So yes, you are talking the crash in April 2010 then.

Final verdict - engine failure. There was no evidence in the official report of any kind of shooting.

I understand what you mean about the reason not being important to you as a friend, but to me as a military aviator it is important to note that Ospreys have not been shot down. That is a significant milestone since many people said first use in combat they were going to be shot down left and right.

All my best to your friend. I'm very impressed he got his flight status back!

What I meant to convey was that when I'm able to talk to him the reason was at first something he couldn't talk about. Then it just kinda got lost in the mix cuz we talk about all kinds of other stuff. I'm glad it wasn't shot down as well!!
He's a special breed, you probably know the type. When the a/c went down he was directing people to get out cuz he knew it would blow. He was horribly wounded, broken pelvis. Legs. Arm. Had to tourniquet his arm himself cuz one of the troops that was riding wasn't getting it high enuf on his arm. I believe his words after the troop tried twice was "f it, I'll do it myself". Doctors told him that he saved his own life, cuz that's the wound he was bleeding out from.

I would call him during his rehab and you could tell when he was having a hard day, but he never quit. He told me that he would be flying again. He's the kind of guy who says something like that and others know it's fact. He hasn't lost his sense of humor, often he hops on Ventrilo or calls me and he's talking in his Captain Voltano voice (kind of a nerdy techno geek) and it makes me laugh, never get tired of it.

HD, what kind of a/c are you flying around in these days?

I've been put out to pasture, got two more years until I hit 30. I'm teaching college at a NROTC unit. :)

Yes, I know the type quite well. Pretty much most of the fine folks I've served with. ;-)

How are liking teaching? Adjusting well or is it pretty similar to doing what you were before, only in a classroom instead of a carrier?

That is a very astute question Mr. Charvel. I'm pretty much doing the same leadership stuff I've been doing for 27 years, but now just in a classroom. I have found that I need to put a lot more effort into making actual structure to the syllabus, instead of "today, we are going to shoot the breeze about communication."

I hate the textbook and therefore I have a lot more prep to do to make the course interesting and engaging, but bottom line is I love it, feel like it is what I'm supposed to be doing at this stage in my life.

That's grat HD and I'm sure it's very rewarding.

But what I'm really leading up to is...any hot chicks in your classes?

:-P

That is great to hear. The world needs more people like you to build the future generations. Far too many people are forced into instructional positions and just present material.