This is the second night in a row that a small, single-prop airplane has been flying slow circles over the northwest side of San Antonio (roughly between the Medical Center and Leon Valley). Last night, it went on for about 2 hours, until 2:00 AM. At around midnight this evening, I went out and watched it for a while, and noticed that it didn't have any lights turned on whatsoever.

This seemed pretty suspicious, so I called 311, who eventually got me in touch with a fellow out at the airport who promised to call the tower to find out what he could. He called back a few minutes later and said "Yes, the tower told me that there is an airplane flying over your part of the city, but it's at a legal altitude and is a government plane. That's all they would tell me."

AFAIK, our police department only uses helicopters, not planes. What the hell would someone be doing flying around in circles for several hours at a time, in the middle of the night, on several successive nights, without any lights on? Any guesses?

... Drug traffic surveillance and evidence collection?

Well, I guess that's a possibility — Those aircraft marker lights and strobes probably WOULD play havoc with the night vision gear! Looking for IR heat signatures from indoor pot growing operations, perhaps?

Ther are AWARE of terrorists in your town that are conducting urban warfare training at night. They look just like real americans and they have large black rifles, and even have fake wive and children. They have also been known to frequent Para-Military Web forums on the net...... wait.... thats me, and you, and you.

Why are they watching US? Watch them! Fly in circles over a Mosque or sumptin! Hey next time, get out your 10,000,000 candle power Sopt light and brighten thier day.

There was a story out of the midwest where a farmers animals were getting the crap scared out of them from a low flying helicopter that would keep circling his property late at night. After a couple days of this, he called the airport, faa, etc. to complain and was told "there aren't any aircraft out there, you must be imagining things". He responded with "O.K., then you shouldn't mind if I get some of my friends together and we shoot down this imaginary helicopter." The helicopter never came back.

Think you can hit it with 12ga slugs?

I can't think of any valid reason for an airplane to be flying in an urban environment without lights. First, it obviously doesn't help hide it since you noticed it. Second, since they acknowledge that it's there and that it is a government plane (which may be all that they do know), it is not some secret operation.

Just curious, what is [i]311[/i]?

Ummmmm....so you think farmers only have shotguns? Have you ever seen a "Silo Shoot"?

Can you say 'Eye Popper'.  OUCH !

311 is the non-emergency equivalent of 911.

I'd consider trying the spotlight idea, but there's probably some regulation against temporarily blinding pilots...

I have a guess: it was someone who wanted to be as discreet as possible.  Apparently it's working so far.  

Having grown up in a midwest farming community I can well imagine this really did happen.

Them crusty old farmers will put up with only so much crap. [:D]

hehehe once blind they wont know where you are.. ;)