Why do helicopter pilots prefer landing beside a road rather than on it during emergencies, and what factors do they consider in that decision?
I can tell you why from experience. I am a retired, high-time helicopter pilot that from 1986 to 1990 was lead pilot for Life Flight in Boise, Idaho….
Why do European people stop travelling to the USA?
Let me tell you a true story. Last year my wife and I flew from New Zealand to Britain for a holiday. It’s about 24 hours flying so…
Why were the U.S. troops in Vietnam so thin compared to the US troops nowadays, especially during the Global War on Terror?
I was in Marine Corps shape at over 200 pounds when I arrived in July 1966. After joining my infantry company, the pounds, primarily muscle, started to disappear….
How often are US Navy submarine crews allowed to shower while at sea?
While I was in (79 to 01), we would shower once a day or so (unless the evaporator was broken, then showers were secured). However we took “submarine…
What is the dark side of Thailand as a tourist?
Well, let me tell you a story. I was out drinking one afternoon, and a very pleasant man began chatting with me. He was an engineer, his English…
Why don’t illegal immigrants try to go to Canada?
Canada has plenty of illegal immigrants, not to the same scale as the US, but lots. The reason that we don’t have as many illegal immigrants, is threefold….
After proving that a C-130 can land and take off from an aircraft carrier, why was it never done again?
I knew the pilot who flew that C-130, Jim Flatley. He was CAG in my first airing onboard USS Independence. He was frequently asked about that effort. The…
Do pilots know what absolutely every single button and switch in the cockpit does?
As an airline captain with tens of thousands of hours, I’m going to take a bit of a contrarian stance here. Of course we know what all of…
If a highly trained CIA SOG or Delta Force operator were placed in an American supermax prison like ADX Florence or Pelican Bay, would they be able to escape it?
I’m 99 percent sure that no inmate is leaving ADX Florence unless he’s in a body bag. I don’t care if that person is a Delta, DEVGRU, SOG,…
What did us F4 phantom pilots think of Rolls-Royce powered versions used by their UK counterparts?
Mixed feelings. The British engine was chosen primarily because of politics. They wanted to support their own jet industry, which is understandable. They also wanted higher thrust to…