Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home

[Max-U52]

Not sure about more modern birds, but in the good ol' Huey the collective is operated by the left hand, no matter which seat you're in. I've also never seen a cyclic stick that was made for the left hand. I imagine that's changed since the last time I was in a Huey, more years ago than I care to count.

[jarndice]

Years ago we took a pair of Westland Scout Helicopters to Berlin in the back of an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy Transport,
We flew the Wall and the Border Fence ,
We had all manner of hi-tech (Well for 1960s it was Hi-Tech) sensors and visual aids on board BUT we were not cleared for night flying.
We had Intel that Night Firing exercises were planned to the West of Berlin which of course was part of East Germany.
So we asked the American Army at Templehof if we could borrow a Huey with an American Army Pilot,
They were very happy to do so and I drove us all to Templehof From RAF Gatow in a VW Microbus with all our kit and we spent the afternoon fitting out the Huey,
The Regular Crew chief Came over to me with a Pack of Marlboro Cigarettes and a Zippo Lighter,
He said as you are Crew chief for this flight you will sit in the jump seat between the two front seats and when the captain reaches behind pass him a lit cigarette
Smoking in Her Majesty's Aircraft is forbidden.
The Collective on the Huey "C" that we were allocated had a central collective on the floor between the two front seats so I had to keep my feet out of the way,
A very interesting flight that clearly irritated the East German soldiers in the Towers around the Wall and Fence.