Speaking of Helicopters.

Above is me in a Naval Bell Helicopter, about 1963-4.

I was in HU-4 Navy Squadron for almost two years.  I worked in the Information & Education Office, I knew nothing about helicopters, only they made good photo props.

Our division officer was a helo pilot.  We did not see much of him, he came for about 30 minutes a day to sign various papers that we had ready for him.  Other times we think he spent his time helo training, and hanging out in the Officers room, I forgot the name of it.

When we got to know him we got to like him.  He considered us equals and would roll his eyes if we addressed him as "sir". 

He told us of his training, which he said most times included a fly-over of Cape May on the southern tip of New Jersey, which included flying over a nudist colony.  After he told us that we pestered him to take us.  He said Ok.

In the same type of Bell Helicopter pictured above he took me up in.  He did not take me over ther nudist colony at Cape May but did give me a thrill of a lifetime:

We got high up in the sky and he turned around to me, since he had earphones, I think I heard his radio voice say, "Watch this!" and smiled like a mad man.
He turned off the engine.


The propeller stopped spinning.  We started to drop like a rock.

I think probably turned off his radio and laughed like a maniac.

The faster we dropped.

I could only think, "Oh Shit!"

The closer to Earth he said something like, "Look!  No hands Ma!"

Then, very cloth to earth the helo slowed down.

What I didn't know at the moment but he explained was Auto-rotation.

Auto-rotation was that as the helo fell the air resistance began to turn the propeller.  And it got turning faster and faster.  When it got just a rock's throw above the earth the prop was turning to fast it gently sat us down.

I almost shit in my pants and the joke was on me