March 9, 2008 Amazing Chopper Pilot
 

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...1/ATT00001.jpg

This photo was taken by a soldier in Afghanistan of a helo rescue mission. The pilot is a PA National Guard guy who flies EMS choppers in c ivilian life. Now how many people on the planet you reckon could set the ass end of a chopper down on the roof top of a shack on a steep mountain cliff and hold it there while soldiers load wounded men in the rear??? If this does not impress you ... nothing ever will. Gives me the chills and a serious case of the vertigo ... I can't even imagine having the nerve . much less the talent and ability ... God Bless our military!!!!!

You should see some of the videos of pilots flooding the back of the chopper so a seal team can drive their boat right up into it.. nuts but extremely awesome.

That is amazing. God bless these talented folks who take risks like this every day to protect us.

True, except they weren't evacuating wounded troops... they're loading captured Taliban that were holed up in that house.

I think the helicopter deserves some credit as well...

That reminds me, I have to build 90 of those particle screen separators for the front of the engines. I hate that job, itchy fiberglass dust.

When I was in the Navy we had an operation called a HIfer (I think, damn it's been 25 years now) While the ship was steaming at around 20 knots a helicopter would hover alongside and refuel. It was very odd to be moving along and look to see a choper motionless 40 feet away. This is a cool shot though...

@ Bullitt, this one?

Todays post from a different angle.

http://www.crypticcomet.com/blog/wp-...ooflanding.jpg

I thought that this maneuver was pretty audacious too.

http://www.crypticcomet.com/blog/wp-...ainresolve.jpg

also that video was extreme.

I think that's the average day for an helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. It's not like they have heliports there :)
Or roads by the way =)

Pro-war or against, anybody must admit those photos are awesome!

High-res source pleaaaase? This would make a great wallpaper....
Thank you.

Been there, done it. I flew the middle seat, a small seat right behind the 2 pilot seats in the Chinook, while we did a tandem NVG refuel from a in flight tanker and circled. Rotars seemed like they were 10 feet from the back of the tail of the AC fueler. A bit un-nerving. Those guys are very good. Did a few tail gate jumps from them as well.

Yess nice find bruce.

Not to get overly political or preachy here... but - they're not really protecting America at this point. More along the lines of protecting America's political and economic interests in the region.

And don't get me started on the 'God bless' angle. Wait, too late. Religion is one of the most frequent reasons human beings wage war on each other. Nice architecture tho. :)

.... but you did.

This is Afghanistan, right? Taliban were active participants re: 9/11 re: letting Osama have safe haven. Taliban are a bit of a resurgence lately in some part of Afghanistan. We're actively targetting the Taliban. His original comment re: protecting America holds just fine.