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Helicopters stop at Great Bend Airport
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Two Blackhawk helicopters depart Great Bend Municipal Airport as Centerline Aviation LLC tops off five Kiowa Warrior helicopters in this 2012 file photo by Veronica Coons. Those helicopters were attached to the 1st Cavalry Combat Aviation Brigade of Fort Riley, on their way to Fort Irwin, Calif.

Military helicopters from Fort Riley have been seen flying over Great Bend this week, en route to the Municipal Airport. Residents reported seeing five on Monday and Great Bend Airport Manager Martin Miller said six more arrived on Tuesday.

“The helicopters are Apaches and Blackhawks,” Miller said. “They are beginning their trip from Fort Riley to NTC (National Training Center) in California for exercises.”

This isn’t the first time that Fort Riley has scheduled cross-country missions that include fuel stops in Great Bend. The public can get a closer look at the helicopters during the Great Bend Airfest at the end of September. “We are scheduled to have one Apache and one Blackhawk on display for the airshow,” Miller said.