Various people have posted reports, photos, or video of military Osprey aircraft over Los Angeles, for example
Source: https://twitter.com/ShootToThrill17/status/1243621643517218816
This is presented as if it's some indication of coming martial law. But what are they actually doing? The Dana Point Times posted this:
Source: https://twitter.com/DanaPointTimes/status/1243666641734586368
Dana Point is 50 miles south of Los Angeles. The Ospreys probably came from Camp Pendleton, further south.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/marines/@33.3032727,-117.3503682,675m/data=!3m1!1e3
It's not exactly a new thing:
Ospreys are sometimes seen accompanying Presidential helicopters. But it seems the more common thing is training, like this story from 2014:
https://abc7.com/424995/
In another case in 2016, it was a bit of both - the Ospreys were practicing for a Presidential visit:
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/la-news-chopper-stumbles-onto-fomation-of-v-22-ospreys-1762175465
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/7w1a0w/low_flying_military_ospreys_i_think_havent_seen/
And another with an explanation:
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/b8peyw/military_helicopters_over_santa_monica/
Source: https://twitter.com/ShootToThrill17/status/1243621643517218816
This is presented as if it's some indication of coming martial law. But what are they actually doing? The Dana Point Times posted this:
Source: https://twitter.com/DanaPointTimes/status/1243666641734586368
Dana Point is 50 miles south of Los Angeles. The Ospreys probably came from Camp Pendleton, further south.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/marines/@33.3032727,-117.3503682,675m/data=!3m1!1e3
It's not exactly a new thing:
Ospreys are sometimes seen accompanying Presidential helicopters. But it seems the more common thing is training, like this story from 2014:
https://abc7.com/424995/
Similar sightings, similar fears.External Quote:
The Osprey can fly as both an airplane and a helicopter. The U.S. Marine Corps says we'll be seeing more of them over Los Angeles next week.
A Marine Corps spokesman told Eyewitness News that the Marines are taking a break from their regular training at Camp Pendleton.
"We do a lot of training on Camp Pendleton. It's very easy for us to sort of become familiar with all the training locations. So, mixing it up and going to some place like L.A., it's brand new terrain, it's unfamiliar, it forces you to think a little more," said Capt. Brian Block.
This does not mean you'll see Camp Pendleton-style tanks roaming through the streets of downtown Los Angeles. But you will see helicopters and other aircraft flying to remote, secret training locations here in Southern California.
In another case in 2016, it was a bit of both - the Ospreys were practicing for a Presidential visit:
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/la-news-chopper-stumbles-onto-fomation-of-v-22-ospreys-1762175465
And a Reddit thread from two years ago, with the exact same type of thing as the current Tweets:External Quote:Los Angeles' KTLA news chopper crew was flying around when they happened to spot a trio of HMX-1 MV-22 Ospreys doing a familiarization flight ahead of President Obama's visit.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/7w1a0w/low_flying_military_ospreys_i_think_havent_seen/
And another with an explanation:
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/b8peyw/military_helicopters_over_santa_monica/
External Quote:
There are many military air bases in Southern California. Camp Pendleton, Miramar, Los Alamitos, March AFB, Fort Iwrin, Edwards AFB, 29 Palms MCAS, China Lake Naval Air Station, and Vandenberg AFB are just the primary military air fields. Training flights often incorporate flying in multiship formations, flying low near terrain, flying into and out of weather / dust / terrain features / etc...
When in transit over civilian areas, which is some of the busiest airspace in the country, military aircraft follow the same rules as civilian small aircraft. They fly along the freeways for ease of navigation and so they don't accidentally fly into other aircraft. It's as much a safety aid as a navigation tool.
Airspace over LA is crowded. In addition to commercial flights, there are small civilian planes, government helicopters (PD / FD / etc), and increasingly, civilian drones that are all flight hazards. Unless they're specifically doing training where they're trying to fly over urban areas, they're usually just using the airspace to transition from one remote area to another.