Six helicopters led to more than a dozen "what's going on?" calls to Napier police last night during an exercise which one complaining resident was told by an air force staffer had "something to do with the police stuff".
That "police stuff" he took as being the anti-terrorism raids in the Ureweras.
But the RNZAF was a little more guarded today about what Ohakea-based No3 Squadron Flight Lieutenant Jed Hopkins called its annual tactical night flying Exercise Talon.
Last night's low-level swoop over Napier and Hastings, which saw the Iriquois helicopters operating without lights and dropping to ground level over parks and school grounds at Tamatea and Greenmeadows, was part of a two-week exercise.
He said the squadron was moving around the region and operating out of constantly moving tented camps, with the pilots carrying out night flying operations using night vision goggles.
He was unable to say where they were heading next, except that they were using a large area which included Hawke's Bay.
But Onekawa resident Richard Edmunds got a slightly different story when he called the air force for an explanation after his cat starting going "crazy" from the thundering noise.
While the air force had placed a public notice in Hawke's Bay Today last Saturday advising of the night exercises it did not indicate the flying would be at such low levels, he said.
"And they were a day early - the notice said December 5."
A check with the details submitted by the air force confirmed it had fixed the date as tonight, not last night.
Mr Edmunds said after making inquiries someone from the air force called and let slip that events were classified and something to do with the Government.
But after making the "police stuff" remark Mr Edmunds suggested the air force take its exercise to the Ureweras instead of over residential areas.
He said he was then told "not all terrorists are in the scrub".
He added that from what he could make out, the helicopters landed in the grounds of Tamatea High School at one stage.
Napier police confirmed they received 14 calls between 9.15pm and 10pm - from people asking what was happening.
Airforce flyover secret
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