Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

As a Blackhawk pilot stationed in Honduras, one day I was sent to assist in the retrieval of a Huey that had had a complete engine failure on the other side of the country and could not be repaired in the field. Along with a Chinook helicopter, we flew a slingload rigging crew and equipment out to the Mosquito Coast to bring home the bird. Sling loading a Huey is rather unusual, and it took most of the day to get it rigged properly. At one point one of the rigging crew who was standing on top of the Huey got zapped with a jolt of static electricity from the cargo hook of the Chinook and fell off the helicopter! He was alright, though, and as the sun was dipping below the yardarm we accompanied the Chinook and her precious cargo back to the base.