[Swede Girl]

Thanks for your service, ladtx. I know know well the history of your training and career as I grew up at Wolters and Rucker (Army Brat), and married a helicopter pilot (1/9 CAV).

Few know the true extent of training and expertise that it takes to fly these machines. Add to this the patriotism and sense of duty that all military chopper pilots share. My husband trusts and respects these guys, his comrades, above all others.

You have had a wonderful career and should be very proud of your service. If you have not had an opportunity yet, please visit the Helicopter Museum at Ft. Rucker. It is awesome.

As Joe Galloway said....the sound of the helicopter was the lullabye of our youth.

[ladtx]

Thanks for the kind words Swede Girl. I haven't been to the Helicopter Museum at Ft. Rucker in years. The last time I went it was still in the old hangar near the Daleville gate, probably around 1980 or so. I do love the sound of the helicopter flying over. Mrs ladtx can still identify what type it is just by the sound before she can see them. She still astounds our sons with that talent.

[ladtx]

A definition of helicotper pilots by Harry Reasoner.

"The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by it's nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously.

There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter. This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened it is about to."

SCOUTS OUT!

[Billie]

Good afternoon to you, Swede Girl. Thank you for gracing our thread today. :) Hope you'll come back - I keep remembering the first time I 'met' you was when I saw all the Inauguration Ball photos, and there you were with Lady GOP, and I did this with it :) :

Left to right: LBGA, Basil, LisaFab, SwedeGirl, and LadyGOP