Montana Air Guard Training For Fire Season

This Blackhawk helicopter was practicing in front of our cabin at Upper Holter Lake northeast of Helena, Montana in preparation for the upcomingfire season..

Thats cool, what elevation is the lake at?
We have a unit from NY out here practicing
handling characteristics in the mountains with their apaches and chinooks
before they head to afghanistan.

mcmullag said:

Thats cool, what elevation is the lake at?
We have a unit from NY out here practicing
handling characteristics in the mountains with their apaches and chinooks
before they head to afghanistan.

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The elevation at the lake which is actually the Missouri River is 3600 ft. Some of the mountains around the Helena area are over 7,000 feet with the tallest being Mount Baldy in the Big Belt Mountains at an elevation of 9482 ft. Fort Harrison near Helena , is where Canadians and Americans trained during WW2 and were formed into a unit named "The Devils Brigade" which was really the birthplace of the U.S. Special Forces which still trains here summer and winter.

Sweet, thanks for posting the pictures

dittle said:

Sweet, thanks for posting the pictures

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The pleasure is mine, Thank you !!

awesome

I'm jealous. I'm one of those guys that will still run outside to get a look when I hear low flying aircraft around.

training

3 or 4 weeks ago, an apache or blackhawk crashed in a clearing in the forest up in the mountains at about 10,000 ft. , just west of town here. Two crewmembers were taken to the hospital and got out a few days later, the helicopter looked totaled. In the local news, the spokes people for the army and for the NY unit sounded so happy that it happened here and the crews were getting good training of what their helicopters can and cannot do at high altitude, before they go to Afghanistan. It was just kinda weird to hear on the radio this spokes lady for the NY unit sounding so happy about the incident but I understand where they are coming from.

I've enjoyed several trips to the Cloudcroft, NM area & Lincoln National Forest, and been "targeted" by the stealth fighters out of Holloman AFB (below the mountains), while hiking in the woods... You can almost "feel" the infrared tagetting as they're pointed right at you, then pull up when only about 1/2 mile away.

I've got a lot of respect for our men and women who are pilots and crewmembers and the ground personnel who support them in war and in peace. They saved the day in a major forest fire in our area in 2007. A "Blackhawk" was my neighbors savior. I've got video and pictures of it coming thru the smoke and fire. America can and should give them the best possible training to complete their mission sucessfully when called upon!!Our Air Guard units have been called to duty a couple of times to Iraq and Afganistan. We are very proud of them.

These are pictures of the "Blackhawk" helicopter in the 2007 Merriwether Fire with the one awsome picture my daughter took across the lake with the cabin and fire in the backgriund. It was in the National Guard Magazine that year. We also had a "Chinook" here also.

elkhunter said:

These are pictures of the "Blackhawk" helicopter in the 2007 Merriwether Fire with the one awsome picture my daughter took across the lake with the cabin and fire in the backgriund. It was in the National Guard Magazine that year. We also had a "Chinook" here also.

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"Fire Duty" in 2007 Merriwether Fire near Helena, Montana!

elkhunter said:

These are pictures of the "Blackhawk" helicopter in the 2007 Merriwether Fire with the one awsome picture my daughter took across the lake with the cabin and fire in the backgriund. It was in the National Guard Magazine that year. We also had a "Chinook" here also.

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That, I'm not jealous of. Growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, I know that feeling, standing there wondering if you'll have a home tomorrow.

KsM715 said:

That, I'm not jealous of. Growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, I know that feeling, standing there wondering if you'll have a home tomorrow.

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Thats true KsM715 I'm just glad they were here! I would like to go to the Black Hills someday. It looks like its nice country. Lots of history in the Black Hills. Saw this near Post Falls, Idaho goin home from PNW 2010 in Washington state.