Bell 206 Jet Ranger (including OH-58 Kiowa)

Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Bell Model: 206 (military: OH-58). Nickname: Jet Ranger (military: Kiowa)
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Helicopter
> FAA Category and Class: Rotorcraft/Helicopter
> Engine Description: single turbine

Aircraft Experience
> As of: 11/7/2024
> Number of Hours Flown: 117
> Number of Times Flown: 69
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: OH-58, H-58, 206, 206L2, 206L3, Kiowa

First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 17. (my first helicopter!)
> Date First Flown: 1/22/1986
> Location First Flown: NAS Patuxent River, MD (KNHK)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: USNTPS, Jack Lawrence (Class 89)

Recollections: My first flight while I was a student at USNTPS was in a helicopter, at night, with a member of the Senior Class, Jack Lawrence.  It was not a syllabus flight, it was simply Jack going on a “night currency” flight and, somehow, I tagged along.  It wasn’t the only time I flew with Jack during the year and, I suspect, he probably got tired of me bugging him to go fly.  One of the flights I did w/Jack was on February 26, 1986.  Again, it was a “Night Refresher FAM” but this one happened to occur on the very same day as my T-38 FAM 2.  On FAM 2 in the Talon one of the “maneuvers” you do is to go supersonic.  For me, it was the first time I ever went supersonic.  It was kind of a non-event, to be honest (a sign of a well-designed transonic airplane)…a bit of a pitch bump, some temporary pitot-static fluctuations on airspeed and altimeter…but I can tell you that flying the helo at night w/Jack was much cooler than passing the sound barrier.  Certainly more challenging! 

During my time in the Navy, I continued to–as a “helo wannabe”–get time in the OH-58 with fellow instructors, like Lee Khinoo.  I will speak more about Lee in a different writeup.  I felt that such flying was key to me becoming adaptable to new situations.  Such seemingly spur-of-the-moment flying (keep in mind that we always fully briefed every flight) is likely no longer allowed.  While that may seem like reduced risk to leadership, I really wonder. 

Fast-forward to 2013 when I began flying the Bell 206 (the civilian cousin of the Army OH-58), in my helicopter instrument training, conducted with Leading Edge Aviation and my “on wing”, Jordan Kuhnmuench.  Later, I got checked out in the 206 at a local Seattle FBO, Classic Helicopter.  Finally made it to be an “unrestricted aviator”!