Get In

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Let's see what this lever does.

[f6john]

Fire it up!

[hubcapsc]

It drives like a truck.    Was there a clutch or is it an automatic?

-Mike

[phideux]

Me and my pilot had an agreement, He don't mess with my drugs, I don't pull on his levers.

[Oss]

ok
I know you said you wont go up in a plane

Did you go up in the chopper?   It is really fun, it goes up like an elevator, tilts forward so you think you will fall forward then can move like a bat out of hell  in every direction .... quickly  

Only been up once in Juneau to go land on the big glacier, awesome experience

[baldo]

I've only worked on one helicopter, installed an intercom system in a Bell Jet-Ranger almost 40 yrs ago. He took me up for a ride and did an auto-rotation into a soccer field. That was a rush!

[0leman]

100 years ago when I was young and did fight wildfires, got to ride in copters every so often.  Yeah they are fun, especially when setting down in a rather small opening in 120' tall trees. 

Did get to view a couple mountains in off season.  In the older "Bubble Bell" copter,  doors off and sitting on the outside.   If that bird was still in the air, you would have found where I had grabbed ahold of the edge of the door opening (just slightly have problems with heights).

[The emperor has no clothes]

Let's see what this lever does.

Get in ?  No thanks ! (Happy Thanksgiving) 

[old2soon]

        Off the fantail of the USS Sacramento-A O E 1-to the flight deck of the U S S Yorktown-C V S 10. And the Sacramento was unrepping the Yorktown at the time. For you none Navy blue water Sailor types-unrep-Under Way Replenishment. Food Fuel-ship fuel aircraft fuel-115/145 avgas and I believe #2 jet fuel. Ammo and other needed "stuff" along with some package mail. And folks joining the ship or squadrons deployed on the ship and folks leaving the ship or squadron(s). And the Helicopter I flew in was from H S 4 and was a S H 3 Alfa. I'll take a cat shot and an arrested landing over a whirly bird ride any day. Don't regret the helicopter rider just Prefer fixed wings. I am also aware modern health and fire fighting and military ops NEED the capabilities of helicopters.      So Joe-didja air it out on the Dragon?   RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

#2 jet Fuel has NOT ever been used aboard a US Carrier - way too flammable / dangerous - JP4 or Jp5 instead. And by the '80's we didn't have AVGas either.

"This is no crap" - NOBODY EVER enjoyed the helo dunker during during training (basically a shell that resembled a CH47 Chinook). I had heard stories that fleet Aircrew up for refresher in this would check if it was up or down so they wouldn't have to go through it again.

to describe it - you had to make 4 runs through.
#1 - everybody exited out the nearest exit (door or window)
#2 - everybody exited out the SAME exit
#3 - repeat #1 - except you were wearing painted over swim goggles (to simulate night time)
#4 - repeat #2 - except with the goggles on.

all this while wearing a flight suit and boots, no life preserver (but they did have some safety divers in the water if things started going haywire)

[old2soon]

#2 jet Fuel has NOT ever been used aboard a US Carrier - way too flammable / dangerous - JP4 or Jp5 instead. And by the '80's we didn't have AVGas either.

"This is no poop" - NOBODY EVER enjoyed the helo dunker during during training (basically a shell that resembled a CH47 Chinook). I had heard stories that fleet Aircrew up for refresher in this would check if it was up or down so they wouldn't have to go through it again.

to describe it - you had to make 4 runs through.
#1 - everybody exited out the nearest exit (door or window)
#2 - everybody exited out the SAME exit
#3 - repeat #1 - except you were wearing painted over swim goggles (to simulate night time)
#4 - repeat #2 - except with the goggles on.

all this while wearing a flight suit and boots, no life preserver (but they did have some safety divers in the water if things started going haywire)

             S 2 Ds and Es-R1820s-used the 115/145 avgas. Thanks for the correction on the jet fuel. I separated from the U S N in Feb of 68 and tryin to rely on memory these days-not so much.  Yeah-I figured big round motors burning gasoline gone by the wayside. As have old creaky former Airedale mechanics.  I didn't start messin with jet fuel til i helped bring the C 2 Greyhound-Grumman Iron Works-into the fleet. Again-THANKS for helpin remove Some cobwebs!  RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

Not meaning to put you down, just updating your information. Aircrew couldn't go anywhere without the techs and mechanics to maintain the aircraft   It's a team effort.

I had an uncle who retired who worked on those radials. After he left the service, he went to work on cars - specifically VWs .

[old2soon]

Not meaning to put you down, just updating your information. Aircrew couldn't go anywhere without the techs and mechanics to maintain the aircraft   It's a team effort.

I had an uncle who retired who worked on those radials. After he left the service, he went to work on cars - specifically VWs .

              Did NOT take it as a put down. I'm happy you updated this old fart here!  Thru my 4 year hitch i had some cursed Good times.  Also did things I Know I'll never experience again.  Good times past with a memory less than perfect. It is what it is. RIDE SAFE.

[Willow]

Helicopters are strange birds.  Fixed wing aircraft want to fly.  The pilot only needs to influence the craft in the direction to go.  Helicopters left to themselves don't want to fly.  The pilot needs hold it in the air and forcefully push it through every change of direction.

It looks good on you, Joe. 

[scooperhsd]

Helicopters don't fly - they vibrate so much the earth pukes them up !! With apologies to Rams

[Alberta Patriot]

Helicopters don't fly - they vibrate so much the earth pukes them up !! With apologies to Rams

I can see where this might navigate towards trashing Harley Davidsons

[Skinhead]

I always heard it as helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission.

[Rams]

Helicopters don't fly - they vibrate so much the earth pukes them up !! With apologies to Rams

I’ve been told that helicopters were so ugly the earth’s gravity rejected them before.  No offense taken, I understand that you and most other non-believers in magic just don’t understand. 

I just happen to be in the KC area for Thanksgiving, let’s go fly.   It’s been a while but, I’m pretty sure I remember how to hover... 

Rams

[3fan4life]

My first duty station was an Air Cav unit @ Ft Lewis, WA.

I've flown in everything that the Army has except for an Apache.

The only one that I didn't like was the Chinook.

UH1 Hueys were just plain fun and nostalgic.

Blackhawks were like a Cadillac compared to the Hueys.

Was riding in a Blackhawk once when the pilot did as close to a 360 degree loop as a helicopter will do.


The only thing that I'd rather take a ride in other than a helicopter is a fighter jet.

[scooperhsd]

I've had 3 flights in an F15B - flying out of Lambert St Louis . I was waiting for flight school, so as a temp assignment I was stationed at the Government plant rep office at (then) McDonnell -Douglas (now it would be Boeing). After the 11 of us had an aviation physiology training in Texas, they let us fly in the backseat of the chase planes that they tested the F15 / F18 radars on. Gear up, nose up full afterburner to 8500 feet by the end of the runway.

[3fan4life]

I've had 3 flights in an F15B - flying out of Lambert St Louis . I was waiting for flight school, so as a temp assignment I was stationed at the Government plant rep office at (then) McDonnell -Douglas (now it would be Boeing). After the 11 of us had an aviation physiology training in Texas, they let us fly in the backseat of the chase planes that they tested the F15 / F18 radars on. Gear up, nose up full afterburner to 8500 feet by the end of the runway.

I would love to experience that sometime.

[Rams]

Back (before becoming a test/maintenance pilot) when I was a Scout Pilot, we did quite a bit of “downed pilot” training with air force units.   It was a lot of fun.   They would be dropped somewhere and we would have to find them with them “somewhat” guiding us to there location.   We always already knew but were supposed to let them bring us in.   At the conclusion of their training exercise we would always give a few  NOE rides (just for fun).   As the senior officer there, I was always offered a ride in a fast mover (fighter).   Never did it, just didn’t have the time for the ejection seat training they required.   Wish I had but, it is, what it is.

Rams

[Jess from VA]

I got a backseat ride in an F16(B) once.  

The training was pretty minimal.  And a brief physical.

As we rolled down the runway, I do recall the wing commander (my pilot) telling me if I pulled on the yellow plastic handle sticking up between my legs for any other reason than he told me to or he passed out (for awhile), he'd court martial me.  He wasn't joking either. (the handle was boldly marked EJECT and I not only didn't pull it, I didn't even touch it)

The other thing he told me was if I had to puke, to turn off my hot mike because he hated having to listen to it.  This was not a subject I wanted reminded about (I didn't puke or ever get nauseous at all through 9 G's and 40 minutes, but you don't know what you will do before you actually fly)

We also rolled out, lifted off and went afterburner straight up long enough for my G suit to squeeze the crap out of me, and I partially grayed out (but just that once).

I took the stick later for 10 seconds or so.

We flew through and inside Alexander's (the Great's) Pass in the Turkish Taurus mountain range, inverted.  (not when I had the stick)

I tried to get an F4 ride at my last base in CA, but that never happened.

[RP#62]

I never worked on helicopters but I worked around them for several years.   After observing them being maintained, I determined that they run on grease.

-RP

[semo97]

Sport bike of choppers, OH-6 cayuse or Loach. Spent hundred of hours hunting Charlie in this chopper. The Apache is the old cobra gunship on steroids, same goes for the Black Hawk an old UH1 style chopper.

[98valk]

did quite a few helicopter take offs and landings aboard US Navy ships. Landing on a moving DDG was pretty cool and was the smallest ship I ever landed on. Most others where carrier and supply ship take off and landings.  Flew on a Super Stallion once, she runs three turbines and you could just feel the power the whole flight. Oh to clarify I was a govt worker passenger for all this, I was not a pilot.

I flew as a trainee, a Robinson R22 for a total of 15 flight hours. Life took a turn and I never got back to it. But had a blast with two great instructors.  I never did it but the one would fly backwards and spinning around, just to show off, he was from Norway and would tell me about his motorcycle ice racing days in Norway. I would always ride my CB900C to the airfield, so he liked that.  The other instructor had me buzzing a house of a retired instructor who was a Nam chopper pilot. They said if he was home he would come outside and wave and loved it when they would buzz his house. so I can say I  did a strafing practice run. LOL
Did auto rotation three times. that was fun.
They always told me helicopters were safer than fix wing, because fixed wing relies on the wind to stay airborne whereas the helicopter makes its own wind to stay airborne.

Jess's story about the listening to the pilot. The Norway Instructor told me if he says let go of the controls let go. He said he had a student who panicked and wouldn't let go and they were going to crash. The instructor said he actually had to beat on the guy and basically knocked the trainee out so he could regain control.   He stressed to me always remember the pilot/instructor doesn't want to crash so always listen to them. It is always a good comment "the pilot doesn't want to crash, trust them" to say to a person who is afraid of flying, it actually works for some.

[Rams]

Depending on who the passenger was, their attitude and where the conversation went, I usually told them a student only needed a 70% grade to pass in flight school and unfortunately my memory was not all that great.  Then once airborne I’d ask them what that doohickey was and where we headed again.   

Rams