Although I am not a pilot, I have always had a strong fascination with helicopters. I love the way helicopters move and wobble (even though it is unintentional!) and dance around above the ground. Watching the blades spin up from a stop and slow down to a stop at the end of a flight.
Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, the older noisy police Dauphines were the choppers I saw the most. Then Blue Thunder came out, then Airwolf was shown on television and that cemented it for me.
I went to school with a kid who's father ran a helicopter company (starting with J) and have tried to get back in touch with him with no success. We used to hang around down at the Yarra and World Trade Centre pads watching the Jetrangers, Australia's first A109, Squirrels, an H500 and various pistons operating on weekends.
There's nothing sadder than after watching a helicopter start up, take off, fly away and it gets quieter and quieter and I know it's time to go home but I don't want to.
I've only ever once been up in a helicopter and it almost ended in a disaster when we had a forced landing in a city park. But it hasn't stopped me from being fascinated with them.