UPDATE: About the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters over West Seattle (and why you’ll probably see them again Thursday)

(Photo sent by Sally)

2:39 PM: Lots of questions this past hour about U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters over West Seattle. They’re from Joint Base Lewis McChord in Pierce County. We have a message out to Public Affairs there to see if they can comment. But this is far from the first time these types of helicopters have looped the area (and other points between here and the base); more often, we see them at night (flight trackers generally list them), and we’ve been told before that these are training flights.

(Photo sent by Karen)

(update) We’ve added a few more photos – thanks to everyone who’s sent them!

(Photo sent by Mike)

10:42 PM: Consensus (see comments below) seems to have landed on training for a Seahawks Thursday Night Football flyover tomorrow.

10:50 AM THURSDAY: Scott from the JBLM Public Affairs Office just confirmed that’s indeed what was happening. So you may see them over West Seattle again on the way to the flyover before the 5:15 pm game.

59 Replies to "UPDATE: About the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters over West Seattle (and why you'll probably see them again Thursday)"

  • Emily October 9, 2024 (2:46 pm)

    FlightRadar24 showed them doing circles around West Seattle and flying like 150ft over Lumen Field like 5 times

    • WSB October 9, 2024 (2:48 pm)

      Yes, that’s what the training flights often show, a loop here, a loop there. I did just reach an actual person at JBLM Public Affairs who is checking for me.

      • cb3811 October 9, 2024 (2:55 pm)

        I’m guessing it’s practice for a flyover for the Seahawks game tomorrow?

    • SeaK October 9, 2024 (3:09 pm)

      There is a hawks game tomorrow, maybe they’re practicing for a flyover? It was incredibly annoying to try and work with them circling, my desk was vibrating from the noise. 

      • Marty2 October 9, 2024 (3:26 pm)

        I was near the downtown Ferry Terminal this afternoon and saw them fly over Lumen Field, so I assume it was practice for tomorrow night’s Hawk game.

  • brizone October 9, 2024 (2:49 pm)

    Flew over the Myrtle Reservoir 4-5 times at this point.  Annoying.

    • Mr Henry October 9, 2024 (7:03 pm)

      Hey folks, it’s the “Sound of Freedom”.So please stop the whining.

      • Felix Grounds October 11, 2024 (7:31 am)

        Well done, I can’t tell if this is sarcasm or not?I’m going to assume it is.

  • Lauri October 9, 2024 (2:51 pm)

    Thank you! Assumed it was for training, but it’s good to know all is well.

  • Chris October 9, 2024 (2:51 pm)

    Thank you  WSB!

  • WS Res October 9, 2024 (3:02 pm)

    Flew so low over my house it shook my windows!

  • BJG October 9, 2024 (3:04 pm)

    The three helicopters flew so low directly over our house that as I pushed the front door open, the rotor blades forced the door back at me. Or was is the sound waves as well? That was too low! 

    • Dawson October 9, 2024 (3:43 pm)

      Yeah physics doesn’t work that way for aircraft when they’re more than 500 ft above ground like these were.

      • Securi October 9, 2024 (10:56 pm)

        Dawson and Derp – not so fast with the jabs, my friend. Flight data shows the trio entering Seattle airspace at 500 ft and maintained that as maximum altitude. They rhythmically fluctuated between as low as 200 ft, then rose back up to that 500 ft… maximum.  4 instances of 200 ft altitude at a speed of 60 mph. (*screenshot of flight data chart.)200 ft was their lowest… at least for 4 of their passes over West Seattle.  Now I’m no aeronautics engineer, but I can safely say the actual thrust needed for that heavy military grade rotary wing aircraft to fly that low and that slow… well… it’s not “not a lot”.Caught my drift? 🤙

        • Dawson October 10, 2024 (7:38 am)

          Securi, I am an engineer and no, the helos flying over won’t close doors. In part because the downwash from the rotors is directed aft of the aircraft to propel the aircraft forward not directly down. Having worked around these particular aircraft, I can say with confidence the original poster comment was hyperbole.

        • Rhonda October 10, 2024 (11:25 pm)

          Securi, I’ve stood directly under hovering Blackhawks at 200 feet and didn’t even feel a slight breeze.

    • Circle7 October 9, 2024 (3:45 pm)

      On sunny days, sometimes helicopters fly low to enjoy nature lovers sunning themselves in the privacy of their back yards. Of course our armed forces would never, but I wouldn’t say that about bored newscopters in LA, back in the day.

    • Derp October 9, 2024 (3:58 pm)

      Sounds like one’s imagination got the best of them. They don’t fly that low and are required to stay a certain height. 

      • BJG October 10, 2024 (12:26 pm)

        Derp…not imagination! The screen door was visibly fluttering and the heavy wooden front door in my hand was vibrating and I had to hold it open. Two helicopters just had passed low and directly over the house and the last one was just over the roof. I was there. You were not!

  • KM October 9, 2024 (3:12 pm)

    Thanks WSB for being such a reliable resource! I knew I’d find an answer here. 

  • Rhonda October 9, 2024 (3:29 pm)

    Too cool!

    • sbre October 9, 2024 (4:55 pm)

      What Rhonda said, x 10!!

  • K October 9, 2024 (3:50 pm)

    The Sherriff’s helicopter is circling over White Center right now.  Is that related?

    • Derp October 9, 2024 (5:48 pm)

      No,  as stated,  this is training for the Seahawks game tomorrow night. King county helicopter wouldn’t be involved

  • Seattlite October 9, 2024 (3:58 pm)

    I was taking photos at Lowman Beach when they passed above.  To me, it looked like training due to how they were uniform in their turns, lining up in a straight lines, formation flying.  

  • Joe E October 9, 2024 (4:08 pm)

    Typically training over an urban area is no longer than 45 minutes flight time because it disrupts flight traffic. They have been flying over head now for about 3 hours and that means multiple rotations are active. I’m leaning away from this being a typical training event. Yes Seattle Seahawks play tomorrow but that also makes me think that maybe JBLM  know something we don’t know and has heightened their awareness levels. Also there is altitude protocols for training events in urban environments. The protocol is NO LESS THAN 500ft in a training event will. Another reason I’m leaning against this being a training event. And finally, sadly enough, even if this was an actual mission they are flying, we will likely never know the truth.

    • WSB October 9, 2024 (4:20 pm)

      If you’re in south West Seattle or White Center, the helicopter presence in the past 45 minutes or so was different – Guardian One, investigating something in WC that we’re trying to find out about (we’re just leaving the school-closure protest in SODO, headed for WC)

    • Kathy October 10, 2024 (8:17 am)

      Joe E, Of all the answers, yours makes the most sense.

  • Idkkk October 9, 2024 (4:21 pm)

    Any info on what was just going on 20 mins ago?? They had tons of cops driving around 17th ave and had K-9 in front of dominos, did they have another robbery??

    • WSB October 9, 2024 (5:26 pm)

      Taboo Video was robbed. Writing a separate mention

  • TJ October 9, 2024 (5:04 pm)

    Where some see and feel the sound of noise and disruption, I see and feel the sweet sound of freedom that so many take for granted. Freedom provided by the young men and women who fly these aircraft. This message is for every military pilot, at every military installation in the PNW… you are free to buzz my house anytime you like. I love a warm blanket, thanks for being here for us. 

    • Vee October 9, 2024 (5:52 pm)

      yes  , I think it’s great too. a lot of miserable people  out there ,complain about everything

    • T Rex October 9, 2024 (5:55 pm)

      Amen!! Well said TJ, I feel the same. 

    • Jules October 9, 2024 (6:27 pm)

      AMEN to that! Some of the comments in here are just plain ridiculous, a tad narcissistic and on the ignorant side. What a sight it is! Grateful every day that our Armed Forces keep our country safe!

      • Scarlett October 9, 2024 (8:21 pm)

        Safe from what, exactly?  Last time I checked, the U.S. had 700 bases around the world and outspends Russia, China, Germany, Britain and a host of other countries on “defense” spending (remember when it was the Dept of War?)

        So who’s feeling safe – and who isn’t?  

      • BJG October 10, 2024 (5:45 pm)

        Odd responses to a comment about  very low flying aircraft over residential areas! My husband was a Navy Air typhoon hunter in the Pacific for five years, also flew reconnaissance missions over N Vietnam. His plane was shot down. I think we understand patriotism. We have active Navy in the family who are deployed now. Stop with the silly comments.

    • Maria October 9, 2024 (7:46 pm)

      Agreed & well said. I love seeing and hearing them above my apartment. 

    • Seattlite October 9, 2024 (9:05 pm)

      TJ…Perfect comment!

      • Chuck October 10, 2024 (10:37 am)

        Shout out to my late Father in Law Jerry Lee Manuel who flew helicopters in Korea and Vietnam. And his 5 Purple Hearts. 

        • Bbron October 10, 2024 (5:14 pm)

          2 conflicts that are perfect examples as to why not everyone would associate the sound of these helicopters with “freedom”. Best to remember our imperialism lest we are doomed to continue to repeat it.

          • WS Res October 10, 2024 (5:26 pm)

    • DewpointDad October 13, 2024 (6:01 pm)

      Thanks TJ,One of those pilots is my son. Yes, they were practicing for the Thursday Night Football flyover.

  • Joan October 9, 2024 (5:06 pm)

    Training is fine and understandable.  But my whole house shakes and they were too low for my liking. Why can’t they fly higher? It’s not acceptable to buzz residential areas. I felt like Radar. I could sense them coming.

  • K to the F October 9, 2024 (6:05 pm)

    To be clear, the flight radar site showed them flying at 500’ elevation over West Seattle which, since many of us are already at 300’ up near the Junction, they were only 200’ above us. That’s pretty dang low — too low for my taste. I don’t love war but am in awe of the engineering around vehicles like these and, still, not a fan of these repeated, low flights.

    • Cal October 9, 2024 (8:05 pm)

      Hear, hear, K to the F.

      I’ve grown used to the Blue Angels, airplane noise from King County Airport, game day flyovers, etc., but my house shouldn’t be shaking (not to mention the noise) for a training exercise. They can still be trained and *not* make our homes shake.

  • red, white & blue October 9, 2024 (6:16 pm)

    I’m with TJ, Rhonda and SBRE.  I live on Alki and the temporary low-flying sounds and window rattling didn’t bother me nor my dog or cat.  It was very cool to watch and hear them, and I am thankful for their service!

    • momosmom October 9, 2024 (8:39 pm)

      I’m with TJ,Rhonda, SBRE & Red White & Blue…..and also the older gentleman I saw at Pacific Raceway a few weeks ago… a couple of Black Hawks flew over and he stopped in his tracks stood straight up and tall and saluted them. 🇺🇸 

  • Ray October 9, 2024 (7:52 pm)

    I have to agree with others about how loud the choppers were, I could barely hear my pickleball game over the noise.

    • Mike October 9, 2024 (9:04 pm)

      You win, well played… 🤣

  • Just wondering October 9, 2024 (8:17 pm)

    The window weights in my 1931 house vibrated fiercely from the fly over! I knew WSB would explain what happened!

  • SuspiciousObserver October 9, 2024 (8:20 pm)

    There are a lot of plausible theories, or reasons that could be given for activities like this. Just to spice it up a bit, the presidential elections are coming up soon. There’s also a saying I particularly like during the here and now: “There are no military exercises, only WWlll disguises.”

    • Neighbor October 10, 2024 (2:31 pm)

      Ok but there *are* military exercises, which this is.  It has nothing to do with WWIII.  So you’re just lying to yourself.  But why?  What benefit is there to deluding yourself on the purpose of benign events?

      • SuspiciousObservers October 12, 2024 (2:09 pm)

        Training is still training. If any of the personnel units go off to fight anywhere in the world for the foreseeable future, it can technically fall under the classification of them participating in WWlll. It wasn’t until after WWl and WWll that those names were given out. The arenas of war within the grand scope of each WW were vast, and varied in said classification qualifications.All military training goes towards the military industrial complex’s ultimate goal, WW…tantamount to a boxer on their journey to being champion of the world.

  • I Know Stuff October 9, 2024 (9:34 pm)

    Not sure if the blog has gotten a response from JBLM public affairs yet, but this was a training flight for Thursday Night Football tomorrow. They are UH-60 Blackhawks, part of the “Axe Men” of Company A of the 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, based out of JBLM. 

    • WSB October 9, 2024 (10:41 pm)

      No, the person with whom I spoke at the PAO promised to look into it and call back, but didn’t. Checked the Seahawks website too, as last flyover apparently finally got previewed in the “Gameday” section. Given that one of the Black Hawks showed on flight tracker with call sign AXE11, makes perfect sense.

  • Freemind October 9, 2024 (9:59 pm)

    Enough with the army muscle flexing flyovers, aiming to sound the patriotic “freedom” narrative. This country is enslaved by capitalism, racism, immense inequality all over. If you feel free then it is because of your individual privilege, or because you drank the cool aid. Please try critical thinking, a dying art. Global travel helps, too.

  • Kathy October 10, 2024 (8:21 am)

    They were flying low over Steilacoom yesterday around 6pm or so. Much lower than they usually fly at night when they’re training. I wondered if they were looking for someone. Scared my cat into the bushes.

  • WSB October 10, 2024 (10:52 am)

    Just got OFFICIAL confirmation that yes, it was training, and yes, specifically, it was practice for the game flyover. So you will probably see them again today.

  • Edgardo October 10, 2024 (10:17 pm)

    Well friday night there were about 8 helo’ in formation in seattle just hovering for a hot minute.  

Sorry, comment time is over.