Military Training Set For Minneapolis Skies

Update 10:54 a.m. 8/28/12: In an email to Patch, Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Sgt. William Palmer confirmed that Minneapolis residents won't be seeing any ground troops. Any ground component of these exercises is being conducted away from the public eye. Palmer later tweeted that the helicopters caused "minimal disturbance. 15 concerned callers and 2 noise complaints for a total if 17 911 calls."

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Original Story 5:45am 8/25/12: If you get surprised by a pack of military helicopters flying low over Southwest Minneapolis this week, don't panic.

It's just US Special Operations Command training, according to a press release the military organization issued, it said, "to alert residents and prevent the overload of the 911 system with concerned callers" between 7 p.m. and midnight. 

The announcement is vague as to exactly what will be going on. "Minneapolis and St Paul airspace" will be used, according to its headline, but the text of the statement notes the MH-60 Blackhawk and MH-6 Little Bird helicopters will be "supporting" the "routine urban environment training," suggesting there could be a ground component for the special forces exercises.

At least the training flights "have been coordinated with local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration," the release said, and precautions—presumably re-routing flights, issuing Notices to Airmen—have been taken to ensure a lack of aerial fender-benders. 

No airshows are on offer, though—locations are being kept secret to keep gawking crowds at a minimum.

Have you seen the Army choppers lately? Tell us where! Post your sighting in the comments section below, preferably by saying what block you saw them flying over (e.g. the 40xx block of Lyndale Avenue South), or where you were when you saw them.