Military Conducts Dramatic Helicopter Maneuvers Over Downtown L.A.
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Military helicopters were flying high and dipping low above the skies of Los Angeles Wednesday as part of a special operations training program.
Sky2, the CBS television helicopter, captured dramatic maneuvers Wednesday night as a Blackhawk helicopter and four other OH-6 helicopters – or "little birds" – flew over the city.
The Blackhawk hovered over the U.S. Bank building before it made a practice drop-off at a nearby park.
At one point, our cameras captured a soldier sitting with his legs dangling outside a chopper.
Throughout the exercise, the five rotorcrafts were staged at Dodger Stadium. The LAPD says the purpose of the training is, in part, to ensure the military's ability to operate in urban environments.
Chief Warrant Officer David Duran was a U.S. Army aviator for 12 years. He now flies Blackhawk helicopters for the National Guard in California. Duran says the training could be a dry run for a future mission.
"They do a lot of mockup training," Duran said. "But it's always best to get the closest terrain layout to what the objective is."
The helicopters will be back up Thursday night for more training.
