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Tony Duvall photo

Helicopter pilots and crew from Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville were at the Dare County Regional Airport Friday morning preparing for a training exercise at the Stumpy Point Bombing Range. Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Six helicopters from Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville have been using Dare County Regional Airport as base during training runs at the Stumpy Point Bombing Range. Philip S. Ruckle Jr. photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

A UH-1 twin-engine Bell Helicopter comes in for a night landing at Dare County Regional Airport during a recent Marine and Air National Guard joint training exercise. Pilots and crews for six military helicopters have flown over Roanoke Island until nine or ten at night during training exercises at the Stumpy Point Bombing Range. Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Tony Duvall photo

Roanoke Island residents had a front row seat to a number of military aircraft flying overhead last week.

Using Dare County Regional Airport as base, six helicopters from Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and several fixed wing Army National Guard aircraft out of Raleigh conducted air and ground support communication drills at the Stumpy Point Bombing Range.

Here for the week were a UH-1Y Venom, which is also called Super Huey, and a AH-1Z Viper.

The UH-1Y Venom is a twin-engine, 4-blade, medium-sized utility helicopter built by Bell Helicopter. The AH-1Z Cobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell.

The sound heard when helicopters fly overhead is primarily from the pressure pulses created from the spinning rotor blades.

Blue Air Training Corp., a government contractor, has coordinated a joint training exercise with Marine and Air National Guard units.

“It’s a shot in the arm for our local economy,” said Dare County Regional Airport director Stacy Ambrose. “January is normally a slow month and we only pump about 5,000 gallons of fuel. By the end of this training we expect to have pumped about 15,000 gallons. That’s more for the week than we normally pump in January and February.”

There’s a wider range of benefits than just fuel.

Ambrose said the exercise has about 60 participants, including helicopter pilots, mechanics and a number of ground support personnel. That translates to a number of off season hotel rooms and rental cars.

“On top of that, they have to eat too,” added Ambrose.

After early morning briefings and a group review of flight plans, the helicopter squadron can be heard taking to the air around 10 a.m. with flights running throughout the day until nine or ten at night. Although the helicopters have been based at and return to Manteo for refueling, Ambrose said the jets flying out of Raleigh normally fly directly to the bombing range for the training exercises and only come to Manteo for refueling. Then it’s another round at the bombing range before heading back to Raleigh.

“They have to work on day and night maneuvers,” continued Ambrose. “So it’s worked out well for everyone so far and there has been talk about doing this again next year.”

According to a military press release, residents are asked to please excuse the noise you hear, it’s the sound of freedom.

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