Have you seen mysterious helicopters during the day or heard them at night?

Don't fear for your sanity. We have an explanation.

Eight helicopters are now stationed with a military unit based at Capital City Airport near New Cumberland, Scott Miller, deputy director of marketing and public relations at Harrisburg International Airport, said.

The Pennsylvania National Guard recently moved its Eurocopter UH-72 Lakotas to the Capital City Airport, according to a July 1 post on HIA's website. The Army's Lakotas are designed to fly noncombat support operations for the National Guard, including medical evacuation and search-and-rescue missions.

The airport was chosen for its hangar space and proximity to Fort Indiantown Gap, officials said. The Lakotas are expected to remain at Capital City until the training operations can be moved to Fort Indiantown Gap between 2014 and 2016.

"The training includes the use of night vision goggles," Miller said, so the helicopters might be heard over Lancaster and southern York counties  at night in addition to being seen during the day.

Tom Shae, air traffic manager for Capital City, said the airport is a general aviation facility that handles corporate jets, military aircraft and general air traffic, such as private planes. "We are a reliever airport," he said.  "We have a control tower, but HIA handles the radar for the Harrisburg air traffic."

Shae said that both Capital City and HIA  are governed by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority.

Pilots receiving training in the Lakotas serve in Army National Guard units from 50 states and three territories.

The pilots are training on eight aircraft at Capital City; at full strength, the unit is expected to have a fleet of 18 aircraft.

The Lakota is designed to carry two pilots and up to six passengers. In its medical configuration, the helicopter can accommodate a crew of two, stretchers for two patients and one medical attendant.

The helicopters cost about $6 million each and were chosen by the Army to replace the canceled RAH-66 Comanche.

The introduction of the Lakota has allowed the Army to retire some of its aging UH-1 Huey and OH-58 Kiowa helicopter units and free dozens of UH-60 series Black Hawk helicopters for overseas duties.

The Lakota training operations are planned from 7 a.m. to midnight. During the summer, flights will end at 1 a.m. because the pilots need to train in hours of limited visibility.

Sgt. Matthew Jones, a National Guard spokesman in the public affairs office at Capital City, confirmed the night flying schedule.

Jones said that although the helicopters are based at Capital City, other airports could be used during the training flights.

"The training is at New Cumberland, but they will fly out of airports in Lancaster, York, Philadelphia and Williamsport," he said.

He said he didn't know if the Lakotas have used the landing strip at Maytown Airport, but said it would be possible for the helicopters to do takeoffs and landings there.

Jones said the pilots try to avoid airports near densely populated neighborhoods.

Miller said the helicopters fly about 300 feet to 400 feet off the ground during most operations.

"Everybody has their own interpretation of how low they are actually flying," he said.

An article in the Sept. 28 Patriot-News in Harrisburg reported that low flights had annoyed some residents of New Cumberland.

The article quoted a Pennsylvania Army National Guard spokesman who said rainy weather had forced the pilots to do their training over more-populated areas.

Miller said most of the complaints  ended once the residents were told the helicopters were part of military training.

Jeffrey Butler, East Donegal Township manager, said the helicopter flights had not resulted in any complaints from township residents.

Some people expressed curiosity when the helicopters flew over the area at night during a recent township meeting.

Butler said he was not aware of the training operations. Neither was Scott Hershey, Mount Joy Borough manager. Hershey said he had not received any calls about the helicopters.

Gina Mariani, supervisor chairman of Conoy Township, said she hadn't heard a thing about them, either.

"And I'm out there all the time," she said.  "Not one person has called me."

Miller said if residents have questions, they should contact the Pennsylvania National Guard public affairs office at 861-8468.

The public can view the nighttime flying schedule at: http://capitalcitytower.ser.../....