Baghdad or Bust

Got up at 0400 this morning. Took off at 0800. Flew to Baghdad International Airport then into downtown Baghdad, the Green Zone. We picked up a two-star general and his entourage, then flew them back to where we came from, FOB Delta, at 1100.

Baghdad is very large, dispersed and has some fairly modern buildings. We flew over the university, affectionately known as “Terrorist U.” It even had a soccer field. The city itself has a very nice, muddy river running through it. Didn’t look it up; Tigris, Euphrates, both? Not enough time to be a tourist. The air was incredibly polluted, smokey, and gray. Some very nice monuments passed underneath, surely built during Saddam Hussein’s reign. Most buildings were mud brick or some other gray/brown brick. They even had a very nice curved highway with it’s own traffic jam at a bridge crossing the river. Also, there were quite a few multi-story buildings. It was an experience, and I wish I could have taken pictures. Maybe next time.

After transporting the General, and a large group of Iraqi photographers (it turned out), we grabbed a quick lunch (kinda like grabbing our quick breakfast). Picked him up at 1200 hrs, without his photographers, zipped back into the smog of Baghdad, dropped him off in a very snug landing zone (LZ), named Washington (kind of an “In Your Face” name for a former Iraqi Palace now occupied by the U.S.), returned to Baghdad International Airport for fuel, picked up a few more passengers, then back home.

I flew most of the flight, nice and smooth, with some of my most gentle landings ever. I was hoping to keep the passengers peaceful and impressed with how friendly we fly. But then we decided to let the other pilot, a Captain, fly the last leg. One of our crewchiefs noticed some of the passengers starting to nod off from the “excitement” of the return flight. So the Captain decided to do a quick turn to the right to change position on the helicopter we were following. That got them back all awake and their eyes were much more open! I’m sure they weren’t too enamored with Army pilots at that point.

The worse was yet to come. Ten minutes later, my right front door flew open. That’ll get your attention! 140 knots, 1200 feet, and nothing but your seatbelt and a stark terror grip holding me in my seat (Not really that bad, but I like to embellish.) The funny part was the crewchief/door gunner behind me lept into action. We slowed the helicopter down, put it out of trim so the wind wouldn’t blow my door off, and he climbed OUT OF HIS SEAT, STOOD UP OUTSIDE THE HELICOPTER, & TRIED TO SHUT MY DOOR!!! It’s really a funny picture, me hanging onto the door and my crewchief outside pushing on it. Of course, he wears a monkey harness that keeps him attached to the helicopter, but I’m sure our passengers thought we were messing with them again. The door finally closed properly, and we landed without further incident. I’m sure those passengers are telling their friends, “Don’t ever fly with those Army pilots out of FOB Delta.” Can’t blame ‘em. I think they're all crazy.

Well, tomorrow I have the early flight again, this time having to be at work at 0300 with a takeoff at 0600! Yikes!!! My beauty sleep will surely suffer.

So, it’s off to La-La Land I go. And, no. I haven’t forgotten about the “Trigger” picture-story. I’ve taken all the pictures, I just haven’t had enough time to post it with this lightning-fast internet we use.

Lotsa love,

C-M/P/3