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New Horizons for the BlogChylde

A blogger has truly arrived when one of his (or her--in deference to the lovely ladies who do so) peers requests his (oh, all right--or her) technical assistance. For example, frequent Castle guest Barb found herself in need of some deep background about the venerable M2 and its efficacy in domicile defense.

And to whom did she turn for this information? None other than her fellow frequent Castle contributor and newly-minted blogger in his own right, Sgt B., the Ma Deuce Maven. He not only resolved her quandary, but--wait-a-minute--

[*scamper-scamper-thhhhhwhap!*] >>hzzz. message for you...

scruple-express has just delivered the link. You have the controls, Barb.

14 Comments

Dang controls are frozen! "Mayday! Mayday! She's going down..."
 
Barb - Calm down--it's still sitting on the helipad.
 
Oh! So much for calm and collected under pressure ;-) Start the lesson, then, D*mmit!
 
Okay--first of all, put the helmet on an. .... . .... . ..... .. . ........ ..... BARB! TAKE THE HELMET OFF UNTIL I CAN TURN THE oh. okay. battery on.
 
I guess I'd better start showing up for lessons on time from now on, eh? Chief ... Ya still there??
 
Yup. Blasted seat compressed and now I'm looking up at the wiring beneath the instrument panel. Glad it didn't happen in the air. The landing would definitely leave a mark...about 40 feet long and three feet wide. Hang on a minnit... [*clang*-k'THUNK*] There, that's better. Okay, page P-3 on the checklist, I call and you do for the front seat, and you call and I do for the back, helmets and gloves on, battery's coming on and I'll meet you up hot mike. Hello?
 
... ... Ah... That's better! OK, Chief - helmet on, gloves on, battery on. Ready to start checklist from P-3.
 
Hmmmf. Hang on, dropped the checklist. Ooooog--ow! Got it. [*wipes blood off on leg*] Allll righty, here. Weapons switches--off, TOW Control Panel switch--off, Emergency Collective Hydraulic switch--off, panel lighting switches--off. Remove the cotter pin from the Canopy Removal Arming Mechanism and place it in the ashtray so you can find it agai--DON'T ARM THE SYSTEM!!! Whooo. If you'd pulled that, it would've gotten awful plexiglassy in here. Supposed to blow the side canopy and doors out, but det cord works both ways...noisy, too. Reminds me, if you've got your earplugs in, too, turn up the ICS a skosh until we go to Engine Start...
 
So you don't want me to arm this [*slap*] OW! OK, fine - I'm not touching anything until you tell me to! shakes hand to get feeling back
 
*Standing outside on the pad with the fire extinguisher +dearly+ wishing there was a blast wall to stand behind and rabbit ears to observe with...* (mutters under breath) "Glad I'm not the mechanic..."
 
You guys keep this up this slow and I'm gonna hafta leave the comments on even after it drops of the main page... sigh. Barb - make the old fart move a little faster, woodja?
 
These distance learning classes are Really Tough, ya know?! The training schedule is suffering from doses of reality - my job keeps interfering with my avocation ;-)
 
"Wow ... Who knew I could fall asleep in these seats!?" Takes off helmet and gloves, turns off battery, places cotter pin back into Canopy Removal Arming System, jumps out onto tarmac. "Gotta go, Chief - I'll schedule the next lesson wit ya later!" :-)
 
[*walking back from the vicinity of the wet spot beneath the tailboom*] Grumble. Partying with the bedoodlewhoppies ruined a perfectly good set of kidneys. [*looks around, clambers into rear seat, stashes helmet bag behind seat, fastens shoulder and waist straps, puts helmet on, plugs mike cord in, tests inertia reel, straps checklist to left leg, straps kneeboard to right leg, attaches Helmet Sight Subsystem BIT magnet to helmet, checks rail slides, adjusts helmet sight*] Oh, hell--not again... [**detaches HSS BIT magnet and sticks to holder, unstraps checklist, unstraps kneeboard, removes helmet, places helmet on helmet-hook, unstraps shoulder and waist harness, clambers out...*]
 
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