SALISBURY — Stand back. Waaay back.
A Black Hawk helicopter is landing in the 100 block of South Church Street at 7:30 a.m. Saturday as part of Pops at the Post festivities, and officials have issued an order.
People who want to watch the helicopter’s landing that morning and/or the takeoff at 10:30 p.m. will have to stand at least a block away for safety reasons.
No one will be allowed within a 100-yard radius.
Otherwise, the display of the helicopter on South Church Street should go on as usual. The UH 60 will be on display all day, with personnel on hand to answer questions.
The Black Hawk belongs to the North Carolina National Guard and has flown missions in Iraq.
The numbers
Here are some tidbits you might want to know about the Black Hawk helicopter:
• Size: 14,000-15,000 pounds.
• Speed: Flies 155 knots (about 175 mph) straight and level.
Passengers: Carries four personnel as the crew and up to 11 more in the seats, for a total of 15.
Capacity: Can carry up to 9,000 pounds in external loads.
Size: Length from tip or main rotor to tail rotor is 64 feet, 10 inches.
Distance: Can travel 2.5 hours and 300 nautical miles on one fuel load.
Multi-talented
When it is deployed, as all the local Black Hawks have been, the Black Hawk moves troops and equipment.
Stateside, the helicopter is used for hoist rescue, personnel and equipment transport, post-natural disaster relief, fire fighting and more.