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Hi. My name is Chuck Meager and I am a rotorhead. It's been three days, twelve hours and 37 minutes since my last flight. My hands are beginning to shake and last night I awoke in a cold sweat. I dreamed there were no more helicopters. I broke the silence of night with a terror filled cry, tears streaming down my face. That's right, I've got it bad. The bug, the itch. Give me three dimensions or give me death. Igor Stickwhoreski is my copilot. That's because the person that I am flying with always holds the controls too Much.
That's right folks, I am a helicopter pilot. Not a Whirly-bird or Chopper pilot. I cringe inside when people ask how it feels to fly "choppers". I am usually polite, shrug off the outdated terminology and chalk it up to their ignorance. Then I get this gleam in my eye and say nonchalantly, "it's ok". My exuberance remaining just below the surface of my demeanor. Over the years I have learned to contain my passion for flying helicopters so I can fit into normal society. Some of you probably don't mind being called a chopper pilot. I know several former Vietnam pilots who even call themselves by that name. What other names have been called or heard other people say about flying helicopters ?
Helicoptorial is devoted to the celebration of flying helicopters. As a former active duty instructor for the Army, I know the exhilaration of flying 120 knots at tree top level or below. I also know the thrill/terror of flying with Night Vision Devices at Ft. Irwin on a zero illumination night. Each month I will discuss flying techniques in all modes of flight. I will answer and ask questions from readers. WHY? Because I want to learn more. I can't know too much about regulations, aerodynamics, night flying, instrument flying, performance, and perhaps the most crucial, O.P.E. (Other Peoples Experience). I want to learn from other peoples mistakes so I won't make the same. It's a neat little system that I've worked on to keep me alive so I can fly more!! So talk amongst yourselves for next months topic: Night Fright.The aspects, problems, and procedures of night time operations