Students at three Westbrook schools got the rare opportunity to tour an Army Blackhawk helicopter when one landed in the high school baseball field on Friday.
As he peered out from inside the helicopter, Brandon Dyer, a junior, said he’d like to become a helicopter pilot. “I plan on going into the military after high school,” Dyer said.
The Maine Army National Guard sponsored the helicopter’s visit. The chopper belongs to the 112th Medical Company based in Bangor. Warrant Officer Meaghan Lombard piloted the helicopter to Westbrook. The twin-engine helicopter weighs 50,000 pounds and has a three-person crew made up of a pilot, crew chief and a medic.
Students from Westbrook High School, Westbrook Regional Vocational Center and Canal Elementary School watched the helicopter land. The students had the opportunity to get a closer look after Lombard explained its role and capabilities. “It’s very exciting, it’s a huge rush. You can pick up and land anywhere,” Lombard said.
Ryan Dumond, a senior, is already committed to attend a school in Florida this summer to train for a commercial helicopter pilot’s license. He’s been a passenger in a Robinson R22 helicopter. “I love it, it’s fun,” said Dumond, who will study graphic design this fall at the University of Southern Maine.
Maine Army National Guard recruiters Sgt. Doug Chabot and Spec. Caleb Barrieau, both Westbrook High School graduates and Iraq veterans, were on hand to talk students. Chabot said he enjoys talking with the students about what the National Guard can offer.
Chabot said they are openings available for helicopter pilots, but some students don’t think they would be capable of flying one. “If kids put their minds to it, they can do it,” Chabot said.
Warrant officer training would be the first step to becoming a helicopter pilot, Chabot said. Earning the warrant officer rank would be followed by nine to 12 months at flight school.
Becoming a helicopter pilot is just one of the opportunities offered by the Maine Army National Guard, the recruiters told the students. Barrieau said a student who signs up for the Guard would earn money, drilling one weekend a month and students also get educational opportunities.
Barrieau said the Maine Army National Guard pays students to go to school, in addition to awarding scholarships. “We offer a 100 percent tuition to any college in Maine,” Barrieau said. “It’s really a sweet deal.”
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