Surprised at being alive an accidental helicopter pilot in Vietnam and beyond

Sometimes you do everything right, but it just isn’t your day. A part fails and your helicopter comes apart in flight, or, another aircraft runs into you and the pieces of both fall to the ground below, or the enemy gunner pulls the trigger at just the right moment and his rounds find your aircraft in exactly the right spot to take it out of the sky. Whichever way it happens, it wasn’t your day.

Which is why, after 24 years and over 5,000 flight hours with four armed services, Major Robert Curtis was so surprised at being alive when he passed his retirement physical. Starting with enlisting in the Army to fly helicopters during Vietnam, and continuing on through service with the National Guard, Marine Corps and Royal Navy, he flew eight different helicopters—from the wooden-bladed flying he OH-13E, through the Chinook, SeaKnight and SeaKing, in war and peace around the world. During that time over 50 of his friends died in crashes, both in combat and in accidents, but somehow his skill, and not an inconsiderable amount of luck and superstition, saw him through.

His flying career began with a misbegotten strategy for beating the draft by enlisting. With the Vietnam War raging full blast in 1968 the draft was inevitable, so he wanted to at least get some small measure of control of his future. Although he had no thought of flying when he walked into the recruiting office, he walked out signed up to be a helicopter pilot. What he did not know was that 43% of all the aircraft sent to Vietnam were destroyed in combat or accidents. Soon he was in the thick of the war, flying Chinooks with the 101st Airborne. After Vietnam he left the Army, but kept flying in the National Guard while going to college. He was accepted at two law schools, but flying is addictive, so he instead enlisted in the USMC to fly some more. Over the next 17 years he would fly around the world off US and British ships from Egypt to Norway and all points in between. His engaging story will be a delight to all aviation enthusiasts.

Table of Contents

Prologue
Introduction: Helicopters

Flying Life One: The Army 1968–1971
1: The Accidental Aviator
2: Chasing Buzzards
3: Engine Failure
4: The Playtex Club
5: First Takeoff Of The Day
6: Luck And Superstition
7: Survival Instruments
8: Tracers
9: Army Night Flight
10: Flares
11: Napalm
12: Last ’Nam Flight

Flying Life Two: The National Guard 1972-1975
13: Truck Strike
14: National Guard Night Flight
15: Tornados
16: National Guard Summers

Flying Life Three: The Marine Corps 1975-1993
17: Night Vision Goggles
18: Marine Corps Night Flight
19: Wires
20: Externals
21: The Ritual
22: Special Operations Capable
23: Broken On A Moroccan Beach

Flying Life Four: The British Royal Navy 1983-1985
24: Sand
25: Introducing The Arctic To Captain Curtis
26: Royal Navy Night Flight—The Difficult Valley
27: Troop Lifting, With Night And Heavy Snow Showers
28: Long Flight Home
29: Sea Fog
30: Day And Night Passengers
31: Final Flight With The Royal Navy

Epilogue: The Wall, 20 Years After
Glossary
Acknowledgments