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Updates on that f#!cking plane flying over Capitol Hill during last night’s protest

Reducing the events of the past few days to complaints about a noisy airplane circling above Capitol Hill for hours isn’t helping anybody. So, here, read this first before continuing in this post:

Sixth day of protest in Seattle brings victories for the movement and another night of protest on Capitol Hill — UPDATE: ‘You go home, we go home’

But we are the Capitol Hill Blog so sometimes it has to be about the small things.

Wednesday, the Washington State Patrol’s plane added a new element to the nights of protest on Capitol Hill — its droning, endless noise.

You might see it again. “We wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t necessary,” a WSP spokesperson told CHS Thursday.

The plane’s mission, the spokesperson said, was “flying in support of the operations on the ground.” With state troopers working with Seattle Police and the National Guard as part of the crowd control forces in place around the East Precinct, the plane’s FLIR thermal imaging camera was providing commanders at the protest with views of the streets and activities happening around the neighborhood. When there were reports of people possibly throwing objects from a nearby roof overnight, the plane was able to help police find the trespassers.

Plane N305DK had a long night. Leaving a few times only to refuel, the craft finally called it a night sometime around 2 AM.

The WSP spokesperson said he had heard about complaints about the plane’s noise. One issue, he said, was that N305DK was flying lower than normal due to “another aircraft” in the airspace above it.

CHS also reported on area aviation enthusiasts identifying plane N021LS #N921LS soaring high above Seattle, also making an endless series of loops and circles. That plane is believed to be an FBI surveillance craft. A representative for the FBI office in Seattle answered CHS’s request for information about the secret plane thusly:

The WSP spokesperson also declined to discuss more details of the other aircraft other to add that the patrol’s plane usually operates at a higher, less noisy altitude. “We try to keep a little higher so we can reduce that sound,” he said.

The planes have joined busy skies above the protests with drones, the Sheriff’s helicopter, and news choppers near constant voyeurs to the actions below.

Whether N305DK makes another appearance during the protests on Capitol Hill will depend on priorities elsewhere in the state. The spokesperson said it is the only craft of its kind in Washington’s fleet.

“It depends on where there are issues. And where it is needed most.”

 

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23 Comments
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Alocal
Alocal
3 years ago

When do we have the go fund me for the CHS blog drone ? We need that vulture eye view of the police and protest to stream in our iPads while we city in garden chairs drinking wine down here in Madison park

Aaron Brethorst
Aaron Brethorst
3 years ago
Reply to  Alocal

Crow’s eye view.

Mika
Mika
3 years ago

Thank you for covering this (admittedly small) issue.

F that plane.

It was annoying the F*CK out of me and my poor pathetic scared dog.

Pete R
Pete R
3 years ago

I had my suspicions about the unidentified plane circling high above the state patrol plane, which conveniently wasn’t showing on FlightRadar24. Sneaky sneaky FBI.

JR
JR
3 years ago
Reply to  Pete R

There was N305DK, but then some really loud military sounding helicopters flew by and those didn’t show up on FlightRadar24 or FlightAware.

Matt
Matt
3 years ago
Reply to  JR

You just are not using the correct technology to track the “unidentified” aircraft. They are all trackable using the correct tools. Maybe you should setup your own ADS-B receiver or get into HAM radio to learn how discover what’s around you.

Andy
Andy
3 years ago

Really is this necessary? There are hundreds of cops and live streamers on the ground. If we really want to defund we should start with the stupid cop toys. That’s probably an easy 1M.

Moving On
Moving On
3 years ago

Demilitarize the police and all domestic law enforcement agencies. FBI surveillance of protest by plane isn’t among my top 1,000,000 priorities for taxpayer dollars.

We’ve got a serious hammer/nail problem with all this hand-me-down military equipment.

Haha
Haha
3 years ago
Reply to  Moving On

You don’t get to choose where your tax money goes.

A fellow concerned citizen!
A fellow concerned citizen!
3 years ago

Here’s your plane right now…
N305DK from Olympia https://fr24.com/N305DK/24a23c3a
Flight Radar 24 app is great for this. Of course, not everything is trackable, like the C-5’s that flew west over Burien just prior to Drumpf’s threats the other day.

A concerned citizen!
A concerned citizen!
3 years ago

Here’s one over Tacoma.
N9446P https://fr24.com/N9446P/24a24478

Phil Mocek
3 years ago

N9446P is circling Tacoma again this evening.

paul t
paul t
3 years ago

Shouldn’t the protesters have one of these too? Seems like they need some intelligence with the WSP planning to hit them hard, just short of killing them. Perhaps the city has a grant program they could apply to.

Brian Aker
Brian Aker
3 years ago

Tactics like harassing the communities that protests happen in have historically been used to undermine the support of the protestors.
Regardless of the intentions of the Washington State Troopers or the Seattle Police, both organizations should be aware of this and act in a way that minimizes their actions.
The lack of communication from Governor Inslee on this amplifies the message that these tactics will continue to be used in the future.

AJ
AJ
3 years ago
Reply to  Brian Aker

This attempt is backfiring miserably then, just makes me hate the police b/c it’s their stupid plane. Obvious solution is to take away their toys that they keep using against us. Flash bangs, tear gas, planes, riot gear, military weapons – speaking of which, why do they have those at a protest?! And why aren’t they secured?!And why do they have them to begin with?! When was the last time a Seattle police officer needed an ar-15?

Andy
Andy
3 years ago
Reply to  AJ

Amen

SickofHelicopters
SickofHelicopters
3 years ago
Reply to  Brian Aker

Totally backfiring!

Robert Thetford
Robert Thetford
3 years ago

The Washington state patrol plane has been flying over Olympia for about 2 weeks now. Usually from 6 to 1 or 2 am. Every single night. So I think the Washington state patrol has more than just the one plane. And yes it is about a whole lot more than simple crime monitoring.

Lindsey Dunnington
Lindsey Dunnington
3 years ago

I tried finding out some info about this 3 days ago but nothing.I live on the Westside of Olympia & though the plane is not too loud, it is most annoying to say the least! Its constant circling for hours on end has me both curious and and annoyed. You would think that they had plenty of food & a lavatory up there given the amount of time they spend looping & spying!

Napoleon XIV
Napoleon XIV
3 years ago

Other plane flying over Seattle is 921LS, registered to NG Research, Bristow, Virginia. It’s been identified as an FBI plane before.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/05/the-fbis-secret-air-force-watched-the-streets-of-baltimore/

Yngwie
Yngwie
3 years ago

Those planes and helicopters are really grating on me and lack of sleep from the noise is affecting my work. Let’s trim this crap from the budget. No drones yet?

SouthSound
SouthSound
3 years ago

Welcome to the party. We’ve had a WSP plane circling Olympia all week.

Dn
Dn
3 years ago

Did you people who were protesting really think you wouldn’t be watched?