Tuesday, February 4, 2025

EARLY FEBRUARY JIBBER JABBER

 

The video above well demonstrates the unusually warm sunny weather we are experiencing in east Texas. It appears that this will be a norm for the month leading into spring. Already, mosquitos are a problem working out in some of the fields. 

I have been in shorts and t-shirts for two days and this morning a rack of ribs were seasoned and set in the Pit Boss at 09:00. I cannot control the urge.


 

The zero turn has been serviced for the season, the bride's cub cadet tractor has been run through upgrades here and ready to go. The side by side goes in this morning for seasonal oil change, filters, tune up and inspection. Tree guys have been hired to trim pine trees close the house within the next several weeks. Fence painting is in the queue, a job the wife and I will be doing. 

Friends scheduled to visit a few days over Valentines Day and a young couple with children return for a visit at months end. 

The wife's eye surgeries are over and all appears to be 100% successful. We are most thankful as her eye sight was slowly deteriorating.  

Yard cleanup hangs over our heads.

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Aviation accidents have been in the news for nearly a week now. Digging for truths finds more and more coming out about the Black Hawk flight. As all of this is still in an investigation phase I will not put in my 2 cents, but I can tell a story.

"Operation MGM", the name we pilots and crews gave to a fiasco set upon our company in Vietnam in 1967. Someone wanted to make a film of all of our available helicopters flying in formation and all diving and firing rockets at the same time. Yep! Maybe a dozen plus helicopters at one time. A one-time shot. Show of force.

We were all to be in echelon formation, flying up the An Lao Valley. A command was to be given to 'ARM' the rockets. Next, a command to start our dives in formation. Then the command to fire in which all helicopters would expend their 96 rockets in unison. We would then all fly/climb out straight ahead. Sounded wonderful. 

We spent time in the briefing, asking questions and confirming the commands and command sequences. In a perfect world, every pilot/helicopter would execute at the same time.

I was flying near the left side of the formation, maybe third or fourth helicopter in. Captain's helicopter was flying on my right.

When the command to dive was given, the formation did just that, except him. He kept flying straight and level. Realizing that he was behind, he began his dive while drifting left over the top of my helicopter.  It was the crew chief and door gunner on my helicopter that saved our lives. They screamed over the intercom that Captain was descending directly over top of us. Coming directly down on top of our rotor system.

I bottomed the collective causing my helicopter to drop out of the sky. I banked left to get completely out of the formation. I could only hope that others were seeing what was happening and that I was not banking into another helicopter.

It was the eyes of the crew chief and gunner and their immediate input that saved our day. Somewhere in the Army archives there is footage of that flight event. I would so love to see that.

The only time in my Army years flying did I ever face off against a higher ranking officer/anyone. I got in his face, yelling and screaming at how badly he fucked up. I did not quit and was physically pulled away. I knew that my wings and rank were all on the line. But the stupidity, inattention and incompetence of this pilot had me livid. Those emotions all surfaced after we landed.

I was talked to by leadership, calmed down and warned to never ever do that again. But everyone knew what had happened. I never ever had to fly with captain on any mission. Someone was indeed looking out for me on so many occasions.

I will offer this here that for the nearly 1000 combat sorties and other flying I did as a Warrant Officer, every single person associated with any and all missions I participated in, were gold standard. Gold standard in leadership, performance, experience and operations. I was and still am a most proud Army Helicopter pilot and Vietnam combat helicopter pilot with utmost respect for military aviation. 

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God Bless. 

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Behind on postings. Missing my posting dates. I have no viable excuse or reason but I am looking for one.

Have a wonderful week and I appreciate your visit.

 

 

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