The 100%, absolute-coolest thing I have ever done, was right after one of the scariest moments I've ever experienced. In a similiar thread about scary stuff, I told you guys & gals about the time the 747 I was on, almost crashed in Rome, Italy as it ferried myself, and 320 of my closest friends back from Desert Storm.

That plane was unserviceable, so after 9 hours, we got a new plane, new crew, and we uploaded it, and left Rome headed to NYC's JFK International Airport. There was 100% military on this flight, so the flight attendants and pilots were cool. For those of us who were interested, they let us come upstairs to first class, and take turns going into the ****pit.

We were at 41,000 feet, and moving at 560 MPH, heading West. I came in, and let me tell you- as big as the 747 is, the ****pit is tiny- not nearly as large as those fake ****pits they show you on TV. Tiny is relative though- let's just say it's Tiny, considering the size of the plane.

I stood right between the pilot (who wasn't even looking out the window) and the co-pilot (who wasn't looking either) as they talked to us, and manipulated the engine power across the 4 engines. Giving a little here, taking off a little there... I looked out the window across the horizon, and it was like being in a field of puffy snow. Talk about bright (with the sun reflecting off the clouds); if you didn't have shades on, you'd probably be "snow-blind" in about 10 minutes. I styed in there about 10 minutes, but- it felt like 2 minutes- it went by fast.

For an aviation enthusiast; that was the ultimate high. This, along with having my arm around Vivica A. Fox's waist, after being her body-guard for about 30 minutes, are what I would consider the coolest things I have done in life, so far...

 

I work for an air-medical company and the first time I ever flew was in one of their A-Star helicopters at night. There is nothing like flight in a helicopter! An A-Star is small, so it was all windows to the front and side of me. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of taking off and landing vertically. Hovering is amazing, you feel like a bird, you fly so low that you can see everything. Its like a magic carpet ride... If I had 50K laying around I'd definetly go for a commerical heli license!

 

I would say the most memorable place I've seen up to this point has got to be Lake Tahoe. I had always heard about how clear and blue the lake was, but had never seen it for myself until a few years ago.

My wife and I were on vacation in Reno, and decided to take a day trip up to see the lake. We came around this mountain bend and caught a glimpse of what looked like a blue jewel glistening in the distance. It was almost surreal, or dream-like, with these wispy white clouds of what looked like fog coming off the surface. I thought to myself, "What the HECK is THAT?!"

Then I realized it was the lake -- my wife and I pulled over and just sat there on some rocks and were amazed by something that was real, yet looked like it was a digital creation from some movie studio somewhere! Truly breathtaking!

Now if you had some substantial coin, THAT would be a wonderful place to buy some property!

 

Alaska in September, took a 2 hour trip, got very close to a Bald Eagle, followed a pod of Killer whale and then followed 4 Hump back Whale for about 45 minutes, there was guy in a 14ft alum boat 50 yard from us and they surfaced all around him showing just how hugh they are. beutiful brisk 58degree day not a cloud in the sky.

 

Me too...

I wouldn't mind flying the care-flight chopper here in Dallas! That's a real bird there. Big, like "Airwolf" (Bell 202) was. Everything looks the same, except the tail rotor is enclosed in the rear stabilizer. When it goes over our neighboorhood (which happens quite often- and tells me there must be at least one major wreck on 75 Central Expressway at least once a week.) You can hear it 10-20 seconds before it arrives, and when it passes, the dishes rattle in the cabinets as it roars over, maybe 200 - 300 feet above our house.

Our news helicopters (KDFW, 103.7, etc...) are all esentially the same bird as the Army's OH-58 Kiowa's, it's a lightweight, it's adequate, but not impressive. A few years ago, one of the bird's Chip Wagoner (The channel 4 news/raffic guy) was on, lost power. The guy auto-rotated down to a "controlled crash" at Midway and Spring Valley (If memory serves). They were shaken up, but no one got hurt...

 

Meeting my Wife of 23 years and raising two wonderful Children with her. The American dream...can't do any better than that

Scott

PS- Bighersh..Those are some fine looking vehicles in your sig.

 

Aside from riding in a chopper, this is another cool thing that has happened to me.

My platoon was tasked to assist a National Guard/Reserve unit with their annual training. I was part of the OPFOR. We attacked their site and over ran them one night. Too easy, all their guards were asleep at their post, the only shots fired were ours, until they shot at us as we departed.

However, on the last day, we were to be "targets" for their AH-64 Apache squadron. We were in north-central Texas, riding though the bushes on this trail. The OIC said it was harder for an Apache to see us in the daytime, than it was at night, so- we had to keep our headlights one. That was kind of a cheat, but- OK.

We had been riding 30-45 minutes; no Apache's were seen or heard... Typical part-timer's, I thought. I was in the lead Hummer. Just then, we rounded a bend, and way out on the horizon, I saw one Apache, he was sitting above the hill/mountain; but he was WAY out there. I could see him, but- I wasn't 100% sure he could see me; we're in brown & green trucks against brown & green terrain, driving very slowly. As we proceeded, all of a sudden, the Apache dipped behind the mountain. I old the shotgun, "That's our ***- he's seen us..." keep in mind, he had to be 3-5 miles out. We continued to convoy, and as we came through another thicket, out of know where, about seven Apache Helicopters swooped down on our position, and hovered around us. High wind, dust and dirt went everywhere as the Apache Helicopters encircled our position. The surrounded us for about 1-2 minutes, before departing. We got out of our trucks looking like we'd just survived an F-5 dust tornado.

I looked at one of the other Sergeants and said- "It would have been effed up for us if we had been a real enemy."

Being swarmed on by a group of AH-64 Apache helicopters is definitely in my top five coolest things I have ever witnessed.

 

Thank you!

 

We have LifeNet in Nebraska, they have a BK-117 and an A-Star. I can tell which heli is flying over my house just by the way they sound. I live really close to Offutt AFB so I get to see pretty cool things sometimes. CH-53 Super Stallions are really something else, loud, but amazing! I'll see the occasional fighter jet and when the airshow comes in August we can sit on the back deck and watch them fly over our neighborhood while they do practice patterns.

 

Not much excitement in my life...



http://www.dutchwonderland.com/index.asp

 

The most exciting thing in Vader's life is hanging out here in GD with me.

 

its sad but true....

hey I'm gonna post that pic in the "I need a tatoo" post....

 

Diving the “wall” off of Bimini, The Bahamas. This is where the continental shelf drops away and has a 2000’ shear drop off. We were hanging off a rope at the 224’ depth and actually hanging over the cliff. What a view as the water drops off to black off the cliff. Reminded me of something off the movie “The Abyss”

Woof
Bowser

 

well, it's nothing spectacular, it is a memory I have always enjoyed. My Dad and me were fishing off of Mountain Creek lake which is where NAS Dallas used to be here in Grand Prarie. My dad is retired NAVY and had been stationed there before and new how to get down to the lake off of the runway. I was 10 or 11 and very excited because I love airplanes. Anyway, we were sitting there and I heard a noise behind us, so I turned around. There were 2 A-10 warthogs preparing for takeoff. Now the Tank Killer is my favorite plane, and to see them period was cool for me. Well as luck would have it, Dad said they would be taking off about 50 yards from us. I was so excited, they came screaming down the runway and lifted off right in front of me. Those Engines whinning at full throttle was so friggin cool. That made my day.

 

Lots of cool places for me. Well, I think so.

Hong Kong for Chinese New Year - cool

Was in Moscow for the Yeltsin Revolution in September 93 - Interesting but cool

Semi crashed in a Helicopter onto an island off Zaire and got held hostage for a day by rebel troops - scary but cool afterwards recounting the story in the bar

Went round Daytona at about 170mph - way cool

Drove a Peterbilt from Houston to Grand prarie in Canada and back - pretty cool

Drove on the Salt at Bonneville - definitely cool

Cruised some of Route 66 and PCH in California in a convertible Mustang