SAS helicopters touch down on roof of Blackpool Sixth Form College

The special ops choppers were seen circling low over the resort’s rooftops with no lights on before landing briefly on the roof of the college in Blackpool Old Road at around 8pm.

Special forces soldiers exited the helicopters and made their way to ground level where they were seen gathering in the car park before leaving in a convoy.

The operation lasted no more than 10 minutes and was part of SAS training taking place in Lancashire this week.

Crews flew out of Blackpool Airport for their night flight around the resort before returning later in the evening.

You can watch videos of the SAS over Blackpool Sixth Form College in our video player.

Codenamed ‘Exercise Slingshot’, the helicopter training is scheduled to continue each day until Thursday (March 9) between 10am and midnight.

It will see three of the twin-engined blue and white Dauphins conduct a number of exercises around Blackpool and across Lancashire.

Nicknamed ‘Blue Thunder’, the SAS helicopters are usually manned by one or two pilots and can carry up to 12 troops.

Where can I see them?

Special operations helicopters usually maintain a low profile and avoid daylight exercises where they might wind up in a viral social media video.

Training often takes place at night using airfields, firefighter training facilities and other locations away from public view.

When they do appear in urban areas they generally operate without lights, with just the thunderous rumble of the blades to be heard over rooftops.

But we do know that regional aviation authorities have been notified that the SAS will be training in a number of locations across Lancashire this week.

As well as Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, ‘Exercise Slingshot’ will see training take place in the following areas:

- Poulton

- Warton airfield

- BAE Systems, Samlesbury near Preston

- Euxton near Chorley

- Clitheroe

- Bury, Greater Manchester

What are they training for?

The Special Air Service (SAS) is famous around the world for its highly trained soldiers who are renowned for their elite skills in covert surveillance, close-combat fighting and hostage rescue.

Based at Stirling Lines base in Credenhill, Herefordshire, the SAS regularly carries out training exercises across the UK and its fleet of helicopters have been spotted on night flights across the North West in recent years.

In the early hours of March 15, 2022, an SAS ‘Blue Thunder’ helicopter without lights was filmed circling above Bury in complete darkness.

Soldiers were seen abseiling down to a rooftop – believed to be the town’s firefighter training facility, owned and operated by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

The training exercise is known as ‘fast-roping’ and sees troops descend by rope from a significant height where a helicopter cannot touch down.

Soldiers hold onto a cable with gloved hands and lower themselves down to the ground or a building below.

They have also been spotted conducting ‘touch-and-go’ exercises, where pilots come in to land on rooftops or at ground level before swiftly taking off again without coming to a stop.