Spartan13 Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Hey all, long time lurker first time poster here. I'm Army active duty enlisted, and just got my Q-S for 153A at the May 2017 board! I'm beyond excited, but still have one last hurdle before I can start the whole training timeline: my unit's JRTC rotation in June. What I'd like to know is if anyone has any recommendations for military helicopter pilot books that they've really enjoyed. I'm not really looking for anything strictly educational (TMs, manuals, etc), I'm more looking for interesting stories of real military helicopter pilots and what their careers were like. Just something to help me pass the time before and after the box. I've done some searching around and have seen Low Level Hell and Chickenhawk recommended strongly, but I'm wondering if there are any more recent accounts of pilots from OIF/OEF or something else from the modern era. I've also read Mike Durant's book "In The Company of Heroes" and really enjoyed it. On a completely separate note, I'm interested to hear from other active duty who were selected recently how long it took to get their email with class dates, and how far out their class dates were. Any intel about a realistic timeline would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance, sorry that this post turned out to be longer than I intended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharyouTree Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/topic/19677-warrant-officer-recommended-reading/ Edited May 31, 2017 by CharyouTree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartan13 Posted May 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 Thanks for the post, CharyouTree, but those recommendations are all exactly what I'm not looking for, which are TMs, manuals or other documentation or study material. I'm interested in just entertainment value to help pass the time, preferably something autobiographical in nature. In The Company of Heroes is a good example of what I'm looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanner37 Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 Just happened by this post and figured id chime in. I was also selected at the May 2017 Board and I'm active duty enlisted. It good to see a fellow Active Duty Soldier on here! I look forward to seeing you down at Rucker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotornut67 Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Rattler One-Seven, by Chuck Gross is a good read. It's a true story about his experiences in Vietnam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartan13 Posted June 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Just happened by this post and figured id chime in. I was also selected at the May 2017 Board and I'm active duty enlisted. It good to see a fellow Active Duty Soldier on here! I look forward to seeing you down at Rucker!Hell yeah! Congrats! Once you get your dates, let me know. If we end up in the same class, it'd be nice to know someone else before we even get there! Rattler One-Seven, by Chuck Gross is a good read. It's a true story about his experiences in Vietnam. Also, thanks Rotornut. This is exactly what I was looking for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharyouTree Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Thanks for the post, CharyouTree, but those recommendations are all exactly what I'm not looking for, which are TMs, manuals or other documentation or study material. I'm interested in just entertainment value to help pass the time, preferably something autobiographical in nature. In The Company of Heroes is a good example of what I'm looking for. There are several posts in there with non-study material... I'll forgo linking directly to them. The Night Stalkers, also by DurantLow Level HellRattler one-SevenPucker Factor 10To the LimitDustoff 7-3 (Haven't read yet, but I went to flight school with the author)The Price of ExitA Rumor of WarUS Navy Seawolves: The Elite HAL-3 Helicopter Squadron in Vietnam Non Helicopter Pilot:A Higher CallOnce a Fighter PilotEye of the ViperFighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin OldsFlyboysThe Right StuffMoonshotVipers in the StormOut of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle Non-pilot related:5 Years to Freedom (Col Rowe)Lone SurvivorSua SponteDelta Force: A Memoir More leadership oriented:Leaders Eat Last (from previously mentioned thread)The Mission, the Men, and Me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG.Mech Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4664989-apache-ed-macy"Apache" I read this book by Ed Macy, a British Apache pilot who flew extensively in Afghanistan in 2006. Great read and pretty contemporary. Seems like he had some pretty hairy moments out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartan13 Posted June 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2017 Great list, CharyouTree. I'll definitely check some of those out. And also thanks CGMech, I'm really interested in reading something from the current generation of aircraft and I'll check out that book for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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