Helicopter/Helo/Chopper

[Geoff Withnell]

I know this was meant as a joke, but a number of the ROTC cadets I taught in my military history classes last fall and this spring had prior service as enlisted personnel in Iraq & Afghanistan. One of them was born in Mexico, and had become an American citizen before serving overseas.

The cadets as a rule were great students, and speaking as a civilian, it was an honor for me to hopefully give them an appreciation for the proud history of the US Armed Forces.

I didn't mean to be pedantic or a "kill-joy" -- just wanted to say some good things about "my" cadets.

T.

By all means, I meant no more serious criticism of ROTC officers than the OP meant of Marines. Those of us who served, and those now serving, are all brothers in arms. (even the women )

By the way, helicopters are not aircraft, they are several thousand parts flying in close formation.

Geoff Withnell

[Bill aka Mole]

Scientifically, rotary winged aircraft (helicopters) are like the bumblebee. Science can not determine exactly how either flys. It is suspected that each merely beats the air into submission.

[LANCER1562]

When I was going through Basic Training at Ft. Benning a couple of life times ago, we had an OCS class going through some of the training with us. While on the rifle range one of the candidates expended a 10 round training magazine of live ammo when his selector switch was supposed to be on "SAFE". Another one pulled the pin on a LIVE hand grenade. threw the pin and dropped the grenade in the fox hole. Fortunately he and the Drill Sgt. got out before the grenade went off. Another candidate almost ran over a Drill Sgt. with an APC (armored personel carrier). I'm not making this stuff up. These are the guys that will be leading enlisted personel into combat?

[Pleater]

When visiting back home in Yorkshire I spent several days on an Air Army base - they keep a book in which they write up things that happen which amuse them.

Honestly I nearly died laughing at some of them. You would not believe some of the things done and said.

I liked the one about the panic which ensued in an aircraft after an oil change - replacing the very visible dirty oil with clear, transparent and all but invisible new oil....

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[ohiopiper]

Quote:
Honestly I nearly died laughing at some of them. You would not believe some of the things done and said.

May I respectfully submit, Ms. Pleater, that as an aircraft mechanic for six years, absolutely nothing would surprise me anymore!

I once had a dialogue with an A-6 pilot aboard an aircraft carrier. The pilot opened the canopy (a big no-no) and waved me over. I plugged my mic into the com port and asked what was wrong. "My buddy stores hydraulic pressure is down to almost zero". okay, then what's the problem? "I'm flying a refueling mission" the pilot says. the co-pilot is beginning to snicker in the background. So what generates the presure, then, I ask. I listen to the pilot go through the long and complicated explanation of how airflow over a small propeller turns said prop which turns a small electrical generator which in turn supplies pressure to the hydraulics in the refueling stores. (Aircraft hydraulics are pressurized by generators powered by the engines and are seperate from refueling stores). I then ask how fast you must be going for this to take place. "One hundred fifty knots" is the answer. I then ask:

So, how fast are you going right now?

And these people have college degrees. Whoof.

To be fair, although I have my share of weird, funny and exotic stories, the vast majority of pilots, aircrew and the folks who keep them flying are competent and professional. But there's always that one guy...

[Whidbey78]

I worked on S-3's, which took over all that tanking when the Intruders were retired. Same thing happened! Us Airframers used to say "It takes a PhD to design it, a Bachelors to break it, and a GED to troubleshoot it."

[Bill aka Mole]

I worked on S-3's, which took over all that tanking when the Intruders were retired. Same thing happened! Us Airframers used to say "It takes a PhD to design it, a Bachelors to break it, and a GED to troubleshoot it."

Echoes of which are heard thoughout the ship, from the foc's'le to Aft Steering, from the top of the mast to the bottom of the bilge.