DAY 32: Brown Out

Tue, 27 September 2005

The advance team from the New York unit arrived and performed a familiarization flight with our guys. One of their crewmembers filmed the other helo as it approached the ground for a landing. Though very shaky, the video captures the essence of what we call a “brown out.” Do you recall that I had previously mentioned how very dusty it was here? Well, just imagine the dust and dirt at the texture level of fine talcum powder. So, as the rotors approached the ground, a cloud of brown dust begins to stir. Finally, it becomes larger and more elongated with the forward motion of the helo. When the helicopter finally lands, a full-blown brown cloud completely envelopes the helo and it totally disappears from sight. From the aircrew’s description, it’s total blindness and challenges the skill set of every crewmember on board to ensure a safe landing of the aircraft.

Fallen Soldiers #9 and #10