Heligunner

Do you love to shoot guns?  Have you always wanted to ride in a helicopter? Have you ever dreamed of being a door gunner?  This is the ultimate combo!  We can't think of a better way to spend a couple of days.  The company is called Heligunner. The experience was exhilarating.

Heligunner, is the creation of AR15 Targets and Paradise Helicopters of Texas. The company has two helicopters, an Astar and an MD-500 aka "Little Bird".  The MD-500 is what was used for this event.  It is the Ferrari of helicopters.  You might recognize this chopper because it is used in many video games, movies, and in Gene's all time favorite show Magnum PI.  As far as firearms go you can choose to bring your own or rent a semi or full auto AR15 from them.

This was my first experience riding in a helicopter.  It wasn't Gene's, but it was his first time in a Little Bird.  I really didn't know what to expect.  I have to admit that I was a little scared since I had been on a sketchy flight in an airplane a few years ago that I never really got over (Emergency landing.  Part of the wing fell off when we were circling due to a bad storm.)  I put my fears behind me and made the decision that I wasn't going to let that keep me from experiencing this.

We were scheduled to fly in the afternoon so we were able to enjoy watching several flights while we waited for our turn. We had brought our new camera with us so Gene took on the role of photographer. When our time was up we gathered next to the helicopter for a safety briefing and were given a rundown of what was about to happen.  The flight time is broken in half with the first half of the time spent in the observation "co-pilot" seat and the second half of the time spent in the gunner seat.

I got so excited when it was finally my turn.  I climbed up into the co-pilot seat for my observation ride, buckled up, took a deep breath, and off we went.  It was amazing! I have never experienced anything like it before.  To my surprise I wasn't scared at all.  It was a very smooth ride and the view was beautiful.  After the first several minutes of simply enjoying the ride I started paying attention to the flight path and the layout of the targets.  The first thing that I said to the pilot when we landed was that I need to learn how to fly.  I sure never thought I would say that.

Once the observation ride was over it was my turn in the gunner seat and Gene's turn to observe.  After I strapped myself in, the safety officer handed me my AR and my magazines.  As soon as everyone was ready to go the helicopter took off again.  I had a Contour camera mounted to my gun.  I was so excited that I wasn't even sure if I had turned it on.

When we were back up in the air I was told to load and make ready.  Once we made the first half of the loop and were lined up with the targets the pilot said "you are free to fire"...and that is sure what I did.  Flying through the air, getting my sights on target, and pulling the trigger.  I can't think of a more exciting and fun thing to do.  It was so incredible.

The helicopter made five passes.  There were eight steel targets on each pass and I used almost an entire 30 round magazine each time.  After I was done with my second flight it was Gene's turn in the gunner seat.  I was on the ground when it was his turn.  He enjoyed it as much as I did.

As Christy stated earlier, I have ridden in helicopters in the past, but never in a Little Bird! One word can sum it up.....AWESOME! It is a very fast and nimble chopper and it is fun to ride in and a great platform to shoot from. As I was preparing for my first run with my trusty AR in hand, the song "Flight of the Valkyries" was playing in my head! This was the first time I had shot an AR since almost cutting my finger off, so I was not sure how it would hold up. Once I started shooting at the first target I was not going to stop! Well, unless my finger fell off [but that's what my middle finger is for]! The best part of this experience was seeing one of the biggest smiles ever on Christy's face as she lifted off in the chopper for the first time. Now this was worth it! As a matter of fact, it was a pleasure seeing everyone's smiling faces as they took the ride of their lives!       -Gene

By the end of the day we were both Safety Officers for other gunners.  As the Safety Officer we sat next the gunner and made sure they knew what to do and gave them assistance as needed [handling and reloading empty mags, clearing jams, etc.].  We were happy to help and excited to get to fly again.  The following day I worked check in for the A Girl and A Gun 2nd Annual National Conference while Gene worked as a Safety Officer for Heligunner most of the day.

It was so much fun and I am really looking forward to the next time that we get to do it again.  It is difficult to describe this experience but what I can tell you is that if you get the opportunity you should really take advantage of it.

Here are the links to the pictures and videos from the Heligunner event.  Sorry for the delay in posting, but it took a great amount of time to upload and edit everything.  I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them.  -Gene

Heligunner / Wednesday, 3-19-14

Heligunner / Thursday, 3-20-14