Close encounter on STANTA

Heading back to the office from the forest and my eyes were drawn to the gap in the canopy of trees as a HH-60G Pave Hawk of the 56th RQS appeared and disappeared only a few metres above the tree tops. This meant only one thing.......they were practising landings at the Grimes Graves site, part of the STANTA range.

I opened the barrier to the forest road and headed down to the site just to see the Pave Hawk lifting off to depart. Damn it i've missed it i thought!!

I started to put my camera away and then heard the thud of rotor blades getting closer and looked to see the Pave Hawk coming back over the trees. Settings checked and i waited for it to come in. The fun then began, as the pilots had seen me the first time they departed and thought they would give me a free show of the HH-60. This involved it hovering and creeping closer sideways towards me at 10 metres above the ground, banking hard over the tops of the trees and when departing almost skimming the tree tops over my head. Thanks to the crew of HH-60G 26212 for a great display.