{"id":7842,"date":"2023-06-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backwoodshome.com\/blogs\/MassadAyoob\/?p=7842"},"modified":"2023-05-25T17:25:27","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T21:25:27","slug":"helicopter-crash-redux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backwoodshome.com\/blogs\/MassadAyoob\/helicopter-crash-redux\/","title":{"rendered":"HELICOPTER CRASH REDUX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve been following this blog for a while, you know that every January 26 I make reference to the helicopter crash my buddy John Strayer and I survived<\/a> on that date in 2013. It got one of the heaviest reader responses in the history of the blog\u2026and of course, was a watershed experience for each of us, and our pilot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interesting update. John and I used to shoot International Practical Shooting Association (IDPA) matches together at the Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Club in Orlando whenever we could. John still does; I got out of \u201crun and gun\u201d shooting matches when the prophesy of old age that \u201cthe legs go first\u201d proved true for me. I still \u201cgun,\u201d I just don\u2019t \u201crun.\u201d John is about 17 years younger than me and still, God bless him, continues the competitive spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, the club got hold of a clapped-out helicopter as a prop for their range, and knowing about John and me losing the helicopter hunt to the hogs we were after that day \u2013 who knew wild hogs had anti-aircraft capability? \u2013 put their new prop into use for the first time last month. I was teaching in Pennsylvania, dammit, but John was able to make it, and here\u2019s the video of him shooting the stage with fast, accurate deployment of a Smith & Wesson .45 ACP revolver, an all-but-caliber clone of the four-inch barrel Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum he was hunting hogs with on the \u201cfateful day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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