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FORT HOOD, Texas - I am deathly afraid of heights, and the feeling of rapidly falling has never sat well with me. I can’t even ride roller coasters without my stomach turning to knots, but I am determined to conquer my fears.
I sat in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, cinching up my safety belt as tight as possible. I could hear the radio chatter from my headset as I anxiously awaited takeoff. The engine started up: There was no turning back now.
Several hours earlier, I mentioned to my commander, Capt. Charles Escaleras, how great it would be to catch a picture of the sunset from the air.
“We should get you on a flight today, if we can," he said.
This was not the response I was expecting from my commander!
I accompanied Escaleras to the airfield, where he informed me that he and our battalion commander, Lt. Col. Jeff Sibley, would be piloting the aircraft.
I had no idea to what extent of detail went into pre-flight planning until I nervously watched as the pilots planned our flight. Afterward, the three of us met with the crew chief, Sgt. Rene Fragoso, and the gunner, Sgt. Nathan Wong, for a briefing to ensure everybody understood their tasks. Sibley taxied the Black Hawk to the runway. As the aircraft took off in a hover, I started snapping pictures left and right, trying to distract myself from the nervousness.
Our first stop: The forward arming and refueling point (FARP) for a refuel.
Hearing how much communication it takes while trying to land a helicopter amazed me. I listened in awe as crew members discussed each and every little detail, down to the inches of the landing gear. After we touched down I quickly exited the aircraft to photograph the Soldiers refueling our helicopter.
As we lifted off from the FARP, I watched the breathtaking sight of the ground far below. I should have taken a photo, but I was so taken in by the view I forgot about the camera in my hand!
"Birds 12 o'clock,” Sibley said.
My stomach lurched as the helicopter dipped into a dive.
“Sorry about that,” Sibley said. “I didn’t want to hit the birds.”
He asked if I was OK. I gave an immediate thumbs-up, as I was still trying to process the spontaneous maneuvering that had just occurred. I continued taking pictures. By the time we landed in Fort Hood my battery was almost dead. Fortunately, this was our last stop before returning to the airfield.
Before I left for the day, I made sure to give a sincere thank you to Sibley and Escaleras for taking me with them.
As I walked off the airfield, I knew each and every flight I would take afterward would be a remarkably less intense experience than my first. My excitement was matched only by my confidence in the crew. Even the initial shock of Sibley’s sudden nose dive didn’t leave me insecure. The pilots’ vigilance and abilities to keep us safe in every situation (including mid-air bird strikes), left me with a new sense of comfort and appreciation for their jobs.
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.03.2015 15:05 |
| Story ID: | 183406 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | LOS ANGELES, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Soldier takes off on her first flight, by SPC Rose Athena Wolford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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