Today’s news had a story about NASA’s rotor craft, helicopter by any other name, making its fiftieth flight on Mars: Ingenuity Soars: NASA’s Mars Helicopter Aces 50th Flight – “We Are Not in Martian Kansas Anymore”
There have been stories about this craft since even before it arrived on Mars. These stories always make me think of my father who was a technical representatives for helicopters for Kaman Aerospace. I could see him as being utterly fascinated by a helicopter flying on another planet, especially one with practically no atmosphere.
I could also see him trying to get stationed on Mars to provide technical assistance for the craft! Yeah, I know, he was no Matt Damon.
There is no way to verify now, but I remember my father talking about wanting to get stationed to Vietnam. The company had helicopters there and was looking for support personnel. I am sure the pay would have been extraordinary, out of country plus combat zone pay. As I remember the story, my mother just threw a hissy fit (we all have our talents) even about the possibility of him going to a war zone. He was in the Korean War, but sitting on an aircraft carrier, out to sea, miles from the action is different than the situation he would have encountered in Vietnam.
Funny how many family stories there are that I am not sure about the veracity. This one may have never gotten further than my father talking about the possibility, but who knows.
And so it goes.