Apache helicopters Sheffield: Army reveals why attack helicopters flew over homes in city
Military bosses have explained why army attack helicopters flew low over houses in Sheffield, surprising residents in the city.
Reports of Apache helicopters were made from several parts of the city late on Thursday morning, with reports of the aircraft made in areas across the east of the city, including including areas such as Beighton, Killamarsh and Meadowhall.
Some residents took to social media to describe what they had seen, with some suggesting they were helicopters from the Netherlands air force.
Residents reported seeing the aircraft over the city just before 12noon.
Four of the helicopters were reported to have flown over, with residents under the flight path describing the the loud noise they made on the way over.
Today the Army issued a statement explaining what was going on.
The Army said in the statement: “Army Air Corp Apache helicopters from Wattisham Airfield, Suffolk completed a routine training sortie in Yorkshire and Northern England yesterday, this included low level flying.
“The Army routinely uses differing areas all over the UK for training as they provide complex and differing airspace challenges for our aircrew to ensure they are ready for global operations”
The Ministry of Defence website said The Apache Attack Helicopter, flown by the Army Air Corps, is a twin-engine, four bladed, tandem seat aerial weapons platform designed to accomplish a variety of missions in day, night and adverse weather in climactic conditions ranging from desert heart to arctic cold.
It says they are armed with an 30mm automatic cannon, wing-mounted 70mm rockets and Hellfire missiles.
The helicopters were famous as the aircraft that Prince Harry flew while he was service with the Army Air Corps.