Ever attend a gathering of old timers of the helicopter industry and listen to the many stories told and thought of what they are all about?
Some of the old Geezers with the long whiskers, livers that probably resemble Rugby Footballs due to the bowser loads of Beer they filtered, and some with the the scars, wounds, and injuries from when things did not go according to plan can spin some serious yarns.
They bring the human side of the equation to the fore and for neophytes it provides a great store of knowledge and experience.
Some of us have gone from early model Bell 47's, Hillers, even the odd Sycamore and early Sikorsky's to the latest and greatest fully tricked out aircraft of today.
Wars have been fought, rescues made, patients transported, wildfires fought, VIP's catered to, oil field workers shifted around, tourists flown, law enforced, and lost children found....all as a days work for the flight crews and the engineers.
We have lived in posh hotels, tents, even in the Bell or Boeing-Vertol Arms or just under the Stars....experienced storms, tornado's, hurricanes, and cyclones and the aftermath of them and even earthquakes.
Deer, Elk, and Moose have been pursued for research, terrorists hunted for real, and open air concerts and ball games protected.
Yes....helicopters have made a difference in many lives and in many ways and in each of us.
We are far better off for having them and the kinds of folks that make it happen every day.
You know you are doing something good and is appreciated when you arrive and it is nothing but upturned faces with huge smiles and happy faces on people who knew you would come in their time of great need.
I saw that from Infantry Soldiers on the ground in combat, survivors of earthquakes in Iran, injured persons at automobile accidents at home, and fighter pilots looking up as we winched them from places they really did not care to linger at. I know for sure of one US Sailor that benefited from a ride in the back of my aircraft after being grievously wounded and because of our timely presence and flying him to the nearest field hospital he lived and later sent me a very nice letter thanking me for what in reality was just an ordinary part of my work day but meant so much to him. As part of Grant-a-Wish programs for the terminally ill I have given sight seeing rides and being able to do so meant a lot to both the recipient....and to the giver. I would not have had those blessings had I not been a helicopter pilot and there not been the helicopter to provide the means. We can and do make a difference as we should whenever possible.
One recent example... volunteer helicopters responding to survivors of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
https://www.operationhelo.org