Wow, I'm so glad I date geek girls. The only reason they get hyper is becuase they want to take things like that apart, or figure out the secret to the paint, or fly it...

It was the first flight of the prototype.

I guess that makes the V-2 the prototype for the Saturn V. And the Sopwith Camel was the prototype for the F-22....

Hi Norad45

I'm not talking about the American B2 (the one thats made out of MDF, with parts cobbled from civilian jets) but this one,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlKMY6nVVyI
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/vulcan/history.html

Ah, I see the old "bentirran" is back. No matter what Americans achieve, there's always some obscure Scotsman somewhere who did it first and better. Your posts bring to mind the immortal words of General Chang: "Shakespeare is best when heard in the original Klingon."

They'll get my foie gras when they pry it from my cold, dead hands!

Again I say funny how the mind works, this topic started out about an apache flying over a American city, and how it brought to mind survival instincts and now its about MDF board B52's back in 1952. Seems all the topics end up off topic in one way or the other, guess its just human nature.

Truly an amusing thread. Ya'll are worried when you see a military helicopter overhead? Wow, I find it comforting - sound of freedom and all that. But then I am a former Naval Aviator and I know the kind of guys who fly Apaches. I kind of see it as being afraid of a very loyal Saint Bernard - you know, the dog who will let your kids ride him like a horse and would literally die to protect them. Instead of getting worried next time, look them up after they land and buy them a beer.

I wasn't worried so to speak, more of surprise (never saw an attack copter over our city)wasn't scared(more like concerned what if) I have seen plenty of copters fly over, even Apache's but never hover for an hour over a city. I wasn't alone in being concerned, if the full story is read from the paper I posted everyone will see that even parents were not going to let their children go out for trick or treat. With the way things are going from bad to worse now days, one never knows whats going to happen, with the mind set of being prepared and knowing how governments do as they please I couldn't help but wonder "what if" you can't tell me when other people see or hear something out of the ordinary that their mind doesn't shift to the survival mode so to speak or the cautious mode, concerned etc. Also if the article is read you will see that local officials were not even informed, and talking to some of them in the past few days I learned they too were concerned and wondered what if.

Why would local officials need to be "informed?" There are essentally no FAA restrictions on helicopter flights over populated areas. I have flown for "hours" over cities -- hovered even -- as both a military and a civilian helicopter pilot as part of various missions. In 20 years of being a helicopter pilot, I have never - not once - informed any local official of anything. And as most helicopter flights are under Visual Flight Rules, I almost never informed even the FAA.

Again, I am amused at the idea that "things are going from bad to worse" and that our servicemen and their equipment are objects of fear. More like ignorance - on your part and on that of your "local officials." Like I said, see if you can find the guys who were flying and have a beer with them. I think it will ease your mind. To quote Tolkien, "Little do they know of our long labour for the safekeeping of their borders, and yet I grudge it not."