Air Activity

[PolemIan]

Has anybody spotted any news reference to any planned air exercises? A couple of helicopters have been around this morning and another just popped out form the hill behind us, went over the garden at about 200' and headed off towards Stroumbi. There was an exercise with the fast jets around this time last year so just wondering if we are about to get another low flying exercise.

Ian

[cyprusmax47]

Two of these one's are around since 4 days between airport and Ezousa valley...

[Steve Matthews]

There was what appeared to be a Merlin or Super Puma flying around the Akamas, this morning.

[Dominic]

A helicopter like the one Max photoed flew over our house earlier.

[JimX]

Those military choppers are in fact Cyprus's only airforce, they do not have fast jets, they are in fact Russian Hind attack helicopters to be seen most Tuesdays flying over the Pafos area, there used to be three but one unfortunately crashed killing all on board, just east of Pafos. Not heard of any exercises personally.

[Steve Matthews]

The aircraft I saw yesterday had a much 'heavier' profile.

[Andromeda]

There were at least two Israeli CH53D operating low level around by us yesterday

[PaphosAL]

Were you seeing one or two like this Israeli CH53D baby, I wonder?

Israel_CH53D_chopper_S.jpg (66.07 KiB) Viewed 3859 times

AL

[Steve Matthews]

It was from quite a distance, and I'm no expert, but that might well be the type of helicopter that I saw.

[JimX]

when did the "3rd" Hind go down east of Pafos Jim?

I believe Dominic found the area where that helicopter crashed, he may give you directions to the memorial on farmland I believe, never been myself.

Cyprus army commander, air force chief killed in chopper crash
2002-07-10 14:02:34
Wed Jul 10, 5:33 AM ET By ALEX EFTY, Associated Press Writer -- NICOSIA, Cyprus - A military helicopter crashed early Wednesday during a night time training exercise in western Cyprus, killing the commander of the east Mediterranean island's National Guard and the air force chief. Two crew members and a navy officer also on board were also killed.

There were no survivors and no other aircraft was involved in the crash. Greek Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides, who visited the crash site, ruled out sabotage and promised a full investigation. He also announced a three-day national mourning period.Both Lt. Gen. Evangelos Florakis, the commander of the National Guard, or armed forces, and Wing Cmdr. Vassilis Demenagas, the air force chief, are officers of Greece's armed forces seconded to their posts in Cyprus on three-year contracts. Both Florakis, 59, and Demenagas, 50, are Greek nationals.The three others on board were air force crew Paris Athanasiades, 31, and Michael Shakalis, 24, and Florakis' aide de camp, 29-year-old Navy Cmdr. Nikos Georghiou. All three are Cypriots. "I don't think there was sabotage. A few minutes before the crash the pilot contacted the control tower and there was no indication of any problem," President Clerides said. He said a British citizen living near the crash site reported that he saw the helicopter losing altitude and apparently attempting an emergency landing.

"First indications are that the pilot managed to land, but as it was dark he landed on the edge of a small cliff. The helicopter then overturned several times and caught fire," a deeply moved Clerides told reporters on his return to his office in Nicosia, Cyprus' capital. Costakis Constantinou, deputy chairman of Parliament's defense committee, accompanied Clerides on his visit to the crash site. He told reporters that the bodies of the five men were completely burnt. "It is a horrible sight," he said.Defense Minister Socrates Hassikos said Florakis was flying to the western district of Paphos to watch a night exercise. He said the crash came shortly after the Bell 206's crew was last in contact with ground control at 4:55 a.m. (0155 GMT) Wednesday near Paphos, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of Nicosia. The helicopter crashed into a dry riverbed near a village, whose inhabitants alerted police, he added.Cypriot state television Wednesday showed the open, rolling countryside at the site of the crash. Smoke could be seen rising from a smoldering patch of earth. No debris was shown.