Posted on 05/04/2025 10:18:31 AM PDT by Enlightened1
An Army Black Hawk helicopter decided to take the “scenic route” near the Pentagon—and came way too close to two passenger planes trying to land in D.C.
Both jets were forced to pull up at the last second—one was just 450 feet from the ground.
This is the same Army brigade involved in a January crash that killed 67 people, the worst U.S. aviation disaster in over 20 years.
Officials are fuming, again.
And Reagan Airport? Still dealing with controller shortages, near-misses, and—oh yeah—a literal fistfight in the control tower last year.
Flying into D.C. is starting to feel like a deadly reality show.
Good point for some flight plans look like a doddle sheet.
Fire the CO, XO and whoever else you have to eliminate in order to assemble a staff that understands the sacred principle of air corridors, especially next commercial airports.
I cherish my Copter Jock veteran friend. We have great conversations and he loves to tell me the ‘Real’ stories. He is one the most influential friends I have ever met and treats me like a son. He is going through his 4th battle with cancer and finishes up his last round of radiation this week. He could always use some prayers. He will beat cancer again.
Why the hell is the Army flying helicopters, and even training inexperienced pilots, near a major airport in a big city? There are plenty of wide-open spaces in Virginia or nearby West Virginia and Maryland where they can do that.
Immediately ground all Army chopper flights near Reagan
...unless they have the "correct" genitalia and/or ancestral claims - in which case, promote them.
That is so reasonable. Yep, transfer and promote them. There are probably still a few deluded individuals who take service in the Armed Forces seriously and can be assigned to the unit.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
“They do a blessing of the fleet every year in New Bedford. But also in ports up and down the New England coast. I’m sure they do one on the Cape, but it’s more places like New Bedford, Gloucester, Portsmouth and Portland where the fleets of fishing boats are pretty large.”
Pretty much a world wide practice. We have one every year for the shrimpers in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. When I was in the Navy my ship was the host platform for the San Francisco Blessing of the Fleet (we called it the blessing of sex, drugs, and rock and roll) and we once visited Vancouver, B.C. for theirs. I took leave during that. Stupid. Let’s just say a good time was had by all.
I would like the answer to that question as well.
Can you polish one?
“or just an attitude that they are the government and the rules do not apply to them.”
Bingo...
It is an arrogant “we are government authority/priority over civilians” problem. Same with Law Enforcement.
They did The Blessing of the Fleet in Galilee, Rhode Island, now Salty Brian’s Beach, when my kids were little. They are in their 50’s now so don’t know if they still do it.
Well two of them are now just as dead as the 65 victims.
When I was in college in the ‘80s, you could see two types of helicopter landings at the regional hospital. Type 1 had the helicopter fly to a position over, or perhaps a very little off, the bullseye, hover in place, and then slowly set straight down.
Type 2 had the the helicopter approach, if not fast, much more rapidly, then drop in a sideways, crab like, manner, moving forward, downward, and sideways, all at the same time, before setting down.
The rumor was that the Type 2 pilots flew slicks in Vietnam, and landed so that they not only never hovered motionless in the air, but were always moving on all three axis, to make it more difficult for anyone trying to shoot them down. Old habits die hard. Especially those that kept you alive.
No, your thread's title isn't any more deserving of attention that anybody else's. Mind your manners.
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