Ed Macy puts briefly flat period of his life preceding his entry into the army. He gives us his impressions from events that marked his youth. Then the path that leads him to steer or rather (to quote the title of the second chapter) to "ride the dragon".
It makes a strong description of technical details about the design of the helicopter. The reported events are all very detailed and very alive, full of anecdotes, allowing a very pleasant reading and a progressive immersion in the organization and the complex activities of camp life.
The specific pilot training and piloting of the attack helicopter AH Mk1 is also beautifully described.
All descriptive text is a treat for even the player with no or little knowledge (like me) in this area.
The codes, the acronyms used to designate bodies and grades, techniques relating to machinery parts (very scary AH Mk1) and those relating to weapons, missions, geography etc. are surprisingly quickly assimilated and are no longer a secret for the neophyte after the first 100 pages.
Then come the missions, wow !!! What richness and fine detail in the descriptions of exchanges between the forces in place and the comments. The missions are a good time reading in addition to being a testimony.
Missions:
1. The familiarization flight over Sangin that turns into an unexpected air support. The reader is at the heart of the action in the chopper instead of the driver. It heater and AC fuse in every sense.
2. The Kajaki Dam, codename Arnhem.
3. Operation Glacier 1 attack on Koshtay is impressive.
4. Glacier 2 attack on Fort Jugroom is pure madness.
5. Glacier 3 on coaching "hex" when it was briefly mentioned on page 307.
For Glacier steps 1 and 2 and detailed captions in support cards.
The frequency with which these men face their destiny and their determination to face it commands respect.
