427 Squadron in Hamilton

[old medic]

October 29, 2012 13:30 ET
Canadian Forces to Conduct Helicopter Training in Hamilton
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/canadian-forces-to-conduct-helicopter-training-in-hamilton-1718997.htm

HAMILTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 29, 2012) - Helicopters from 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron will conduct urban night flying training in Hamilton, Ontario from 29 October to 1 November, 2012. This training will help familiarize the pilots with the challenges of flying in an urban environment at night.

The training is scheduled to occur on 30 and 31 October between 8 p.m. and approximately midnight (12 a.m.). If the training is cancelled on either of these dates due to inclement weather, there may be flights on 1 November. It is also possible that the exercise could be either delayed or cancelled altogether due to the severe weather conditions associated with the storm forecasted to affect Southern Ontario this week. If the exercise is rescheduled, Hamilton residents will be advised of the new dates.

The helicopters will be visible operating at a low altitude in close proximity to the Stelco Tower building at 116 King Street West. The helicopters will approach the building at a low altitude from a variety of directions, hover over the building for a brief period of time and then depart and repeat the process until the pilots have become proficient.

Residents should not be alarmed as this training has been fully coordinated with the City of Hamilton, the owners of Stelco Tower and the appropriate aviation authorities.

427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron is an Air Force tactical helicopter squadron under the operational command of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.

Notes to editor / news director: More information on 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron can be found at: http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/427soas-427eosa/index-eng.asp

More information on CANSOFCOM is available at: http://www.comfoscan.forces.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

Media seeking more information regarding this training may contact Major Doug MacNair at 613-240-8072 or by e-mail at douglas.macnair@forces.gc.ca

Air Force uses Hamilton for helicopter training
By Flannery Dean, CBC News
Posted: Oct 29, 2012 3:45 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2012/10/29/hamilton-helicopter.html

Don't be alarmed if you hear a loud rumbling in the sky on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. It's just helicopters from Canada's 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron conducting counter-terrorism training sessions over Stelco Tower for the next two days.

The 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron is an Air Force tactical helicopter squadron that falls under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, which includes the Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2).

“These pilots fly in support of very specific missions,” said Major Douglas MacNair.

A significant part of their mandate is counter-terrorism measures, he added. As a result, Tuesday and Wednesday's training sessions will simulate a response to a counter-terrorism threat.

“They will simulate dropping off troops on the roof of Stelco Tower,” said MacNair.

Helicopters will be flying low and hovering over Stelco Tower as a way of simulating a response to a real urban threat. And yes, it will be “noisy” confirmed MacNair.

Don't expect to see any fatigue-clad soldiers rappelling from the aircraft and onto the roof of the King Street West tower, however. The effort is just a training exercise.

MacNair stressed the importance of preparing pilots to fly difficult maneuvers in an urban environment in the dark as this is the most likely scenario for a real situation.

“The point is to deal with the challenges of an urban environment,” he said.

Training will start at 8 p.m both nights and will end at midnight.

Hurricane Sandy may force the choppers to reconsider their flight plan, though.

We're pushing ahead now but the big storm can have an impact,” said MacNair. If the storm is too much, the flights will take place Wednesday and Thursday of this week instead, he added.

The training sessions are largely counter-terrorism exercises, but MacNair joked that the city of Hamilton was chosen as a location for its skyline and urban environment not because of any perceived security issue.

“We haven't identified a threat in Hamilton”, he said jokingly. “It's just a city of the right size and skyline.”

Last year, similar training took place in Windsor.

Major Doug MacNair stresses the training is weather permitting at the moment. If Hurricane Sandy proves too powerful the training will take place Wednesday and Thursday night rather than Tuesday and Wednesday.

Military helicopters in Hamilton
31 October 2012
http://chch.com/index.php/home/item/10201-military-helicopters-in-hamilton

Residents in downtown Hamilton had front row seats to a military helicopter operation that left some in awe and others covering their ears.
Helicopters from 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron began urban night flying training in the city Tuesday night, which left a number of residents upset because of the noise. The exercise is meant to help pilots familiarzie themselves with the challenges of flying in an urban environment at night.

Ward 2 city councillor Jason Farr says he received a lot of calls about the noise from concerned residents. He says he called Hamilton Police Chief, Glenn De Caire, to ask operations scheduled for Wednesday night be cancelled. Hamilton Police later sent out a news release saying it does not have the authority to suspend military operations or exercises.

Farr says he's upset with the lack of notification from the military about the training exercise. He says he only had a matter of hours to try to notify his constituents about the operation.

The helicopters are practicing in the vicinity of Stelco Tower in downtown Hamilton. They approach the building at a low altitude from a variety of directions, and hover over the building for a brief period of time before repeating the exercise.

427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron is an Air Force tactical helicopter squadron that deals in counter-terrorism and is under the command of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.

What's all the commotion in downtown Hamilton?
CBC News
Posted: Oct 31, 2012 6:14 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2012/10/31/hamilton-helicopter-downtown.html

It's noisy, but necessary — according to the military.

Helicopters from Canada's 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron will be conducting a second night of counter-terrorism training sessions over Stelco Tower from 6:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“We certainly wouldn't inconvenience anyone unless we absolutely had to,” said Major Douglas MacNair.

McNair said he spoke with Coun. Jason Farr Wednesday afternoon about complaints downtown residents had made about the noise.

“I completely understand his concerns,” MacNair said. “We have a joke in the military that we defend democracy, but we don't practice it.”

“So it's always good for my morale after being in places like Afghanistan where societies may not be so democratic to see a politician just looking after his constituents.”

MacNair says a significant part of the flight mandate is counter-terrorism measures. As a result, Wednesday's training sessions will simulate a response to a counter-terrorism threat.

“They will simulate dropping off troops on the roof of Stelco Tower,” said MacNair.

Helicopters will be flying low and hovering over Stelco Tower as a way of simulating a response to a real urban threat. Don't expect to see any fatigue-clad soldiers rappelling from the aircraft and onto the roof of the King Street West tower, however. The effort is just a training exercise.

MacNair stressed the importance of preparing pilots to fly difficult maneuvers in an urban environment in the dark as this is the most likely scenario for a real situation.

“The point is to deal with the challenges of an urban environment,” he said.

The training sessions are largely counter-terrorism exercises, but MacNair joked that Hamilton was chosen as a location for its skyline and urban environment not because of any perceived security issue.

“We haven't identified a threat in Hamilton”, he said jokingly. “It's just a city of the right size and skyline.”

Last year, similar training took place in Windsor.

 

[old medic]

Normally, I leave the date on an article and leave out the time stamp.  In the
above case, I thought looking at the times was important.  2 hours 15 minutes
is the time between the marketwire release and the CBC story going up. Other
outlets (CHCH, Hamilton Spec) also followed up on the 29th and 30th.

Well handled by Major MacNair.

 

[benny88]

The notification looks like an attempt to limit the amount of hand-wringing by the tin-foil hat brigade... I bet it didn't work. Would have been thrilling for me if I was a kid out trick-or-treating!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

We've had this kind of training in downtown Windsor before and nobody freaked. One or two articles, IIRC, and it became a ho hum event for us.

 

[PanaEng]

We've had this kind of training in downtown Windsor before and nobody freaked. One or two articles, IIRC, and it became a ho hum event for us.

But Hamilton is way different than Windsor. Geographically, the escarpment can channel and focus the sound. But more importantly is the fact that at least some of the population in the area very weary of military, police or anything that can be considered state... One of the last bastions of the CPC (Communist Party of Canada) after all. (I'm from the area)

 

[Journeyman]

Hamilton is also where Sheila Copps hid HMCS Haida when she stole it.

After all, no one would ever have seen it in Toronto; Hamilton is such a natural tourist draw.

 

[Bluebulldog]

But Hamilton is way different than Windsor. Geographically, the escarpment can channel and focus the sound. But more importantly is the fact that at least some of the population in the area very weary of military, police or anything that can be considered state... One of the last bastions of the CPC (Communist Party of Canada) after all. (I'm from the area)

I found it interesting that the hoopla is mainly because one city councillor's office fielded 40 complaints about the noise.

Having gone to school there, and trained there with the reserves in the recent past, I can say that the city is definitely pro-CF. The turn out on Nov 11, can attest to that.

Funny how the local CF reserves are awarded " The Freedom of the City" for publicitys sake, but try not to tick anyone off while you exercise said freedom.

People should remember the councilors name come election time. Councilor Jason Farr, may not realize that the same people who proudly support the troops, are also the one's most likely to participate in the election process.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Interesting to note the URL chosen by the home-town newspaper for their story, time tagged about an hour after the initial news release:
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/827064--councillor-jason-farr-demands-downtown-chopper-training-stop
Don't know the editorial stance of the Spectator, but one can divine the initial angle the editors/webmeisters were going for....

The notification looks like an attempt to limit the amount of hand-wringing by the tin-foil hat brigade... I bet it didn't work.

Or maybe just to let people know why there are some helicopters flying pretty damned close to a big office building in town?