18
Sep
2016
We’ve all told stories that start with, “There I was …” This story, however, doesn’t begin like that. Whether you were right or left seat with 3,000 hours of experience or fresh out of Mother Rucker, most of us have been in this situation. At the very least, all of us have witnessed it. This time, the story starts with, “There you were ...”
The B-17 bomber was closing fast as I made a swift right turn to evade the heavy iron climbing toward my airplane. It happened when I was on a very routine mission flying a Cessna 182 as a law enforcement pilot.
During the Gulf War, I learned a valuable lesson that I shared with every unit I was assigned to afterward: While technological advancements can help make our jobs as Soldiers a little easier, we must fully understand the capabilities and limitations of new equipment.
I remember my first night vision goggle flight in a UH-60 at flight school. It was a beautiful Alabama night with great illume and we were at one of the stagefields practicing roll-ons.
While rail transport has proven itself capable of supporting war efforts over many decades, it can be hazardous. That’s why safety is paramount during railroad operations.