill…they had HazMat/terrorism drills here yesterday. My apologies for offering a serious answer. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/36 "2007-08-14T16:38:58Z")
In all seriousness- He did it for some kids. Pilot who likes kids and/or has a child of his own sees some kids pointing and acting really excited. He executes a slow circle to give them a better view of his machine before leaving. I once got the pilot of an ultralight to do the same thing. He was low enough that there was no question that he’d seen my excited gestures and noticed that our car had stopped and the driver had stuck her head out the window for a better view. Unable to land, he slowed substantially and gave us a big circle so we could see his machine. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/37 "2007-08-14T17:11:07Z")
Live action BF2. Watch for claymores. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/38 "2007-08-14T17:31:51Z")
Your location says “smack dab in the middle.” He _has_ to circle you, right? Eh, it’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![HumanMonkeyGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c67d28/32.png) [@HumanMonkeyGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HumanMonkeyGod)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/39 "2007-08-14T19:15:22Z")
Let’s say this were to happen repeatedly, who could you ask more seriously in order to find out what’s going on? Would there be any chance of getting them to stop? ---
**Author:** ![DustyButt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@DustyButt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DustyButt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505/40 "2007-08-14T20:33:57Z")
Was he turning circles clockwise or counter-clockwise? The toilet’s emergency dump valve is on the left side, you know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-an-apache-helicopter-just-circle-my-house/415505.md?page=3)