At Valhalla, we know helicopters, through and through.
Our expert team of pilots, mechanics, engineers and support staff are passionate about these machines, and our customers trust that we fly safely and professionally every time (a trip in one of our birds is exhilarating, not terrifying!).
However, Halloween is coming up soon, and we feel like it’s a perfect time to share some spooky stories from the skies…
Disclaimer: Valhalla neither validates nor corroborates the following stories! These are strictly “gather-’round-the-campfire” fare. But they’re still a lot of fun!
Black Helicopters
According to conspiracy theories, black helicopters are the favoured modes of transport for the US military’s secret ops force. Since the 1970s, it has been rumoured that these ultra-quiet, stealth aircraft fly off-the-record missions to investigate UFO sightings or to scare off any potential witnesses to alien activity. Squadrons of these machines have been said to fly in and out of the sites of unusual activity. Are they surveillance? Federal patrols? Tools of intimidation? Nobody knows. What we do know is, if you spot a Black Helicopter hovering low over your neighbourhood, you should probably lock your doors. (And don’t worry, you won’t find a Valhalla pilot at the controls!)Cattle Mutilation in Colorado
Also in the 1970s (what were people so afraid of in the 1970s?) ranches throughout rural Colorado experienced a series of traumatic attacks. Between 1967 and 1979, more than 8,000 cases of animal mutilation were reported in the state; most of the victims were range-roaming cattle, along with some sheep, horses and goats. The animals were each found sliced open in a clean, surgical style, and although their bloodless bodies were missing select organs, they were otherwise intact. Federal investigations were conducted, and theories abound as to what might have caused this massacre, but the most prominent thought is that the attackers flew in supersonic helicopters to carry out large-scale sabotage. However, even with today’s advanced technology, a helicopter that breaks the sound barrier is a complete impossibility. On Earth…
Shape-shifting aircraft and UFOS
A common claim around the world is that “fake” helicopters sometimes appear and disappear in the sky. A fake helicopter? What does that mean? Well, witnesses attest that these aircraft change shape over an extended period of time. Reported incidents range from easily explained to astonishingly weird: helicopters without landing gear; machines that appear from nowhere or that fade in and out of a clear sky; reflections off of the glass and metal that resemble glitchy digital masking; or even shapes that morph from single helicopters to fluid masses to shimmering swarms. Well, we don’t know of any helicopter model that fits any of those descriptions, but NASA has recently announced a prototypical “shape-shifting” rotor blade, utilizing electric impulses and multiple, tiny flaps to counteract rotor wake, serving to make helicopters quieter and more efficient. And perhaps one step closer to those stealthy Black Helicopters…?Bermuda Triangle
While there have not been any reported incidents of helicopters disappearing over the Bermuda Triangle, it remains the centre of the world’s most mysterious flight-related phenomena, and it deserves a mention, here. Helicopters have been used in the search and rescue operations of Bermuda Triangle victims (perhaps because helis are just that much more reliable?). The area lies vaguely between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, and is a busy cross-Atlantic shipping lane and flyover zone. Rumour has it that ships have been inexplicably sinking in the region since the days of Columbus, and written reports of incidents exist from the late 1800s. The first known disappearance of an aircraft over the area was in 1945, when a US Navy plane was on a routine radar-training flight between Florida and Bermuda. 12 airmen disappeared, and no wreckage was ever recovered. 5 months later, the famously ill-fated Flight 19 squadron also vanished on a training mission. So did the search and rescue team sent to find them. Since that time, more than 20 aircraft have been swallowed up without a trace. In most cases, no survivors, wreckage, or explanations were ever found. There have been many suggestions as to what might have caused, although the evidence is questionable. Is it an unusual weather pattern? Electromagnetism? Underwater gas deposits? Thermal currents? Or is it something more sinister, and…paranormal?
Hauntings and helicopters seem to go together. Sometimes, we don’t know just what it is we’re dealing with. One thing the team at Valhalla does know for sure: hovering in our helicopters –on Halloween, or anytime– is definitely a treat (no tricks!).