If man were meant to fly he’d have wings

When we aren’t walking, we move around by helicopter. That we actually have dedicated air services is of immense relief, in that we now do not have to fly stand by, or first available, or not fly at all, which was the case in Kandahar. Having transportation allows the team to get our boots on the ground at the various forward operating bases and project sites. Hopefully, getting a first hand view of the varied locations will allow for better planning and better outcomes.

We’ll see.


For now, I’m just enjoying the rides. We been using a Russian bird (an MI-8), belonging to the Columbian Air Force, lease by a U.S. company, with security provided by the Australians. It’s a bit confusing, but not so much considering the coalition/contractor approach to the OEF. All one really needs to remember is to bring your ear plugs. These helos are very loud.

They aren’t particularly uncomfortable, provided there’re not too many people or too much stuff on the flight. Base crew is three up front, doing piloty stuff, then a crew chief and load master in the large cargo area doubling as shooters. For us, we’re just more cargo, although we do unload ourselves. If there were only passengers on board, maybe a dozen and half would fit. Fold down benches line the fuselage, and it’s really not clear where the individual seats are delineated, you just toss your gear down the center of the floor and look for a couple of interconnecting seat belt ends.

These types of helicopter flights in theatre are unpressurized, and the doors are cracked and windows opened, allowing a nice breeze to flow through the cabin. At flight altitude, it’s nicely cool, in stark contrast to the ground.

Our flight from Jalalabad to Sharana was to have picked us up at the undeveloped end of the airfield at 0740, but didn’t hit the ground until almost 1130, then needing refueling which took another half hour before we could board. We spent the intervening time standing on a gravel landing zone, under the single scragglyass tree, as temperatures lifted easily into the triple digits. Needless to write, we were all on the dehydrated side by the time we landed which is, I’m sure, in the most middle of nothing place I’ve ever been to.

We’ll move around a bit more before we’re done with this work, and a couple of us are hoping for Blackhawk rides instead of these more sedate commuter flights. Time will tell.