Canadian Forces Bell 412 in Invermere BC

[172pilot]

Does anyone know about the black Bell 412 in Invermere? From what i understand they've been there for at least a few days making flights somewhere north along the valley. The crew and helicopter look like Canadian Forces but there are no labels/insignias on their flightsuits or aircraft etc other than a grayed out civil registration but i'm quite certain it's CF crew/machine.

[cjpilot]

part of the security detail for G8/G20

[culver10]

http://zapatopi.net/blackhelicopters/

[Brewguy]

... The crew and helicopter look like Canadian Forces but there are no labels/insignias on their flightsuits or aircraft etc other than a grayed out civil registration but i'm quite certain it's CF crew/machine.

A haircut & a flight suit does not necessarily make someone military. Perhaps they're police.

Did you happen to look up the registration in the Civil Aircraft Register?

[. ._]

OK, someone's gonna post it. It might as well be me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA1hyqA6UTY

[kevind]

or maybe these guys


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr_CJL1YQRc

[iflyforpie]

It is a Canadian Forces Griffon and Canadian Forces personnel operating it (but without badges or insignia). It does have a bogus civi registration which makes collecting landing/parking fees a pain and almost made me phone the local RCMP detachment (though 412s are kind of high-class for drug running machines).

They are supporting ground pounders doing training up Luxor and Kindersley creek, just to the east of Brisco and Edgewater. They are supposed to be wrapping up today or tomorrow.

[HS-748 2A]

What are they calling themselves on the radio? ~ Or are they talking on the radio?

[Brewguy]

Cool. Can someone snap (and hopefully post) a photo of it? I'd like to see this bogus civi registration, etc. Sounds very 'cloak & daggar'.

[SAR_YQQ]

Indeed - please take a picture and post it here.

[iflyforpie]

I've got some pics I will throw up here later on...

They are just using their civilian registration (in addition to any-conflicting ) on the radio. No Forces callsign.

[kingeddie]

Same operating out of YHD on and off all spring

[conundrum]

Sounds very 'cloak & daggar'.

Seems rather excessive for just "ground training support" . They don't want Canadians to know that they actually try to keep their skills up?

[iflyforpie]

Old markings just visible under the new paint...

[c_172pilot]

Dude! That is a Bell 412 "Outlaw" operated by Allied wings at 3 CFFTS. Chances are the guys you saw where Allied wings employees, they get to take the choppers out once and a while. Or it could be a phase 3 student cross country. The reason you see the Canadian forces markings under the paint is because the 412s are former Griffon helicopters. The forces sold them a few years back to Allied wings for the phase 3 helicopter training.

Neat though!

[Brewguy]

c_172pilot: If they're not CF, and are in fact civilian, why does that registration C-GNXB not appear in the Civil Aircraft Register database?

[Ralliart]

If they're not CF, and are in fact civilian, why does that registration C-GNXB not appear in the Civil Aircraft Register database?

If the call sign was recently assigned to that aircraft, it would take a bit of time before it actually shows up on the TC database.

[iflyforpie]

That makes sense that they are Allied Wings. The blue looks the same colour as the Harvard IIs and Hawks (and one of the former buzzed the field a few days ago). The crew said they were based in Ottawa.

[the_professor]

That's not an Allied machine. It's missing the roundel, and the Canada logo, which appears smaller and in a different place than the military's you see on the example above, plus it's missing the weather radar hump at the front:

[conundrum]

http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/applicatio ... RCRAFT.TXT
GNXB 3 BELL TEXTRON - CAN 412 46488 2010-01-25 NAYLOR CONRAD J

[C-FABH]

I don't know who Conrad James Naylor is, or why he has eight 412s registered in his name, but this is a mighty interesting mystery.

There's a similar thread on the Verticalmag forums.

The record file appears to come from 1-344 Noorduyn Park Calgary, Alberta T2V3G3 (Springbank)

[tiggermoth]

Very strange, not one of the 8 aircraft appears on the current registry search. I did a historical search of those registrations, and 3 never existed, 1 was an old Air Canada L-1011, and 4 were old Nolisair Boeing 757's. All 5 that were previously used registrations were cancelled back in the early 90's.

Somthing fishy going on, kind of cool though!!

[C-FABH]

So they were considered "newly registered aircraft" in January but have yet to appear in the register. Is 5.5 months not long enough for this to data to be refreshed?

C-FNBC BELL 412 46460 2010-01-27 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-FOHQ BELL 412 46461 2010-01-25 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-GAGG BELL 412 46486 2010-02-01 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-GAKQ BELL 412 46462 2010-01-25 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-GAWB BELL 412 46484 2010-01-27 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-GNXB BELL 412 46488 2010-01-25 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-GNXC BELL 412 46490 2010-01-27 NAYLOR CONRAD J
C-GNXI BELL 412 46498 2010-02-01 NAYLOR CONRAD J

[niss]

It's been nice knowing you guys.......

[C-FABH]

Niss, somebody cut my brakes!


I will speculate that these are helicopters are from 427 Squadron at CFB Petawawa, and doing work related to JTF2 training. Hence the subdued logos and "front company".