Surely not.

Never would have guessed it, would ya? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The OH-58 and the Bell ranger are basically the same bird. Tiny. I'm not a small dude. I hated rolling that tiny thing out of the hanger and jumping in as a spotter. I do like to fly in helicopters though.

I had to look it up ours were OH-58C Bell Jet Rangers. a 68 and a 70.

I've only flown a couple times, both in small commuter jets. I'd love to go up in a chopper someday. As far as that goes, I'd like to fly anything again.

I've spent a few hours hanging out the side of the OH-58 and a Huey. We would go up twice a week when Andrew tore up south Florida. Would go up after dark and count how many lights were working on the airfield versus how many were supposed to be working.

I think both of ours were 68 models. The second one never made it off the ground, but it gave it's life so that others may live. We actually used it in a couple of rescues, searching for missing people, folks that had wandered off from nursing facilities.

I miss the ghetto bird. I would love to have an aviation unit again. But it costs $$$$ to run. It was a choice of boots on the ground or a bird. Boots won out for good reason.

Yeah, all the fuel and maintenance work was donated and we still only flew about 6, MAYBE 8 actual missions with it, the rest was just pro time for certification.

I would really like to learn how to pilot a helicopter. But its out of my price range.

It was running 650,000 a year for daily operations. It was very handy but the cost of 10 officers it had to go. That or layoffs.

Ha, NO joke! And to think back I could have got my private pilots license when I was in the Philippines and it would only have cost me $600.00! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />