Video: Downed U.S. pilot flies to safety strapped to Apache’s wing
posted at 6:35 pm on July 3, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Finally we get a happy ending, unlike the last time this happened. You’ll find the clip below but this is the rare case where the book is better than the movie. ABC News:
Burrows and Cianfrini survived the crash landing with only minor cuts and bruises, but came under immediate ground fire as the insurgents who had shot them continued to fire on the aircraft.
Facing gunfire from both sides of the helicopter, Burrows and Cianfrini crawled into an irrigation canal next to where the helicopter had crash landed.
Both pilots were soon stuck in neck-deep water with no way to get out because gunfire continued to rain down on them from both sides of the canal.
The Apache reached them 15 minutes later. Minor problem: Apaches are two-seaters. So they did the natural thing. They strapped one of them to the left gunwing and then the Apache pilot strapped himself to the right gunwing so that one of the downed pilots could ride in the cockpit. He’s the one visible in the clip.
That’s some good heroing, boys. Click the image to watch.
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God Bless America!
DCJeff on July 3, 2007 at 6:38 PM
Matt over at Blackfive had this up a couple of days ago. Now I don’t know about you but flying strapped to the wing of an Apache helicopter ain’t my idea of a fun ride.
There is another story out about a medical unit that had to put some wounded guy into the gunner seat of an Apache and they are claiming they were the first to do it. Maybe, but they didn’t strap a Doc on the outside for the trip.
LakeRuins on July 3, 2007 at 6:43 PM
Big brass ones.
flipflop on July 3, 2007 at 6:45 PM
Have you seen this awesome special forces video?
http://www.break.com/index/special-ops-extraction.html
lorien1973 on July 3, 2007 at 6:45 PM
Why did we hear so much about Romney’s dog but the MSM ignores this? After all, they actually have video of this, it’s a great story, it involves the heroes the MSM claims they support, and it has a happy ending.
cmay on July 3, 2007 at 6:49 PM
Here is Blackfives original post.
And from Desert Flier this one.
LakeRuins on July 3, 2007 at 6:49 PM
Tremendous. A toast to America’s heroes.
Spirit of 1776 on July 3, 2007 at 6:52 PM
1. Amazingly heroic. unreal really. U-Rah!
2. Your photo tag
simply defies RC2’s first law of insurgent warfare. To quote (sadly):
The side with the helicopters looses.
RC2 on July 3, 2007 at 6:52 PM
Hell of a lot funner than fighting your way out of the area….
Tim Burton on July 3, 2007 at 6:57 PM
Would you help make a weekly hour-long drama on a major TV network that had stories like this in it one of the highest-rated shows of season?
Nah, obviously there’s no market for that sort of thing… let’s all watch The Simpson’s and L&O:SVU!
ScottMcC on July 3, 2007 at 6:58 PM
ScottMcC on July 3, 2007 at 6:58 PM
Are you talking about The Unit? Even though I found out the lead actor Denis Haysbert, the former President Palmer from 24, list Jimmy Carter as his favorite president.
LakeRuins on July 3, 2007 at 7:04 PM
Yay uh-PAHH-shays!
see-dubya on July 3, 2007 at 7:14 PM
Nice!
Careful, there, ABC, You just may turn the majority of Americans around to getting behind this endeavor. doh.
Godspeed to every man and woman overseas~
bridgetown on July 3, 2007 at 7:21 PM
…and not a Dhemocrat in sight. Hoo-ah.
Mojave Mark on July 3, 2007 at 7:35 PM
LakeRuins on July 3, 2007 at 7:04 PM
According to Wikipedia, “He stated in an interview for the show that the three men he admired most — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Colin Powell — would collectively embody his idea of what a President should be.”
Was it Carter’s deft foreign policy and patriotism that makes Haysbert admire him? (BTW, Carter ran for governor of GA as a segregationist). And Clinton’s integrity? I’m not really sure what Powell did as Sec State, other than hide from his boss the fact that Armitage leaked Plame’s name. Way to help the old boss out, ColinBlow.
cmay on July 3, 2007 at 7:36 PM
Amazing video and story. True heroes. I’m surprised ABC actually had this up. After I read it I went to look at the comments and someone named Wheat Chex said to check out American Pilots for 9/11 truth. They just can’t leave anything alone, can they?
PowWow on July 3, 2007 at 7:41 PM
Outstanding!
They should charge admission for that ride! Six Flags ain’t got nothing that compares.
mojowire on July 3, 2007 at 7:44 PM
Hooah!
PBoilermaker on July 3, 2007 at 8:06 PM
Hooah!
Indeed.
Lawrence on July 3, 2007 at 8:22 PM
WOW!!!!!!!
CrimsonFisted on July 3, 2007 at 8:27 PM
First I heard about this kind of thing was back in January when the Royal Marines lost a guy inside an old fort occupied by taliban fighters. All they had were some apaches.
Video here.
Pilgrim on July 3, 2007 at 8:50 PM
ScottMcC: “Would you help make a weekly hour-long drama on a major TV network that had stories like this in it one of the highest-rated shows of season?”
You’ll see “War Criminals of Abu Ghraib” on TV long before you see “Hero Apache Pilots.”
Tantor on July 3, 2007 at 9:05 PM
Reminds me of the spirit of Congressional Medal of Honor winner Bernie Fisher’s rescue in Vietnam when he landed his A-1E Skyraider to pickup a fellow airmen who had just been shot down. He shoved him in the cockpit with him and managed to escape despite heavy enemy fire. We have a room in the 366th Fighter Wing “Gunfighter Club” dedicated to his actions.
Way to go Army aviation! Hoorah!
KC-135A on July 3, 2007 at 9:06 PM
This brings tears to my eyes. I’m going to be even worse watching our Military in our Cities Independence Day parade tomorrow. God Bless our Troops.
Quiglag on July 3, 2007 at 9:14 PM
Can you say cajones….
jimwesty on July 3, 2007 at 9:46 PM
A guy in my instrument class going Apaches always rips on me for wanting Blackhawks. I just assumed he was full of sh*t when he told me about this today.
Man I love the Army.
BadgerHawk on July 3, 2007 at 10:08 PM
Hear! Hear!
Zorro on July 3, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Inspiring.
Jaibones on July 3, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Go Army!
Those terrorists must’ve been watching in stunned disbelief.
Hey, I wonder if Hollywood’ll make a movie showing the pure heroics of our great Troops in the WoT?
Naaaaaaaah.
Tony737 on July 3, 2007 at 11:33 PM
Balls to the walls!
(P.S.- Helicopters don’t have “wings”.)
profitsbeard on July 3, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Nuhhh-friggin-uhhhhh!
Also, that video of the boat–>helicopter transfer?
Nuhhh-friggin-uhhhhh!
askheaves on July 4, 2007 at 1:23 AM
Fox and Friends has the 2 pilots on this morning and got their version. To say they are understated in explaining their actions is an understatement.
LakeRuins on July 4, 2007 at 7:55 AM
Money quote from the Warrant Officer “It is better to be on the inside then the outside”
LakeRuins on July 4, 2007 at 7:57 AM
Risking life and limb and a very valuable helicopter to save to fellow soldiers. That says something mighty powerful about the value of human life. I wonder where that sentiment came from? Certainly not the worldview of jihadists. They would have left these guys to die
leavenedbread on July 4, 2007 at 8:45 AM
That’s using the old noodle. Good for them. The United States truly has the BEST military in the world.
Nice on lorien1973!! Both are great vids.
-TJ
TimboJackson on July 4, 2007 at 9:14 AM
I love our military! And we only thought this was done in the movies. To quote Clint Eastwood from Heartbreak Ridge “You improvise. You adapt. You overcome.”
and lonen1873 – SWEET!
woodman on July 4, 2007 at 9:25 AM
It’s a shame the US Army couldn’t borrow some of those old Russian Hind helicopters. They are large gunships that have a passenger compartment in the back. They had a big part to play in films and computer games during the 1980s, usually as targets. I imagine the Russians have a surplus of the things.
Apeking on July 4, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Nothing against the Apache, it’s a rock-solid combat bird, but newer variants of the H-60 are up-armored, heavily armed with a variety of weapons, and still retain a crew compartment, as well as having more advanced radar and infrared sensors than an Apache ever dreamed of. I’d much rather have one of those coming to pick me up than having to strap on the winglet of an AH-64. Still, any ride is better than no ride!
Freelancer on July 4, 2007 at 4:05 PM
We did this with Cobras over three decades ago. Cannot keep an Army Aviator down
gatorbait on July 4, 2007 at 9:46 PM
No one improvises like the US military.
F15Mech on July 5, 2007 at 2:36 AM
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