ROTC: First ride on a $6 million Blackhawk, cold and surreal

GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

It was the part of the trip I was most excited for, but it still didn’t seem real. I was Strapped into my four-point harness, my ear plugs were in and my writing pad was pushed firmly up against my stomach and the seatbelt. Below me was nothing but the water of Lucky Peak Reservoir. Still, it didn’t seem real.

The water of Lucky Peak Reservoir was hundreds of feet below me, but it still didn’t feel real. With my seat belt holding me firmly up in my seat and my ear plugs blocking out any chance of dialogue between myself and the cadets, it felt like I just as easily could have been watching a PBS documentary on climate changes in southern Idaho.

While I shifted my stares from the pilot to the colonel to the Idaho scenery, I thought about what they told us before myself and the cadets boarded.

“If we crash, don’t leave until the rotor blades stop.”

Finally, it became real. Just as I thought about the consequences of spinning rotor blades on my frame, I looked over and saw another helicopter. Another Blackhawk chopping way at the freezing, choppy morning air.

For some reason, it wasn’t until I saw that other Helicopter that I realized I really was up there. There was no VHS to rewind, no DVD to put back in its case to end this spectaculary unique showing of Boise.

One cadet said that if you have any layers, anything, put ‘em on. It gets cold up there. He was right. The combination of the altitude and the fast spinning rotors makes for a surreal windy and cold experience.

After the flight one cadet explained how the experience went.

“It’s kinda like having your hand out the window at seventy five,” he said.

That seemed about right until another cadet refined the explanation.
“Yeah, only your whole body is outside.”

Related Posts:

1. ROTC takes classroom training into the field
2. Northwest ROTC competes for Ranger Challenge Cup
3. Army recognizes John Rossi for his ROTC work
4. Black Hawk up
5. ROTC: With a compass, protractor, Cadets search for needles in hay