◆ PARALLAX

I live in a rural area, not much out here but farms and forest. Tonight I saw them again. No lights, or just red running lights, flying low enough that I could hear the rotors but couldn't see detail in the dark. Third night in a row -- same pattern, coming from the northwest around 11 PM, heading southeast toward the state line. No markings that I could see. No tail numbers I could make out.

After what happened at Waco and Ruby Ridge, I'm not comfortable with unmarked federal activity anymore. This isn't paranoia, it's paying attention. I'm going to start keeping a log with the exact times and directions. Anyone else in a rural county seeing this? I want to know if this is just us or if it's wider.

Happens here too, but 9 times out of 10 it's DEA or state police doing drug interdiction, or National Guard doing night training. Low-flying training exercises are pretty routine if you're near certain bases. Not saying that's definitely what it is in your area, but it's way more common than people realize.

That said, if you keep a log, that's not a bad idea. Just be factual. Times, direction, duration, any sounds or details.

The rural counties in my region see a lot of night operations. It is not malevolent; it is training. Military and law enforcement do night flying for readiness -- low-altitude approaches, navigation without lights, interdiction drills. It is loud and it looks strange to someone who does not expect it, but it is routine in areas where they will not hit civilian traffic.

I do not say this to dismiss you. If federal activity is genuinely increasing in your area, that is a fair question. But the most likely explanation is training or interdiction. Call your county sheriff and ask directly -- they usually know what is flying around their territory and why.

Do the math on your own dates. First sighting the 12th, three nights running. 8 (August) + 12 + 3 = 23. It is ALWAYS 23 when they move. They mark the operations by the calendar. Keep the log, but log the DATES above all -- that is where the real pattern is hiding. Waco was a 23. This is a 23.

I appreciate the replies, even the math one, though I'm not sure I follow all of it. My neighbor said the same thing about training flights and maybe he's right. I'm going to keep the log anyway, just to see. If it turns out it's just National Guard exercises or DEA, fine. But I want the data in case something else is happening. Good to know I'm not the only one who notices.

It is not only the helicopters. Start watching the planes too -- the high ones leaving trails that do not fade like they used to. Same kind of operation, different delivery, and they test it over rural counties first because nobody out here is watching the sky and writing it down. You are already in the habit of looking up. Keep looking.