pic: Austin Butler Driving Blackhawk H-60

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by Tytus Gerrish

I was one of those kids that while growing up was fascinated by every aircraft especially military aircraft and for me particularly helicopters. it clearly does have an effect on me because at the moment i do design and drafting at Pratt&Whitney's test facility In West Palm Beach where we test Engines like the F100-(F-16 FALCON / F-15 EAGLE) F119-(F22 RAPTOR) F135-(F-35 JSF) Also on site is Sikorsky The producers of the UH-60 and its variants. so coming or going from work i often see a BlackHawk or two as I'm driving to my building good thing the road is straight there or o wouldn't be able to pay as much attention to the helicopters.

Hey cool, We're testing the F119 Turbine now at work. I'm working at the Turbine Research Facility in the Air Force Research Labs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The stupid thing's bein' a jerk right now. It's vibrating our rotor to high heaven. We just had to go get it balanced.

[Austin]

Man, so much conversation, so much knowledge...

Tytus was totally right about the cyclic/collective "pilot-seat" thing. Both the front seat guys are fully-qualified pilots, and on the H-60B there is also a collective on both sides. But usually the left seat guy is the "TAO" and messes with the communications, radar, and weapons systems and the right-seat guy flies the aircraft.

...Just another minor point...blackhawk it is, but we "squids" coined it the "Seahawk" just to be all cool and Navy-like. :-)

Clark...perhaps I'll post a boat picture when I get home and have full computer access (I'm just on one of those pesky Navy computers right now). That way I can prove I'm actually in the Navy and not the Army or Marine Corps.

Elise... yep, that pic was taken during my time in San Diego. Though I was flying at NOLF Imperial Beach (Naval Outlying Field) about 1.7 miles north of Tijuana.