I RODE ONE OF THESE

[oldguyinTX]

And it wasn't fun.

158657

[blacklightning]

That looks like one that my brother has in some of his old pictures from Vietnam. Funny how you go in as one thing and end up doing something else.
He started out as a mechanic, then went from that to becoming the gunner, hanging out the door. Later on he went to infantry and then back to a gunner. In time of war, you go where the need is.

[Joe T.]

Bell Helicopter had a flight test center just about 3 miles east of where I grew up. I graduated High Scholl in 1970, just as reference.

In the mid to late 1960s, Hueys were all over the sky above the small town. Every once in a while, one would land in a vacant field behind one of the local restaurants so the crew could have lunch. If it was summer, my friends and I would crawl all over that thing.

I always wanted to be a pilot. But, I am essentially blind in my left eye. However, I was convinced if I went to Texas A&M and did well while in the Corp of Cadets, A&M would have enough pull to get me into helicopter flight school.

Well, that was WAY before the Internet. I found out near the end of my first semester that there was NO WAY I would ever be in the military. I had high hopes - - -

Sitting in those Hueys behind the restaurant in the late 1960s was as close to 'piloting' a helicopter as I would ever come.

Joe T.


BTW, I will never forget when the first COBRA I ever saw happened to land for lunch! WOW!!!!! What a killing machine!

[wyliec]

I got to fly in an Apache helicopter, and that was fun.

[Peter Aawen]

And it wasn't fun.....

But do you remember any times when you got that feeling of almost profound relief from abject fear when you finally clambered aboard & lifted off out of something nasty??! :shocked:

[oldguyinTX]

But do you remember any times when you got that feeling of almost profound relief from abject fear when you finally clambered aboard & lifted off out of something nasty??! :shocked:

158664

Always sat on the flack jacket to keep from getting my ass shot off. Then - maybe - back to dry socks and hot chow - in that order. Looked forward to a day off.

[Beaudog]

I flew em for two years it was great fun.

[Saluda]

Always wanted to.

[easysuper]

But do you remember any times when you got that feeling of almost profound relief from abject fear when you finally clambered aboard & lifted off out of something nasty??! :shocked:

I wouldn't call it abject fear but after we lifted off and cleared there was a great sense of relief, I always admired the pilots for the **** they would fly into to pull us out.

[Rogue Hawk]

The Marines still use them. A lot cheaper to run than a Black Hawk

[gkamer]

I never rode in a helicopter that took me any place I wanted to go. :lecturef_smilie:

[Peter Aawen]

I never rode in a helicopter that took me any place I wanted to go. :lecturef_smilie:

But did you ride in a some taking you the hell away from somewhere you REALLY didn't want to stay any longer?!? :shocked: I know that I did!! :thumbup:

[DGoebel]

Thankfully, only rode in them for training around Ft. Bullis. Always jealous of the pilots. Still jealous of the pilots.