The Big Metal Monster

I've always been interested in planes and helicopters. As a child I considered myself lucky to see the Blue Angels planes at their base in Pensacola, Fla. To a kid they really looked big. How often does a kid get to touch these planes? I wish I could fly every day. But I missed my chance. When I was growing up girls were not considered for pilot training. Stewardess was the only way to fly. I didn't really want to be one.

But my love of airports and aircraft has stayed with me. I could be happy wandering around an airport all day. I love to watch the passengers and crews as they go about their business. I enjoyed watching planes take off and land. To me the 747 is a beautiful plane. Looking a little like a dove, it is hard to believe that something weighing over 750,000 pounds could get up into the air.

Then there is the helicopter. From Da Vinci's first crude drawings to today's models, I find them fascinating. From the little two man choppers to the large search and rescue ones, I can't help but watch. Around Houston it is not uncommon to see various helicopters almost daily. But I didn't expect to see the LifeFlight helicopter land almost in the back yard. While watching tv last night, we heard the thundering noise of the chopper as it landed in the parking lot of the fire station in front of us. I've seen these before. It is still hard to believe how big they are and how much equipment they carry. They are literally a flying emergency room. Of course at night, it is quite a sight to see the big metal monster so close. What ever the emergency was the chopper was on the ground for over an hour. Most of the time on the ground was spent stabilizing the patient from whatever had happened.

Finally, the unmistakable roar of the engines and the blades was audible again. I went outside to watch it take off. Soon I saw it rise from behind the building. Rising into the night sky like a huge metal monster. Four bright lights under the belly lit up the dark as I watched it lift ever so gracefully into the black of the night. The vibrations could be felt on the ground. The roar of the great monster was very lound. Chills went up my spine as I watched it lift off and turn toward it's hospital destination. With help from the big metal monster another life may have been saved. Fly on Big Metal Monster, fly on, God Bless.