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Wanted to share something pretty special about where I live...
Down valley from our home in the town of Gypsum, CO we have a very unique military training facility. The High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (HAATS). The outstanding, brave and skilled men and women soldiers / pilots that visit the HAATS training facility are provided a week of challenging flying, landing and power management unavailable anywhere else. With the high elevation, changing weather and challenging terrain that exists in and around our mountain valley, these Pilots are able to experience and hone their skills like no other training can provide.
Several times a month I will hear the big birds coming my way. ALWAYS so impressive to go stand outside and see these low flying rotory-wing craft cruise overhead. From the website, OH-58 Kiowas, CH-47 Chinooks, UH-60 Black Hawks and LUH-72 Lakotas are the typical craft that are flown during training. Wow, the Chinooks are just incredible!
Back in February I was out walking my dog after a recent big snow storm. The HAATS students were up on the mountain behind the homes where I live. They were likely 4-5 miles from me as the crow flies but they were doing touch and goes on some bald spot, snow fields. Watching those birds kick up the new snow as they made their landings was just awesome to see against a pristine blue sky.
Anyhow, one of the Chinooks just flew over a few minutes ago with it's window shaking thump, thump, thump. thump and it reminded me of how cool it is to see them flying maneuvers when they are near enough to witness.
My hat is off to these fine men and women for their dedication and service!
http://co.ng.mil/ARMY/HAATS/Pages/default.aspx
Some of their training ground and landing zones:
http://co.ng.mil/ARMY/HAATS/Pages/LZs.aspx
Down valley from our home in the town of Gypsum, CO we have a very unique military training facility. The High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (HAATS). The outstanding, brave and skilled men and women soldiers / pilots that visit the HAATS training facility are provided a week of challenging flying, landing and power management unavailable anywhere else. With the high elevation, changing weather and challenging terrain that exists in and around our mountain valley, these Pilots are able to experience and hone their skills like no other training can provide.
Several times a month I will hear the big birds coming my way. ALWAYS so impressive to go stand outside and see these low flying rotory-wing craft cruise overhead. From the website, OH-58 Kiowas, CH-47 Chinooks, UH-60 Black Hawks and LUH-72 Lakotas are the typical craft that are flown during training. Wow, the Chinooks are just incredible!
Back in February I was out walking my dog after a recent big snow storm. The HAATS students were up on the mountain behind the homes where I live. They were likely 4-5 miles from me as the crow flies but they were doing touch and goes on some bald spot, snow fields. Watching those birds kick up the new snow as they made their landings was just awesome to see against a pristine blue sky.
Anyhow, one of the Chinooks just flew over a few minutes ago with it's window shaking thump, thump, thump. thump and it reminded me of how cool it is to see them flying maneuvers when they are near enough to witness.
My hat is off to these fine men and women for their dedication and service!
http://co.ng.mil/ARMY/HAATS/Pages/default.aspx
Some of their training ground and landing zones:
http://co.ng.mil/ARMY/HAATS/Pages/LZs.aspx
