Military helicopters to fly low and without lights over Lancashire

The night flights are for military training and appear to be operated by British Special Forces unit the SAS (Special Air Service).

Codenamed ‘Exercise Slingshot’ by the Ministry of Defencem, the helicopter exercise will take place between 10am and midnight, from Monday, March 6 to Thursday, March 9.

Three twin-engined blue and white Dauphins will be deployed to Lancashire under the command of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.

The special forces choppers – nicknamed ‘Blue Thunder’ – are usually manned by one or two pilots and can carry up to 12 troops.

Regional airports, airfields and flight personnel have been notified via a NOTAMS (a notice to aviation authorities alerting pilots to potential hazards along a flight route).

According to the NOTAMS, the flight notice was issued by the Ministry of Defence from its Stirling Lines SAS base in Credenhill, Herefordshire.

When and where will they be in the skies over Lancashire?

The helicopters will fly low and without lights at times between 10am and 11pm from Monday, March 6 to Thursday, March 9, with night flights confirmed for parts of Lancashire.

Flights are expected to take place within a two nautical mile radius of Blackpool and Poulton, as well as airfields in Warton and Samlesbury, at a max height of 3,400ft.

Other exercises could also see the special forces operate over Chorley, with troops using the firefighter training facility in Euxton. The choppers will also make an appearance over Clitheroe and Bury.

In general, special operations helicopters maintain a low profile and usually avoid daylight exercises where they might wind up in a viral social media video.

But in the early hours of March 15, 2022, an SAS ‘Blue Thunder’ helicopter without lights was filmed circling above Bury in complete darkness.

Troops were seen abseiling down to a rooftop – believed to be the firefighter training facility in Hinds Lane, owned by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

The military training exercise is known as ‘fast-roping’ and sees troops land from a significant height where a helicopter cannot touch down. Soldiers hold onto a cable with gloved hands and lower themselves down to the ground or a building below.

Other training might include ‘touch-and-go’ where pilots come in to land but take off again without coming to a stop.

The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment.