what was that?

[RenegadeT]

Friday night, around 9pm, I heard what sounded like helicopters, real low and loud. I ran on the deck and saw 2-3 dark objects (most likely helicopters) with no lights followed by a helicopter with the standard blinking lights. They were moving probably at max speed for a helicopter, maybe 3-400ft in the air, travelling west over Bellews Lake, north of Greensboro. About 30 mins later, I heard more, it looked like the lighted helicopter heading northeast, this time maybe 1000 ft, but still moving fast. Then he came back a short time later heading south.
Anyone eelse see/hear this, or was it just me

 

[JeepURE]

probably military training. we get helo's all the time over high rock and badin lakes. i think they come from ft. bragg or somewhere down east. it's real fun when you get to see the big ass airplanes they use flying real low under the clouds. they make one helluva racket!

 

[hscrugby]

Was always fun back home at Holiday Lake. They were in the "Low fly training" area for the fast guys from Norfolk area.
Holiday Lake

So you'd be teaching little kids how to ride a horse etc, look up and see an f-14, low enough to read the pilot's name, notice bumps on his oxygen hose, etc etc. ALMOST have time to grab the horse as the noise hit you.
(I had a few ribs broken from this)
While remarkably cool seeing them flying that fast, that low, I swear it made a lot of those kids terrified of horses forever.


But something like you're describing sounds very much like military exercises.

 

[Rich]

saw 2-3 dark objects (most likely helicopters) with no lights followed by a helicopter with the standard blinking lights.

Sounds like standard night-vision goggle flying formation. All the ones up front are using IR marker lights, and the tail bird uses only the rear red strobe to help warn civilian air traffic, while not excessively overpowering the NVG's.

I liked doing those flights on a warm night.. I could see people looking up, but they almost always had that blank "WTF is that?" look on their face - the rest were shaking their fist because we were making too much noise..