Coney Island Beach 05/21. (25+ pics)

The morning of May 21st, was an unusual morning for me. I went biking on Coney Island boardwalk around 8:30am. Then i have spotted four military helicopters circling about two miles to the west, directly parallel to the Cyclone. I raced there on my bike, as i was reaching the place i saw two helicopters landing right on the beach while the other two (looked like Cobras) were still circling!!!

When the sand which was raised by landing helicopters had settled i took out my tiny digital cam, which successfully died after just three shots. (My fault, should have bothered to charge it at least once since January)

Now that i saw that these were the marine helicopters, a lot of marines came out on boardwalk while one of them said that the helicopters will stay on the beach until 11am and that the public was welcome to come down and take pics. Therefore i raced back home and then back to Coney Island with my slightly more serious cam and few lenses. Overall aside from pictures, i was able to climb inside one Sea Knight and talk to a bunch of pilots!!! Pilots told me that they haven't been landing here since 2001 and from what i understood they decided to land here due to Fleet Week.

Here are few pictures from JP:
http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php ... y%20Island

And here are more unresized ones:

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...island/2rr.jpg
Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight, this particular one is 42 years old. Pilots told me jokingly that they were younger than the helicopter!!!

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...0island/47.jpg

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...d/DSC_2082.jpg

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http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u.../DSC_2480R.jpg

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...d/DSC_2497.jpg
The most moving pic for me...

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u.../DSC_2499R.jpg

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...n/DSC_2507.jpg

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Right place at the right time. Great shots.

Woah!

Nice catches!

Love the well weathered Cobra.

talk about right place and right time...

Absolutely FANTASTIC pictures. The shot with the soldiers boarding the copters is very wild. Like the Army had
invaded CI (not that that would be a bad idea LOL).

Thank you guys))) I am glad you liked the pictures.
I guess it truly was "right place right time" thing because i certainly did not hear this event being announced anywhere. The pilots told me that after Coney Island they were planning to visit some high school...

Imagine you see four helis landing at your High School Stadium. What a day!!! :borat: :borat: :borat:

Great shots there. That Cobra is just amazing.
Senga

Awesome shots my friend....

Matt, you must be loving that!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


Great shots, thanks for sharing. BTW, I just read an article in Newsweek regarding that large red Structure in the background of some of hte photos. What are they now planning to do with it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mirrodie

BTW, I just read an article in Newsweek regarding that large red Structure in the background of some of hte photos. What are they now planning to do with it?

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There are plans to build a big complex of buildings there, a new amusement park, a hotel, condos and a shopping area, but the parachute jump (the large red structure), and the Cyclone are landmarked so they can't be touched.

Wow, I'm ready to hit the beach. Thanks for great photos :borat:

Great shots man! Love that head on Cobra shot!