Certainly brings back memories. In exercise Battle Griffin in northen Norway in '96 we were guarding a mountain pass on a beautiful, sunny arctic day when a peculiar sound from down the valley brought our attention. Two AH-1Ws were climbing low over the scarce tree tops to our 3 o'clock and passed right over our positions.
I tried to reassure my lieutenant CO that the gun was slaved to the pilot/gunner's helmet sight and so, even if the gun was pointing at us it did not necessarily mean that it was 'firing' at us. There was some frantic calls over the radio and - to our relief - we realised that we weren't annuled.
The Cobras graciously swept passed us, made a 90 degree right turn and climbed up the 1000 feet vertical cliff on the other side of the pass, stopping just shy of the summit. After hovering for maybe 20-30 seconds they poped their nose (and gun) over the top and took out an 'enemy' 50 cal. Browning position. They never saw it comming.
The angle was so steep that I'm not sure they actually ever saw us or knew we were down there, but they might have had their firing sector farther in towards the pass.
Great experience, nevertheless, and I will never forget the sound of those twin rotors and the 30 cal. sweeping over our positions.
Certainly brings back memories. In exercise Battle Griffin in northen Norway in '96 we were guarding a mountain pass on a beautiful, sunny arctic day when a peculiar sound from down the valley brought our attention. Two AH-1Ws were climbing low over the scarce tree tops to our 3 o'clock and passed right over our positions.
ReplyDeleteI tried to reassure my lieutenant CO that the gun was slaved to the pilot/gunner's helmet sight and so, even if the gun was pointing at us it did not necessarily mean that it was 'firing' at us. There was some frantic calls over the radio and - to our relief - we realised that we weren't annuled.
The Cobras graciously swept passed us, made a 90 degree right turn and climbed up the 1000 feet vertical cliff on the other side of the pass, stopping just shy of the summit. After hovering for maybe 20-30 seconds they poped their nose (and gun) over the top and took out an 'enemy' 50 cal. Browning position. They never saw it comming.
The angle was so steep that I'm not sure they actually ever saw us or knew we were down there, but they might have had their firing sector farther in towards the pass.
Great experience, nevertheless, and I will never forget the sound of those twin rotors and the 30 cal. sweeping over our positions.
B. Bolsøy
Oslo
I remember that flightline from when my Son was in HMLA-775. they stopped flying the Whiskey in 2008 -- when their Colors (sadly) were cased. 'Sniff'
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