Bravo November

By Semperpapa

This is one to go on the list of “Thank you, Lord!”

A British Chinook pilot was flying a Medevac mission in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. The mission was to pick up casualties from a furious engagement between US and Afghan military and Taliban terrorists.
The firefight on the ground was so severe that the pilot had to circle the LZ several times before being able to sit the bird down.

As the big chopper was finally being loaded with casualties, the enemy turned their attention to it and begun firing on the old Chinook, code sign Bravo November, and as the rounds continued to impact the fuselage, the pilot managed to lift off when one “lucky” bullet ricochet inside the cockpit and struck the pilot on the helmet, right between the eyes.
The Taliban fire also caused the stabilization controls to shut down and the pilot, now blinded by his own blood, had to fight to keep his bird from crashing into the ground. Few minutes later, against all odds, Bravo November landed at Camp Bastion with its precious cargo.

A British TV presenter, Mike Brewer, was on board at the time of the incident and made this statement:

"It was terrifying. We came under fire just as the ramp was closing. Then just after we'd taken off the Chinook suddenly lurched from side to side and we heard the pilot had been shot. The only reason we didn't plunge straight back into the desert was because of the sheer bravery and skill of Ian and the rest of the crew. They're all heroes."

It is an amazing story of resilience and luck and the pilot lived up, literally, to his own name. Flight Lt. Ian Fortune was treated at the medical facility on Camp Bastion and is going to be just fine.

But besides his own name, Lt. Fortune had the right bird under his controls. It appears that Bravo November is a lucky guy. It is one of the oldest Chinook in the British Fleet, having been in service since the Falkland Islands conflict. During that conflict, Bravo November was just airborne off the Atlantic Conveyor when the ship was hit by two Exocet missiles.

And the Chinook also survived crashing in the ocean at 100 knots during a blizzard, but subsequently allowing the pilot to lift off again and reach land.

So the combination of skills, resilience and luck save the day for many that day in Afghanistan. Thank you Flight Lt. Fortune and all the British forces who are fighting next to our brave American troops.

Just my thoughts (and prayers).