October 21, 2009
CNN iReport

Title: On October 15, 2009 2 giant Navy Sea Stallion helicopters from the Marine Corp Base Miramar flew below 1000 feet over the Descanso, Samagtuma Valleys and close by Descanso California School

Attachment:  Window Movie Video (wmv)

Open Letter

US Navy/Marines

Your personnel continue to fly our (taxpayers) helicopters extremely low through the Descanso and Samagatuma valleys in the east San Diego county California. With your short memories you may need reminding that this location is only a few miles west of the site where one of our Cobra helicopters went down in May killing the crew and starting a brush fire that could not immediately be extinguished due to exploding ordinance.

At 12:17 PM, October 15, 2009 2 Sea Stallion helicopters from the MAS Miramar cut to the northeast, shooting over the Descanso Junction, through the Descanso Valley, skimming the northwest flank of Guatay Mountain, well below that mountain peak and no more than 1 thousand feet over old US highway 80. I estimate, after reading a DOI geological survey map (Descanso Quadrangle), that both aircraft were no higher than 500 feet above some of their vertical ground track elevations and obstacles during their joy ride.

They then went through the gap between Guatay Mountain and the Cuyamaca toward the Cuyamaca mountains that form a boundary for the 3800 foot Samagatuma Valley. They went between and lower than the 4885 foot Guatay Mountain and the unnamed 4247 foot high ridge about 1&1/2 miles to the north.

At the point they turned back east and based on the height of the ridge they dropped behind, I estimate that the buzz started at around 5000 feet at the Descanso Junction and ended up below 4000 feet above sea level to the east. With the Cuyamaca mountains and foothills ranging from 3200 to over 6000 feet most of this highly risky maneuver was below close by geographic obstacles.

I have run out of cusswords to describe how I feel about the lack of discipline shown by your officers. The four officers responsible for this stupid flight should be in jail. Both helicopters passed within 1 and ½ miles of a school (in session at the time) on the first pass and even closer when one of the aircraft circled back to make another aerogant (arrogant) buzz.

As these two helicopters were outbound on what is an observed almost daily round trip to god knows where (El Centro? Yuma?) I would assume they are hauling a lot of aviation fuel. When one or both (collision) of these giants come down it’s going to be like having two gasoline tanker trucks fall from the sky. Oh, they won’t come down? At that low altitude and with all the birds out here it was a miracle that they didn’t come down last week.

While filming (video tape is a film), in my minds eye, I could just see that lead Sea Stallion taking a rotor bird-strike and the pilot using ever bit of adrenaline to wrestle a controlled turn back west and then losing it a mile inbound, spinning and spiraling down on that school full of kids and teachers.

My comments and worrisome possibilities are all backed up by the attached video, if you care to watch.

I have just one additional comment about this bullshit behavior of these f-head helicopter pilots. I believe that these f’ers were buzzing the Cobra crash site like some deranged buzzard circling bleached bones. I am telling you now, that Cobra crash site is not going to be a flyby memorial without a lot of trouble. Mark my words. You had better handle it now than later and that also goes for the WW Too, FAA sponsored buzzaerods (aero-buzzards).

If you would just severely discipline the officers involved in this incident and make a public and Federal case of it, that would go a long way in stopping what appears to be a small group of elitist pilots doing what they goddamn well please. When not, you are essentially saying to hell with the stupid San Diego east county yokels.  I wonder if any of these rogue pilots would buzz a small town and school with their kids inside, especially when flying extremely sophisticated armed, loaded and cocked stretched thin ‘monkey see monkey do’ maintained equipment?

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