The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is the US Army's main utility helicopter, carrying troops, cargo and patients. Versions also fly with the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard units and civilian fire agencies, so Black Hawks are seen near bases and over cities across the country.
Black Hawk at a glance
- First flight
- 1974
- Length
- 64 ft 10 in (19.8 m) rotors turning
- Wingspan
- 53 ft 8 in (16.4 m) rotor diameter
- Engines
- 2 × GE T700 turboshafts
- Seats
- Crew of 4 + 11 troops
- Cruise speed
- ~150 kt (173 mph)
- Service ceiling
- ~19,000 ft
- Range
- ~320 nmi
How to recognize the Black Hawk
The Black Hawk is a low, wide, muscular helicopter with a distinct military look, even when painted for civilian use.
- Rotor: a four-bladed main rotor with broad blades; the rotor head sits close to the top of the cabin.
- Engines: two T700 turboshafts on top of the fuselage behind the rotor mast, with exhaust outlets on each side.
- Landing gear: fixed wheels, two main wheels on short struts and a tailwheel, instead of skids.
- Tail rotor: mounted on the right side of the tail and tilted about 20 degrees, which gives it a slightly cocked look.
- Stabilator: a large horizontal tail surface near the end of the tail boom that moves with speed.
- Fuselage: long and low with a flat bottom, large sliding cabin doors and a sharply sloping nose.
- Sound: a deep, heavy thump that you often feel as much as hear, louder than civilian helicopters.
Civilian versions such as the S-70 Firehawk carry belly water tanks. The H135 is much smaller, with skids and a shrouded tail fan.
At night, military Black Hawks may train with dim or infrared-only lighting for night-vision goggles, which makes them hard to see even when you can clearly hear them.
Where and when you'll see it
The US Army and Army National Guard fly the largest fleets, from bases like Fort Campbell, Fort Bragg and Fort Hood, and from Guard units in most states. The Navy flies MH-60R and MH-60S Seahawks, the Coast Guard flies the orange-and-white MH-60T Jayhawk, and the Air Force flies HH-60 rescue versions. Fire agencies including CAL FIRE and LA County Fire operate Firehawks.
Most flights are below 3,000 ft and often near 500 to 1,500 ft. On ADS-B many military Black Hawks do not broadcast, or broadcast without a callsign, though some Army VIP flights around Washington use the PAT callsign. See why some planes don't show up and why helicopters circle.
Guard units often train in the evenings and on weekends, so you may see Black Hawks flying low over your area at those times.
Easily confused with
- Airbus H135 (EC135): The H135 is far smaller, with skids and a shrouded Fenestron tail fan.
- Airbus H125 / AS350 Ecureuil: The H125 is a single-engine civilian helicopter with skids and a conventional tail rotor.
Quick facts
- The tail rotor is tilted about 20 degrees so that it adds a small amount of lift.
- Thousands of H-60 variants have been built, serving with dozens of militaries worldwide.
- The Black Hawk name honors Black Hawk, a Sauk leader, following the Army tradition of naming helicopters after Native American figures and tribes.
Black Hawk questions
Why don't Black Hawks show up on my flight tracker?
Military helicopters often fly with ADS-B off or broadcast limited information. They may also fly too low for nearby receivers to pick them up.
How can I tell a Black Hawk from other helicopters?
Look for wheels instead of skids, a four-blade rotor, two engines on top and a tilted tail rotor.
Cities where it's a regular
Washington, D.C. · San Diego · San Antonio · Nashville · Virginia Beach · Jacksonville · Richmond · Tucson
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for H60 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.