Heros onboard!

**Chas** · 12-21-11, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Mac

Merry Christmas to you and your family, Chas!

-Mac

Merry Christmas to you and yours too my friend!

**Chas** · 01-02-12, 08:46 AM

We had a great Christmas with our kids and the changes that a dog can go through so fast.....Diesel is almost full grown and in a few weeks Ava has changed quite a bit too..Ben sent in a DNA sample to a company and is waiting to get the results back regarding Diesel's bloodline.

**GerryLP** · 01-02-12, 11:44 AM

It is hard to believe that 4 years have gone by since Ben departed to Iraq. He has been through so much and with good fortune to survive it all, and now just having been selected to Blackhawks is the culmination of a long journey that of course has not reached its destination.

Blackhawks flying experience will serve him well from now on. I have not been keeping up with
Blackhawks lately (working a crew on the venerable C-130), but the Blackhawks should be sporting the T700-701D engines by now. Cool motor and very reliable. They have leveraged many of the improvements that they used in their commercial lines (GE Engines, that is). The regional aircraft
SAAB 340's use them.

Please remind Ben to look me up in Kirtland AFB if he ever needs help. We have a T700 engine
shop and test facility.

Have him ask for the "Queen Bee" shop. The transient line folks will be
able to direct them him to us quickly.

Congratulations Ben and parents. You must be very proud.

**Chas** · 01-04-12, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by GerryLP

It is hard to believe that 4 years have gone by since Ben departed to Iraq. He has been through so much and with good fortune to survive it all, and now just having been selected to Blackhawks is the culmination of a long journey that of course has not reached its destination.

Blackhawks flying experience will serve him well from now on. I have not been keeping up with
Blackhawks lately (working a crew on the venerable C-130), but the Blackhawks should be sporting the T700-701D engines by now. Cool motor and very reliable. They have leveraged many of the improvements that they used in their commercial lines (GE Engines, that is). The regional aircraft
SAAB 340's use them.

Please remind Ben to look me up in Kirtland AFB if he ever needs help. We have a T700 engine
shop and test facility.

Have him ask for the "Queen Bee" shop. The transient line folks will be
able to direct them him to us quickly.

Congratulations Ben and parents. You must be very proud.

Thank you Gerry, he has done so well for himself and his wife that we are hard pressed to think of anything he can't do.
We both knew he would be a good soldier but he did so much more than we ever dreamed of. He has such a grasp on life now that we no longer have to worry as a parent wondering where he will end up or such. He knows what he wants and has a means to achieve it in short order. We did so much during the holidays and going home was tough on us all. Ben called 2 days after we left saying he was thinking of driving home for a few days as he was that home sick. We told him we were ready to go half way and meet them, but its home that he misses. Mom's cookin did him good but he misses the simple things we always did at the house.
So we take that as compliment that we did a good job as his parents, but we give him all the credit in the world for putting himself where he is at.
He said he has landed in a new model Blackhawk.... UH-60M.....He showed me the diffrences inside the cockpit comparing his to a current 'Hawk and he has the best of everything at his fingertips.
Thanks again for your input here Amigo

**Chas** · 01-26-12, 11:12 AM

Yesterday was the first Blackhawk class and it was a good day for Ben. He and a buddy have been studying 2 chapters that they were told would be the first test. The class went well and it ended with a test of the stuff Ben had been working on....given 1.5 hours to finish both tests, Ben and his buddy finished both in 30 minutes and both got 100% on it all. They left to notice others were still testing and then they were told to put the pencils down as time and expired.
So he had a great night

He said he will be flying Blackhawks in less than 2 weeks with his first check flight to come a week after that.

This class really moves fast and he is jacked to finally get on the stick of a Blackhawk!

Chas

**GerryLP** · 01-26-12, 09:18 PM

That's the way to do it, Ben! These Blackhawks are flying computers. You have to learn their flight envelope, so you can best apply their use for the mission.

Congratulations!

GerryLP

**Chas** · 02-04-12, 09:11 AM

He was in a Blackhawk simulator yesterday and said it was amazingly real.....he is going to go through startup procedures and fire up the engines Monday or Tuesday and his first B-hawk flight will be Wednesday with his first check flight a week after on Friday. This class is moving fast and he is very jacked up to go.

He told me the choppers have 2 engines that weigh less that a 350 chevy but produce 6000 hp each......

We can really tell the excitement in his voice and really couldn't be happier for our son.

**GerryLP** · 02-04-12, 11:12 AM

Chas,

Here is a link to the -701D engines. This will be the engine on the next generation Blackhawks. This puppy has improved turbine parts, the most noticeable one (when doing maintenance on the engine), will be the thermal barrier coating (TBC) parts. The coatings helps the parts extend the service under the high internal temperatures. In fact, this engine version will double the inspection interval to 1,000 flight hours. (if the aircraft were to be flown 30 flight hours per month, the engine inspection would not be due until about 33 months or nearly 3 years).

http://www.geaviation.com/engines/mi...t700-701d.html

I am so vicariously proud of Ben's success. Let's not put to much pressure upon him, but I would not be surprised if in the future you informed us that he has been assigned as squadron commander.

p.s. The max shp at sea level is shown at nearly 2,000 SHP, but everyone should know that this is a
de-rated output to accommodate mission requirements and other components' torque limitations, so the 6,000 SHP is gross combined. In fact, you could schedule a fuel burn profile to make one engine put out nearly 6,000 SHP, but then, the inspection intervals would perhaps be lowered to every 6 months, so that is why.

**Chas** · 02-05-12, 07:54 AM

Most excellent Gerry! Many Thanks Amigo for your insight and input here

**Chas** · 02-08-12, 08:13 AM

Today is Ben's first flight at the stick of a Blackhawk and last night he was excited and chompin at the bit to fly.

We are so happy and proud that it's hard to describe into words.....he is living his dream and what more could a parent want for their child?

Chas

**Chas** · 02-09-12, 11:09 AM

What a ride!

He had just over an hour on the stick and said it was everything he expected and then some. They fly much better with less effort than a civilian craft. He said he seems to sit a bit closer to the glass and for sure has alot more machine behind him than the others also.
He will fly daily for 1.5 hours until class ends in the summer, then a few weeks specific to his Blackhawk which is the newest model called a UH-60M class.
What a great kid!

**GerryLP** · 02-09-12, 06:19 PM

Chas,

Ben is the best! Kudos to him. Do you understand how valuable he would be to the ground pounding troops? This guy has chewed the dirt, carried the mission, and he has great insight about what
the troops are going through. Who else would anyone rather have...an academy graduate? Pssss,
please!!!!

**Chas** · 02-10-12, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by GerryLP

Chas,

Ben is the best! Kudos to him. Do you understand how valuable he would be to the ground pounding troops? This guy has chewed the dirt, carried the mission, and he has great insight about what
the troops are going through. Who else would anyone rather have...an academy graduate? Pssss,
please!!!!

Gerry, the words you put here bring tears of pride ....you bring a rare perspective to it for us.

Many Thanks amigo

**Chas** · 02-10-12, 01:29 PM

We wanted to let everyone Ben grew up with know what he is up to these days.

**GerryLP** · 02-10-12, 10:49 PM

Chas,

Every now and then, I have a chance to see the fruits of my labor succeed and make full circle. I had this kid back in the late 90's, fresh out of Tech School that I helped train, and I tried to nurture his mid-long term goals for a college degree, and who knows what else. Well the opportunity we have is barely 18 months to 3 years at most to help shape the minds and careers of these kids. And not too long ago (about 2 summers ago), I was in delight to receive this young man as a Captain in the USAF, with already 7,000+ hours in the C-130 aircraft and tours in the desert galore. It was greatly fulfilling and rewarding to hear him tell me,"Thanks for all the help you provided, Mr. Perez". Wow...If he would have been my own blood, I would have cried...

That is what it is all about. Our young people. We had our chance to make a difference, and now the world belongs to them.