Low Flight

What "High Flight" is for fixed-wing pilots, "Low Flight" is for helicopter pilots. The unofficial poem of Army Aviation and helicopter pilots, "Low Flight" reverses the perspective from the soaring airplane pilot to the 50 foot AGL helicopter pilot.

Its author is unknown.

Oh, I've slipped the surly bonds of earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed and met the rising brush ofnon-paved terrain
And done a thousand things you would never care to
Skidded and dropped and flared
Low in the heat soaked roar.
Confined there, I've chased the earthbound traffic
And lost the race to insignificantheadwinds;
Forward and up a little in ground effect
I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk or even Phantom flew.
Shaking and pulling collective,
I've lumberedThe low untresspassed halls of victor airways,
Put out my hand and touched a tree.

-Anonymous