 No matter how many times you see one of these babies, you still don't believe they can fly. And even when you're driving one, you still can't believe how they fly. Vertical takeoff? No way. Hovering? 3,000 pounds just hanging there? Impossible. Flying backwards? Only hummingbirds and bumblebees do that. And nobody flies sideways. Even conventional forward flights seem strange. Slow, loose, and close to the ground? That went out with a stop-width camel. But don't get the idea that choppers only fly slow. And if you've got to do a search and rescue, there's no better way to fly. There aren't any words to describe the sensations of rotary wing flight. You've really got to experience it yourself. And if the engine ever quits, you can make a complete power-off landing straight down to the deck. Helicopters are probably the world's most difficult aircraft to fly. They're a real challenge to learn. You're wired into the machine much more than with any other type aircraft. You'll do very little hands-off flying. Helicopter pilots are the only unrestricted aviators in the Navy. You'll be fully qualified in both fixed-hand rotary wing flight. As a professional helicopter pilot, you'll be involved in a variety of assignments. In all the world, there are only a few thousand who have mastered the sky from the deck of a ship. There are even less who have done it straight up.