Attention Veterans!

[CSM]

United States Army
July 73- Dec 77

1/17th (Air) Cav. 82nd Airborne Div.

CW-2

UH-1H Helicopter Pilot, and other duties.

82d means ya caint be ALLL bad!

[Mr. P]

A Huey pilot. I knew you had issues. I've never met ONE that wasn't crazy as a loon behind the stick.

One Major had to prove to me that you can in fact do a full roll in a Huey even though it is physically impossible. I was REAL happy about that.

NEVER let a Field grade touch the controls! Except under direct supervision.

I do have issues…here’s why, I guess. I love this piece.

Why Helicopter Pilots are Different!
Harry Reasoner, February 16, 1971


"The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by it's nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter.


This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened it is about to."

There's alot of truth to that.

[Mr. P]

82d means ya caint be ALLL bad!

Just ALLL American.

[trobinett]

Posted by Mr. P:

[qutoe]This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened it is about to." [/quote]

My father was a bomber pilot, and later, after the second world war, a "test pilot".

He held chopper pilots in the highest regard.

I don't know how you guys did what you did, but you'll have my ever lasting respect.

[Gaffer]

In the eyes of us grunts, chopper pilots rated just under the medics when it came to respect.

[Gunny]

In the eyes of us grunts, chopper pilots rated just under the medics when it came to respect.

Can't help but respect balls. I just wonder who it is that teaches them there is NO place they can't at least get a skid on ....

[Mr. P]

Thanks guys,I appreciate the nice comments. I am nothing special really. I flew mostly airplanes as a civilian, but for one year I did use that military training to fly an EMS helicopter (Life Flight type stuff. Or as us military folks know it, MedEvac) it was the best thing I ever did in aviation.

EDIT: Gunny, I got a pic to show you. I'll have to dig er out and scan it.

[Gunny]

Thanks guys,I appreciate the nice comments. I am nothing special really. I flew mostly airplanes as a civilian, but for one year I did use that military training to fly an EMS helicopter (Life Flight type stuff. Or as us military folks know it, MedEvac) it was the best thing I ever did in aviation.

EDIT: Gunny, I got a pic to show you. I'll have to dig er out and scan it.

Do I need my seatbelt?

[Gaffer]

Thanks guys,I appreciate the nice comments. I am nothing special really. I flew mostly airplanes as a civilian, but for one year I did use that military training to fly an EMS helicopter (Life Flight type stuff. Or as us military folks know it, MedEvac) it was the best thing I ever did in aviation.

EDIT: Gunny, I got a pic to show you. I'll have to dig er out and scan it.

My last chopper flight was on a medevac. So you rate even higher. Those medevac pilots were the best. Made no difference what the LZ was like, they were in there.

[CSM]

My last chopper flight was on a medevac. So you rate even higher. Those medevac pilots were the best. Made no difference what the LZ was like, they were in there.

Yeppers! Medics and rotary wing nuts are my heroes ... big time! Last chopper I ever rode was MedeVac too. You rock Mr. P!

[Mr. P]

Do I need my seatbelt?

No Sir. It's a pic of where I landed and shut-down one day. Sorta goes with the one skid thing. But it's not one skid.

My last chopper flight was on a medevac. So you rate even higher. Those medevac pilots were the best. Made no difference what the LZ was like, they were in there.

Glad ya made it out, Gaffer. In school we trained to go into tight spots. After school we did the same. If the blades could clear the trees or whatever, we'd do it.

[Mr. P]

Guys, Guys! Just to be clear I was never in country. I did two medevac flights stateside on active duty, many as a civilian in the year I did it.

[Gaffer]

Medevac pilots are still cool. If there's a way to get in they will find it.

[grunt]

USMC 1997-2005 SSgt E-6


0311 (infantry)first four
7051 (Aircraft Rescue Firefighter) last four


Pendleton
29 Palms
1 yr at MCAS Iwakuni
did 2 years of I&I in Ft Worth, TX
1 yr in Afghanistan (15th MEU)

[Gunny]

Guys, Guys! Just to be clear I was never in country. I did two medevac flights stateside on active duty, many as a civilian in the year I did it.

So which do consider worse? Hostile fire? Or the number of powerlines in this country? I think in that position, I'd as soon get shot at as become the conduit for a gazillion volts.

I've seen on more than one occasion Huey pilots drop their skids so close to the water a Marine could be pulled out by hand. THAT is skill and a lot of balls.