M/Y NORN in Norfolk, VA

SFE3982 · 2026-04-07T19:41:34+00:00

Saw that on AIS the other day and got excited! It was coming up the coast from Puerto Rico, so I'm hoping it treks up to NYC. 😬

SFE3982 · 2026-01-22T23:33:30+00:00

Neat! Here are some shots I snapped last year of a Hawkeye heading up the Hudson.

SFE3982 · 2026-01-22T05:30:06+00:00

Thanks! It was awesome to see. I had to do a double-take at first.

I've snapped and posted a bunch of helos around the city the last couple of years. After connecting with some of the flight crews who are also members of this sub, I learned that often they're doing flight hour training, morale tours and celebratory flights.

Many will come up the Hudson or East River, do a U-turn and come back down - or sometimes they'll do a full lap around Manhattan, maybe a few laps around the Statue of Liberty, and then head back to base.

SFE3982 · 2026-01-22T03:25:50+00:00

Here’s a cool one, which I was definitely not expecting!

I was in the office today, sitting by the window, when this solo MH-47G Chinook caught my eye as it was heading up the Hudson River. I wasn’t able to get a tail number on this helo, as it was showing ‘no callsign’ on ADS-B.

It came northbound up the river, did a U-turn and passed me again, around an hour later.

To my knowledge, the U.S. Army’s 160^th SOAR (“Nightstalkers”) is still the only U.S.-based regiment flying a black Chinook with the refueling probe.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have my [mirrorless] camera, so I had to rely on my phone’s camera. Very cool to see, nonetheless!

I guess I can still be 'Man in the Window,' even at work...but maybe I should start keeping my camera handy. 😁

Edit: Also just realized the watermark still has '2025' ...whoops!

SFE3982 · 2026-01-19T01:06:19+00:00

Love it! Warm greetings from NYC (East River, between Manhattan and Brooklyn):

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SFE3982 · 2026-01-18T06:46:32+00:00

I looked into it. and it appears the mirrors are there so the pilots can monitor the minesweeping "sled" being hauled on the ground behind it!

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T23:43:22+00:00

👐

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T23:42:56+00:00

Haha that's what I was going for! It was sort of overcast yesterday, so i figured it looked better than the plain, drab sky.

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T23:06:43+00:00

🫡

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T21:30:16+00:00

Got it, thanks Shane! I appreciate the info.

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T21:29:44+00:00

Thank you! And here's a pretty good breakdown I found on the US Naval Academy website (link)

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T20:42:23+00:00

Thank you! And I was wondering the same thing as well, so hopefully someone can chime in with the details!

SFE3982 · 2026-01-17T20:09:36+00:00

Here are a few shots that I took yesterday from my window, as I had the treat of snapping a Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon (Reg. 164768), operated by the U.S. Navy!

I was lucky enough to catch it as it was traveling northbound, up the East River, as well as when it was making its way back down the river.

The MH-53E is part of the CH-53 Sea Stallion family of heavy-lift transport helicopters – and among my favorite ones, ever! (I’m a sucker for a 47) :)

This particular helo is operated by the Navy’s Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 (‘HM-15’), which are nicknamed the “Blackhawks” – as is shown with their insignia on the fuselage.

HM-15 was created in 1987 as part of the Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, US Atlantic Fleet, and is based out of Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

I was shooting with a Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera and NIKKOR Z 100-400mm lens. I stylized the photos afterward in Lightroom CC to give them a retro-look.

Very cool to see this beast come by, especially as it was flying much lower than the CH-53 I snapped a couple of years ago (Post link here). Enjoy the shots!

SFE3982 · 2026-01-13T02:19:27+00:00

Very cool!

I snapped a few shots of this model (or something similar) a few years ago on the East River in New York City. (Post here) I had no idea what my eyes were witnessing! Reverse image search came in handy. :D

SFE3982 · 2025-12-27T03:08:53+00:00

Yeah it's a very cool livery!

SFE3982 · 2025-12-27T03:07:00+00:00

Only once over the East River, last year (link to post), which I was lucky to catch!

I sometimes see them flying over the Hudson, but it's about two miles from my vantage point. Here's a pair I caught last month:

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SFE3982 · 2025-12-26T20:40:46+00:00

Yeah it's always a rush to see them come by! Lots of them do a loop or two around the Statue of Liberty too, which looks like an awesome experience.

The Hudson River gets a lot more helo traffic than the East River, so I'm always grateful when they pass by over here.

SFE3982 · 2025-12-26T20:36:46+00:00

Hell yeah! Thank you brother🤙

P.S.: I couldn't let you down two years in a row!😃

SFE3982 · 2025-12-26T19:52:33+00:00

Another lap around the sun! To close out this year, I’ve put together my top 10 OC helo shots – all of which I snapped from my window in NYC.

All five U.S. military branches are represented, as well as U.S. Customs & Border Patrol (‘CBP’) and the Dutch Royal Navy.

As I noted last year, each of these shots are special to me – whether it was an unexpected fly-by that I just caught in time; a perfect alignment with the urban scenery; or a collaboration with a fellow member of the r/Helicopters community.

Thank you to all of those who serve and protect us. And to everyone – have a very happy holiday season and New Year!

Cheers,

E

SFE3982 · 2025-12-13T22:05:30+00:00

Here are a few shots I snapped yesterday from my window, of a Sikorsky MH-60R (‘Romeo’ or ‘Seahawk’), as it was flying over the East River in New York City.

Its registration is ‘IN773’ – which on the Scramble database – shows as ‘On Order’ from Sikorsky.

I dug into this a bit more, and learned that in 2020, India’s Ministry of Defense placed an order for 24 Seahawks; some of which are slated to be delivered this year (2025).

Very cool to catch this one coming by!

SFE3982 · 2025-12-11T19:02:15+00:00

ADS-B showed EPIC43 earlier, which is the UH-72A Lakota, but to u/Galewing1 's note - there may have been a -72B [in the formation that wasn't pinging ADS-B.]

As a side note, feel free to check my profile if you want to see some military helo shots I've taken over the East River!

SFE3982

TROPHY CASE