My Birthday Present

I am 39 years old today. Sometimes it seems like that is not possible because it was not that long ago I was in high school and college. Yet at the same time, when I think about all the things that I've done and has happened since then, high school and college seem like they happened so long ago. I have now lived on the west side of the cascades longer than I lived on the east side. I always think of myself as someone from the east side of the mountains, but I have been on the wet side longer. For my birthday this year, my wonderful wife decided to get me a present that would remind me I am still a kid. She got me a great gift! I now have my very own Vertol helicopter!!!!
For those of you that do not know what this is, here are a couple of pictures.A vertol is a Boeing made, heavy lift helicopter. I have worked with these a lot on wildfires, but have never been able to fly on one. I have always really liked this kind of helicopter a lot!

Okay, I'm sure your wondering where Brooke got the several million dollars to buy me one of these and how I am going to fly it since I do not have a pilots license or have ever even flown an airplane let alone a helicopter. Here is the vertol that Brooke actually got me.Here I am just taking off (above) and then hovering about 3 ft off the ground.(below)

It is a really cool remote control helicopter. It took a few minutes of practice, but I can fly it almost as long as the rechargable batteries will last. It is a lot of fun. It was a little less expensive than the real thing.Here I am on an early flight about to crash into the ceiling.

To me the real Vertol helicopter is an amazing feat of engineering and design. They made a dual rotored helicopter fly with the rotors turning in opposite directions and during flight they twist and turn at unbelievable rates and never hit each other. This little remote control helicopter is also quite an amazing piece of technology and engineering. They got enough electronics and power into this tiny piece of styrofoam that it will fly and you can control it. It is a lot of fun. Thanks to my family for such a great present.