Posted on 07/12/2011 2:31:52 PM PDT by EnglishCon
Mods, please move or delete if this is not appropriate (But please leave long enough for a response or two!!).
I need to talk to a couple of combat chopper pilots, for a novel I am working on (well currently stuck on). Looking for someone to talk over A2A and A2G combat in a chopper, not a fixed wing.
And since many many people here are proud to have served their country in many capacities, it was the first place I thought to ask. Being a para, my only real experience with military air combat is jumping out of them, with the feeling of immense releif at getting out of that horrendously uncomfortable seat!
I don’t know if they have flown choppers but I know 2 FReepers who are really good writers.
I could proof read it for you
It’s a sci fi novel (which mentions a couple of forbidden topics!), but proof reading is always welcome!
I love science fiction!
I could give you an opinion on it.
Me and another guy are always talking about scifi at this board
http://libertyfic.proboards.com
I flew the mighty Preffered. It was the 66 version, with the dual releif gatlins. I was pilot orange, traveled the na dang peninsula mostly. Lost both my legs on a hard langing in a dmz, and eventually got a job on wall street. Now, I specialize in orange juice futures.
I can help you. I used to get the High Score on this at the pizza place by my High School...I'm pretty sure it's the same thing, it had missles and stuff. :-)
Contact the Public Affairs Office of any Army aviation regiment and ask for help. They may have pilots willing to volunteer.
Thanks! Never even thought of that!
The combat is a combo of air war, where the most advanced machines are choppers (it is a society thing), guerilla warfare (was taught that in boot) and kinetic strikes from space, which is, of course thankfully fictional. The latter two I can handle.
The first I want to make real for any readers who have done it themselves.
Thank you for your service.
Amen to that.
No thanks needed, I was later honored in a great war movie, called Trading Places.
I an thankful twice for every July 10th: Thankful that the Viet Cong that shot a RPG at me did not know elevation and thankful to the chopper pilot that blew him away.
Mr Valentine, I presume?
Why don’t you ask Obama? He loves to make up sh*t.
One brother was a chopper pilot in Iraq and my other was a weapons officer. I could have them contact you if you’d like.
Please do!
I prefer the stuff I make up to be realistic ;)
Okay, will contact them (I’m here in Australia) - send me an email address in personal mail here.
I’m feeling good Louis.
I was a FW & RW Army aviator pilot with Huey and Cobra experience in Vietnam (69/70). How can I help?
tell us about your ‘quart of blood’ technique
That was the best scene in the movie.
Did I ever tell you about the time I caddied for the Dali Lama?
Back when I flew the CH-53D, our solution for air to air was either count on the door gunners & their .50 cals, or try to maneuver above the enemy aircraft and then get your crew chief to throw the tiedown chains into his rotors ;-)
Seriously, we did send one aircraft to China Lake for air to air testing. They programed the flight characteristics into the range computers simulating the -53 was armed with Sidewinders, added hard points on the sponsons and mounted “gun” cameras. The -53 crew then went out and flew Air Combat Maneuvering missions against all of the fighters in the US inventory. Back then, few of the fighters had look down-shoot down radar, so if the -53 stayed low, the fighters radar could not “see” the -53 in all the “ground clutter”.
The -53 would look up for the fighters silhouetted against the sky. Once he was spotted they would turn toward the fighter which caused the fighters dive angle to quickly steepen. The fighter would have to break off the dive, the -53 would quickly turn around and “pop him up the tailpipe” with the Sidewinder. The Range computers decided that below 15,000 feet Fighter vs Helo armed with Sidewinders was a 50-50 proposition, EXCEPT for the Harriers. They won 90% of the engagements by using their thrust vectoring.
This was back in the mid to late ‘70’s, so a lot has changed by now.
Oh man, I haven’t had to do that since 1983 when I was wrongfully imprisoned. Man, that year was a doozie.
No? I’ve been to Cameroon, but never Tibet.
My Ex is a helicopter parent.
Billy Ray!
You have a very interesting story there. I loved it to the point where it stops. It is certainly something I would keep reading!
You have a very interesting story there. I loved it to the point where it stops. It is certainly something I would keep reading!
Orange juice futures! cool!
/jk
thank you for your service
fascinating.
The story looks to be a hodgepodge of modern, future and very old non-tech warfare. Tidbits like that post could find their way into a story!
lol
I had a lot of experience as a doorgunner then crew chief then flight engineer on a Super C model CH 47 Chinook in Nam.. Got shot at a lot, shot down a few times,, carried a lotta ordinance, troops, dropped a little napalm (flamedrops) and actually got a body count off a sling load of razor wire I (we) skip bombed to an overun firebase to reinforce the perimeter that had been bangalor torpedoed open.. those were the good old days :p
Just wanted to say thank you to for all the replies, both here and privately.
I promise I shall be picking the brains of those who replied unmercifully! And if anyone else wants to read the work in progress, just drop me a line.
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