Flying with the New Guys

On Saturday I took a routine flight 30 miles northeast of Fort Indiantown Gap to a remote fuel site set up at the Joe Zerbey Airport near Pottsville PA.  They airport had an open house to let local residents see the army fuel trucks and the Blackhawk helicopter we rode up in.  The flight up was better than I expected.  The pilots took an indirect route through valleys at 100 feet of altitude rather than the normal 500+ feet of level flight.  The doors were open and I was sitting in the seat next to the open door so I had a great view. There were five young soldiers on the aircraft who were getting their first flight on a helicopter.  They had a ball.

None of us knew the flight back would be even better.

After an hour at the airport, we took off fast.  First we flew level gaining speed then went up hard.  When we got to 1000 feet we circled.  I had asked to take aerial photos of the fueling set up.  The pilots gave me a level circle to take the pictures, then they turned the Blackhawk almost completely on its side on the next pass over the field, then flipped it to the other side so the soldiers on both sides could have the experience of looking straight down from the open doors.

We were all laughing like we were on a roller coaster--which we were in a way.

On the 30 mile trip back we climbed, dove down hard and pulled back up turning almost sideways 50 feet above the trees.  At one point we landed briefly then climbed almost straight up to 2000 feet.

Below are the other soldiers on the flight and the two who sat opposite me:

Air Assault Training in VA

Here's photos of air assault training in VA.  Briefing American and German infantrymen before flights.

Flying to Virginia in the Door Gunner's Seat of a Blackhawk

Today I flew to VA on a Blackhawk in the door gunner's seat.  I never had a chance to do that in Iraq because the real door gunner's had to be on the guns.  It was lot's of fun.  I put my feet on the window ledge to stretch.  One of the flight medics in Iraq put his feet out the window on take-off.  I flew over a big quarry and three-mile island.

Getting Ready for the Range

This morning we had a class to get us ready for the range next week.  SFC Lori Burns took this picture because "You are always taking pictures of other people.  I am taking a picture of you." SGT Marc Hall gave a great class on weapon procedures.  CPL Mike Arms helped me to get into kneeling position for firing next week.

Field Kitchen in the Parking Lot

Today Echo Company started field kitchen operation in the parking lot behind the armory.  Went smoothly.  Lines passed through the filed kitchen quickly for the hot food.  Salad and cold food were off to the side.

End of the World in McDonalds Parking Lot

I missed supper tonight so I went to McDonalds at 830 pm.  They have the best internet anywhere near Fort Indiantown Gap so I come here to upload photos and do other tasks that are a pain in the butt with Army internet.

On the way, I tuned my car radio to WKDN Camden NJ, the local station broadcasting Family Radio, the network of Harold Camping, the guy who said the world was going to end May 21 with a worldwide earthquake.  I have checked WKDN every few days since May 21 to see if the station would shut down or what would happen.  Each time I go there they are playing Church music.  But tonight I checked WKDN and Harold was taking calls again, answering your Bible questions.

I did not want to miss this.  The second caller asked Camping what was going on with his prediction.  His answer was priceless!!!!

He said the word Earthquake could be interpreted FIGURATIVELY.  Really???
Camping said his prediction caused a figurative earthquake and caused people around the world to think about the Bible--shaking them up.  So it WAS and earthquake.

Camping would be simply funny, but for most of his 89 years he has said the only way to interpret the Bible is literally.  He said any other interpretation was wrong.  But now when his own credibility is in question, the figurative interpretation is correct.

It was, of course, a coincidence that Congressman Anthony Weiner confessed his sins in public just as Camping pulled a fig leaf over his.  But these very different men are brothers in colossal hubris.

Anyone who doubts we are a free nation should try to name another nation where these two guys would have uninterrupted access to the public airwaves.

Search Amazon.com for harold camping books

Annual Training Begins Today

Yesterday we had a preliminary day--meetings about the coming two weeks of annual training.

I was on a Machine Gun range today.  I went to take pictures and got to fire 300 rounds with an M240B 7.62mm that is the standard weapon for door guns in Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters.  The range has pop-up targets from 300 to 800 meters.  I shot 100 rounds in one rotation and 200 in the 2nd rotation.  Each time I had a chance to hit the 800-meter targets and did not knock them down, just kicked up some dust.  I knocked down the targets at every other distance.  It's a loto of fun to shoot on a range with pop-up targets.

Next week we will have aerial gunnery.  Don't know if I will have a chance to shoot a door gun from a helicopter, but should get good pictures.